Autumn Activities for Foster Families
As the leaves turn and the air grows crisp, autumn offers a wonderful opportunity for foster carers and children to share memorable experiences together. In foster care, these seasonal moments help strengthen bonds, ease transition stresses, and nurture a sense of stability and joy in the foster home. At Beacon Fostering, we believe that simple, meaningful activities are powerful tools in creating a positive fostering placement environment.
Why Autumn Activities Matter in Fostering
Strengthening attachments: Shared experiences build trust and connection between foster carers and foster children.
Promoting wellbeing: Being outdoors, creative play and sensory engagement support mental health, reduce stress and bring fresh energy to the foster family.
Establishing routine and predictability: Planning regular seasonal activities helps structure time together in a stable, comforting way.
Encouraging belonging: Involving foster children in autumn traditions teaches about seasons, culture, and creates shared memories in their foster home.
10 Autumn Activity Ideas for Foster Carers & Children
Here are ideas foster carers can adapt for their foster children (from toddlers to teens).
Leaf hunting and nature walks
Collect colourful leaves, acorns, pine cones, seed pods. Create a leaf scrapbook or collage for the foster child’s memory box.Pumpkin carving or decorating
Let children design their own pumpkin faces or paint pumpkins. Use LED candles for safety.Baking autumn treats
Bake seasonal recipes like pumpkin muffins, apple crumble, spiced cookies. Encourage children to measure, mix and decorate.Crafting with natural materials
Use leaves, twigs, conkers, sticks, pine cones to make wreaths, mobiles, leaf prints, or photo frames.Outdoor scavenger hunt
Create a list (e.g. “a red leaf, a smooth stone, a feather”) and explore the neighbourhood or a local park together.Storytime by candlelight
Read autumn or seasonal stories under soft lighting. Encourage children to share a story or memory of autumn from their life.Autumn-themed movie nights
Watch films set in fall or with nature themes, with popcorn or warm drinks.Collecting for charity
Gather warm clothes, blankets, or food items to donate. Involving children in giving back fosters empathy and community connection.Visit local farms or orchards
Go apple picking, pumpkin patches or autumn fairs — many farms host seasonal events like hayrides or corn mazes.Photography or journaling
Let the foster child take photos of autumn motifs or write short daily reflections. Later, create a seasonal journal together.
Tips to Make Activities Foster-Friendly
Be flexible with pacing: Some children may take time to warm up, especially in new fostering placements. Let them observe first.
Invite their input: Ask the child to choose or adapt activities. It gives them control and ownership.
Be mindful of trauma triggers: Some activities (e.g. collecting found items) might bring up past experiences. Check in and adapt if needed.
Include siblings or peer visits: If multiple foster children or birth children live in the home, group activities help family bonding.
Leverage community resources: Look up local autumn/fall events, pumpkin patches, forest walks or seasonal workshops in your area.
Document memories: Take photos, keep a special autumn scrapbook together. This can feed into life story work for the child.
The Role of Beacon Fostering in Supporting Seasonal Engagement
As your fostering agency, Beacon Fostering is here to support you in making autumn a positive time in your foster home. We provide:
Ideas, resources and seasonal activity suggestions for foster carers
Training covering relational foster care, trauma-informed care and therapeutic fostering
Emotional and supervisory support to help you tailor activity plans to each child’s needs
Guidance on balancing structure, boundaries and flexibility in fostering placements
By working together, we can ensure that your foster home is a place of warmth, belonging and joyful experiences — whatever the season.
Final Thoughts
Autumn offers a special backdrop for foster carers and children to slow down, connect, create, and heal together. Whether it’s leaf collecting, baking, journaling or a local farm trip, these activities help weave new shared memories into the fabric of the foster home.
If you are a current foster carer looking for fresh ideas, or someone considering becoming a foster carer, Beacon Fostering is here to support you. Let’s make this autumn one of connection, growth and warmth in your foster home.