Autumn is a truly magical time for everyone and children can enjoy the many different colors that the time between September and November has to offer.
You can help them connect with nature and this wonderful time of the year with some autumn fun facts. It’s a great way for them to explore the world through stories.
We share some of our most fascinating facts (see also: 41 Fascinating Spider Facts For Kids)about the autumn season that invite children to discover the world around them.
Fascinating And Fun Autumn Facts
Fall is known by three different names: autumn season, fall and harvest. This season is also called harvest because farmers harvest the crops from the fields that were growing during the summer.
People in the United States call autumn fall because all the leaves drop off from the trees.
The nights are getting longer and the days are shorter in autumn. This means that there is less sunlight during this season.
The moon around the Autumn Equinox is known as the harvest moon because it used to help farmers bring in their crops before the invention of electricity.
Some people believe that catching a falling leaf in autumn is a sign of luck.
You may notice that some people call the weather in autumn “sweater weather”. This is because the weather is cooling down and you need to wear warmer clothes, such as a sweater.
The Autumn Equinox is a special day that marks the beginning of autumn. It ends with the Winter Solstice at the end of December.
On the day of the Autumn Equinox, the sun rises exactly in the East and it sets exactly in the West.
Those who live in countries near the equator don’t have a fall season because the temperatures always stay mild throughout the year.
While the autumn season starts in September in the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere’s autumn begins in March.
You can see so many scarecrows on fields because they were used by people to protect their harvest in summer and autumn.
When you walk through a forest in September and October, you can find plenty of acorns. They are the fruit of oak trees that grow new trees wherever they fall.
The first frost happens during cold, autumn nights when the water in the air settles on the ground. With the cold temperatures, it freezes until the morning sunshine that makes it melt away.
Interesting Autumn Leaves Facts
Leaves have a green color because the trees and plants produce a chemical known as chlorophyll. Green leaves turn brown in fall because they don’t get enough sunlight to make chlorophyll.
The trees that lose their leaves during autumn and winter are known as deciduous trees.
Not all forests around the world change to the same color in autumn. The color of a forest depends on what trees grow in the forest.
Trees can also lose their leaves during spring or summer but this usually means that they are sick.
In early autumn, when the days are still warm and the nights are slightly cold, then leaves have the most diverse hues.
The different colors in autumn leaves appear because of the sugar that a tree stores in its leaves. During fall, leaves store more sugar which means that they are purple and red colors.
Climate change has a big impact on leaves. If the temperatures stay warm in autumn, then the leaves don’t change color.
Autumn leaf colors are the same pigments that also make your favorite vegetables orange, green, red or even purple.
Scientists found that spending time in nature with trees and plants is not just great fun but it is also good for your mood.
The leaves that have fallen to the ground during autumn help to protect the tree seeds through the cold winter months. They also protect nests and hideaways of other animals, such as hedgehogs.
Some people travel a long way to see spectacular autumn foliage. You can watch the stunning displays of autumn colors in New England or Upstate New York.
Enchanting Autumn Animal Facts
There are many animals that change their behavior during autumn because they need to get ready for the cold winter months.
During autumn, hibernating animals, such as groundhogs, chipmunks, skunks and bears, eat a lot of food because they need more fat to keep their body going throughout the winter. The extra fat also keeps them warm.
Snakes are looking for special dens and hiding places in the autumn as they need to stay away from the cold in winter. Sometimes several snakes even share a den to keep each other warm.
Fall is also the time when furry animals grow a thicker fur coat to protect them from the cold.
For many species, such as birds and butterflies, autumn is the time when they migrate from the North to the South where it is much warmer and they can find more food.
Fall is the most active time for spiders because they are mating.
In the autumn, owls hoot louder because they are looking for a nest that keeps them warm throughout the winter months.
Similar to many other animals, bees are extra busy in the fall season because they need to produce and store honey reserves.
Squirrels busily collect nuts and store them away for winter. Their brain even gets bigger at this time of year to help them finding food.
The nuts that squirrels couldn’t find anymore when it’s cold will help a forest regrow in the spring and summer.
Lakes, rivers, brooks and other bodies of water cool down during the fall. That’s when fish can also explore water areas that were previously too warm for them.
Fun Autumn Food Facts
Pumpkins have a long history in North America. People have been enjoying pumpkins for over 5,000 years. That’s why it is a big fall favorite food for Thanksgiving Day and Halloween.
Pumpkins are usually harvested in early autumn, so you can visit pumpkin patches, carve pumpkins or eat a piece of pumpkin pie.
There are a lot of fruits that are harvested in autumn, including cranberries and apples.
Many traditional fall fruits contain plenty of air and that’s why they usually stay afloat when you put them into water.
Pumpkin isn’t just one type of vegetable but it belongs to the squash family. There are many different pumpkin varieties.
As pumpkins are squashes, these tasty autumn veggies are actually fruit.
The word squash comes from the Native American word “askutasquash” and it means “eaten raw”. Today, most people prefer to eat their squash or pumpkin cooked.
Pumpkins don’t grow from seeds but from the pumpkin flowers.
Pumpkin seeds are a delicious food. People even use them as a medicine because they make you sleepy.
You can make a lot of different foods with fall apples, like apple cider. One gallon of this cider needs over 40 apples.
Apples are the world’s favorite fruit. In the United States, we have millions of apple trees that make millions of apples.
Michigan has one of the highest numbers of apple trees and apple producers in the US. That’s why the apple blossom is Michigan’s state flower.
Autumn Tradition Facts
Trick-or-Treating is a medieval tradition where people dressed up in frightening costumes and performed different tricks in exchange for treats. They believed that their costumes would keep evil demons away.
Autumn is celebrated in different ways around the world. We mark fall with the Autumn Equinox at the end of September.
Hindus in India and other parts of Asia celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights, at the end of October or beginning of November. They share food with candlelight and enjoy a big fireworks display.
The first ever Thanksgiving Day lasted for 3 days and people celebrated the first successful corn harvest of the pilgrims.
Halloween is originally an old celebration to mark the end of the harvest season and the start of the dark nights.
The tradition of carving Jack-O’-Lanterns comes from Ireland where people would carve potatoes or turnips.
Mexicans and Hispanics celebrate the Day of the Dead at the end of October and beginning of November to celebrate their ancestors.
Final Thoughts
Help young children explore the world with all their senses through stories about autumn. From colorful leaves and delicious autumn food, it is a fantastic time of year to connect kids with nature, (see also: Crafting And Playing With Nature)traditional food and culture.
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