“Here Lolli, put this in my Saving Bag.” My 4-year-old granddaughter hands me popsicle wrappers and sticks with clever sayings on them. Special rocks, sea shells, tiny toys, stickers, flowers, leaves, National Park stamps, smashed pennies. (Wait, that’s ME. I collect National Park stamps and smashed pennies!) This is the work of children; they pick up special things, tuck them in their pockets (or yours) to be pulled out later and studied, sorted, stacked, stored. Kids are actually learning a lot from their treasures as they compare sizes, shapes, colors, textures. You can turn these discoveries into fun activities with both your younger and older grands, fostering math, science, and creative skills!
Perhaps you can start by guiding your grand toward a way to organize and store their treasures. A binder for Pokemon and sports trading cards, a jar for rocks and seashells, a nature notebook for acorns, leaves, pinecones.
Based on their ages and interests, you can engage them AND show your interest in what’s important to them by appreciating their collections. Ask them to pick their favorites and tell them yours. Practice early math by counting the items in their collection, then group into sets of five or 10. Make a nature notebook together: map where in your yard or park items were found; paste or draw their collected items into their notebook, including location, time of day, identification of items, weather when each piece was found. In this way children organize their world and form foundational skills.
And you can tuck this tip away: come February, your grand will most likely hit the 100th day of school and may be asked to bring in 100 items to share. What better subject than 100 items from their favorite collection!
For more great fall ideas for your families, check out Macaroni Kid’s online 2026 Louisville Fall Fun Guide showcasing the best fall festivals, pumpkin patches, Halloween events, and family activities in Louisville. May you collect some wonderful fall memories this season!
By Patti Hartog
P.S. Check out this past article for more fun ideas with the grands: Easy Fall Fun: 3 Autumn Activities To Do With The Grandkids At Home.
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