Children are natural explorers who are curious about the world around them. They may discover their surroundings at home, in the classroom, and through special events and activities.
The Gardner School promotes opportunities for hands-on, experiential learning. Fortunately, fall offers plenty of sensory experiences through visits to farms, festivals, pumpkin patches, apple picking, and more.
Here are our top eight family activities to help your preschooler become better acquainted with nature and the community, make childhood memories, and benefit from positive neurological development.
Bles Park
Take in the beautiful colors of fall at the child-and-pet-friendly Bles Park in Ashburn. The park boasts 124 acres of trails, streams, soccer fields, and a Tot Lot playground. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy a crisp autumn day exploring, running, playing, and teaching your preschooler about colors, nature, and the changing seasons.
Cox Farms
Come experience the world-famous hayride at Cox Farms’ Fall Festival. The 20-minute wagon ride is pulled by an antique tractor and takes you on an adventure to see aliens, the jungle, an Old West town, and an enchanted barn. Then, speed down creatively themed slides, get lost in a corn maze, and munch on tasty fall festival eats and treats.
Fall Jubilee
Historic Manassas hosts the 40th Annual Fall Jubilee on October 7, 2023. This free event offers family-friendly fun, entertainment, games, and shopping at more than 100 craft and community booths.
Great Country Farms
Nothing says fall quite like apple picking. Great Country Farms offers u-pick apples and pumpkins. Your preschooler can choose from their favorite varieties or take home something different than what you may find at the local grocery store.
Come back to the farm after Halloween for the annual Pumpkin Chunkin’. Smash a pumpkin yourself, or have it dropped from a 40-foot lift! All of the smashed pumpkins will be reused for animal snacks or compost.
Historic Manassas Farmers Market
Every Thursday and Saturday through November 25, Manassas hosts its award-winning farmers market. Bring your preschooler and introduce her to seasonal fall produce. Talk about your favorites and let him choose an old standby or a new favorite to bring home. By helping to select and prepare their own fruits and vegetables, preschoolers may be more likely to give them a try for a snack or a meal!
Lil’ Pumpkins Festival
Take a day trip to Germantown, Maryland, for the fourth annual Lil’ Pumpkins Festival on October 14th, hosted by BlackRock Center for the Arts. Known as “the cutest festival you’ve ever seen,” families will enjoy hourly costume parades, pumpkin painting, a bouncy house, refreshments for children and adults, entertainment by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and more. This free festival strives to be a safe place to enjoy delightful fall fun.
Pumpkin Village
From September 16 to November 5, Pumpkin Village at Leesburg Animal Park offers bounce houses, camel and pony rides, a petting zoo, giant hillside slides, hay rides, pedal carts, and—of course—pumpkins. Select weekends will also feature live entertainment, costume contests, and more.
Wegmeyer Farms
Think pumpkins are only round and orange? Think again. At Wegmeyer Farms, preschoolers and their families can spend the day picking pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, and colors. With more than 50 varieties to choose from, there are plenty of chances to talk about opposites (large vs. small), shapes (round vs. flat), and colors (orange, blue, white, and more).
Hands-on Learning in Every Season
The Gardner School supports experiential learning opportunities both in and outside of the classroom. Our academically focused curriculum marries learning with creative play to provide a premier preschool experience for children ages six weeks to five years old. Contact us today to set up a tour at our locations in Ashburn, Herndon, Arlington, and Manassas and experience our learning spaces for yourself.