As the leaves turn golden and start to fall, autumn presents a wonderful opportunity for Brownies to connect with nature. Whether you are meeting at your local hut or planning a residential trip, here are some of the best autumn activities for Brownies to keep your unit engaged, inspired and working towards the autumn part of their four seasons badge during this cosy time of year.
Nature-Based Challenges
With rich, warm hues transforming the landscape, autumn is perhaps the most visually stunning time of year to go on an outdoor adventure. Let your Brownies discover the magic of this season with these fun, hands-on challenges:
- Building Bird Feeders: Help your unit care for local wildlife by making simple, natural bird feeders. Coat large pinecones in vegetable suet or wild-safe peanut butter and roll in birdseed before tying them to branches with natural twine.
- Colour Walk: Hand out a different autumn shade (think deep red, vibrant orange or golden brown) and see how many matching items they can spot along the trail.
- Fungi Foraging (Eyes Only!): Autumn is peak mushroom season, making it the perfect time for an ‘eyes-only’ nature hunt. Guide your Brownies to spot, count and sketch as many different types of fungi as possible while practising safe, hands-off observation.
- Leaf Identification Trails: Challenge your unit to collect fallen leaves and use a nature guide to identify exactly which trees they fell from.
Team-Building with a Seasonal Twist
Autumn is a great time to get your Brownies working together and building essential life skills. By taking part in these collaborative, seasonal activities, your unit has the opportunity to foster communication and problem-solving skills, while having fun:
- Low-Light Navigation: Take advantage of earlier sunsets by practising basic navigation skills in twilight. Armed with torches, Brownies can work together to follow a simple reflective trail, boosting their confidence in the dark within a safe, controlled environment.
- Pass the Pinecone: Line teams up in rows and see how quickly they can pass a pinecone from the front of the line to the back. The catch? They can only use their elbows, knees or chin – no hands allowed! If the pinecone drops, the whole team has to start again.
- Scavenger Hunt: Introduce some friendly competition by splitting your unit into teams for a seasonal race. Set them loose to hunt down autumn treasures like pinecones, acorns and conkers.
- Shelter Building: Encourage your Brownies to work together to gather fallen branches, twigs and leaves to construct creative mini shelters for woodland creatures.
Indoor Autumn Activities for Brownies
Autumn weather can be unpredictable, so it’s always a good idea to have a few indoor backups ready. Celebrate the spirit of the season from the comfort of your warm, dry meeting hall with these engaging activities:
- Autumn History & Festivals: Take your unit on a journey through time by exploring the history of key autumn celebrations. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn about the cultural significance of festivals like Halloween, Diwali and Bonfire Night.
- Leaf Printing and Pressing: Use the vibrant oranges and rich reds of the season to create stunning nature artwork. This fun activity can count towards various creative badges and helps the girls appreciate the beauty of the outdoors at this time of year.
- Pumpkin Decorating: Whether you opt for traditional carving or colourful painting, decorating pumpkins is a classic autumn tradition that lets your Brownies’ imagination run wild.
- Seasonal Cooking: Cooking a dish with seasonal ingredients, like a delicious apple pie or crumble, is a fantastic way to discuss autumnal eating and develop lifelong kitchen skills.
Earning Badges at PGL: The Ultimate Autumn Adventure
One of the most effective ways to help your group earn multiple badges is through a Brownie adventure residential. At PGL, our autumn programmes are designed to support Girlguiding initiatives and awards through high-energy, instructor-led activities.
Our centres are located in some of the UK’s most beautiful woodland and rural areas, allowing Brownies to truly immerse themselves in environments teeming with wildlife and seasonal change. From cosy accommodation to exhilarating activities, we provide everything you need for a successful trip, helping your girls embrace the great outdoors while creating memories that last a lifetime.
Reach out to our team of experts and see how we can help your Brownies achieve their badges and grow in confidence during the autumn months.
