Autumn is a season full of rich traditions and celebrations in many cultures and nations.  It is a wonderful time to get outside and use all of your senses to observe changes on the land, in the air, and along our waterways.

Many schools are learning about apples, pumpkins, salmon and other food sources that are ready to harvest at this time of the year. There are wonderful books in your school library about cycles of growing, visiting farms, and autumn traditions.

Here is a song about the life cycle of a pumpkin:

Do you have a favourite fall activity?  What do you like about this season?  Do you have a favourite autumn meal in your family and/or community?

Better Together BC is a great place to find family-friendly recipes and resources.  Here are a few highlights that you might like to use at home or at school:

•  Recipes from the Kindergarten Chef

• Let’s Talk – Family Mealtime Cards: developed by the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and Vancouver Island Health Authority

• The Spatulatta: Cooking 4 Kids Online

“Spatulatta teaches children to cook with free step-by-step videos. It encourages children to take pride in their accomplishments in the kitchen and to understand the connection between farm and dinner table. It also encourages children to ask their family members and friends for recipes and to cook those dishes together.” (Better Together BC)

 For teachers:

My Seasonal Round was shared by Dewdney Elementary as an integrated unit for elementary Social Studies and Science.

“This unit illustrates the integration of Social Studies and Science. The seasonal round was chosen as a theme for this unit because it lends itself well to integrating the topics of BC First Nations study in Social Studies, and habitat in Science.”