autumn forest with orange and red leaves on the trees

Into nature during the autumn holidays

Autumn shows its true colours. Nature is getting ready to rest, and the trees are letting their leaves fall. These golden leaves are draped over the landscape like a blanket. Time to get those rain boots out of the closet, and get out there! There are lots of fun activities to do with the little ones. From roasting chestnuts in the fresh air to doing crafts with everything autumn has to offer. We give you some inspiration to get the kids into nature during the autumn holidays!

1. Making your own suet balls 🐦

In November it is high time to give the birds that are not migrating to warmer places a hand (or should I say a nut)! During the autumn and winter months, we often stock up on a whole range of suet balls. But why not make them yourself? This way you can let your creativity run wild, and it is also a fun activity to do together with the little tinkerers! You help the birds, bring more life to your garden and it looks nice too!

Getting started:

Melt the block of deep-frying fat until it is liquid. Chop the nuts finely and mix them, together with the seeds or scatter feed, under the running frying fat. To make it extra tasty for the birds, you can also mix in about two tablespoons of peanut butter. Make sure that all the seeds and nuts have been coated with fat. Place the baking paper on a baking tray or wooden board, and divide up your baking tins. Fill the tins halfway and make a loop with the string that you put in the middle of the tins. Then fill the moulds to the brim and press firmly. Do not proceed too slowly, because as soon as you remove the deep-frying fat from the fire, it begins to solidify again. Leave the moulds to cool and set for an hour, or put them in the freezer for a while to speed up the process. Afterwards, you can easily remove the tits' forms, and they will not stick to the baking tray because of the baking paper underneath. You can also use a silicone cupcake tin for this.

Don't have time to make fat balls yourself, or are you not that creative? You can also buy them ready-made in our webshop! Besides the classic suet balls, we also have fun filled coconuts, peanut garlands and even tasty cakes in our range. Nesting boxes are also a must in the garden. These days, they come in all sorts of colours and shapes. From pastel-coloured beach huts to handmade wooden variants for a country garden, to houses with a sleek design. Not only the birds, but also the squirrels and hedgehogs like something to eat during the cold autumn months. So think about these garden visitors too!

More tips to make your garden animal-friendly? 👇

2. Autumn search in the forest 🍂

Do the kids get bored quickly on an autumn walk? Then turn it into a real treasure hunt! Pick up nature's gifts such as acorns, beech nuts and pine cones and coat them in gold spray. You can also thread them onto a string to decorate the trees in your garden, or hang them as a garland throughout the house. During the holidays we see Christmas wreaths appearing on many doors, but why not celebrate autumn? Best of all, a few months later you can also use them as decoration on the Christmas table, or attach them to the packages under the Christmas tree.

3. Roasting chestnuts 🌰

After a brisk walk, it is time to warm up! Take the chestnuts from the forest and roast them over the fire basket. But how do you recognise the sweet variety? Sweet chestnuts have an oval husk with long, prickly needles, just like a hedgehog. Wild chestnuts on the other hand have a round husk with short spines. Let's get nuts! Haven't found any chestnuts? No problem, with a packet of corn you can make delicious popcorn as an alternative. Finish off the evening with some toasted sticky marshmallows. These are not only loved by children, we can guarantee you 😉 .

4. Crackling fire basket 🔥

During autumn, we like to make our homes cosy. The (scented) candles are lit, the wood crackles in the fireplace and we cocoon more. But you don't have to spend six months in the house: the garden can also be decorated! It may get dark sooner, but we can provide the warmth and light outside ourselves! Torches and fire baskets are excellent for creating a cosy atmosphere. They make it easier to go outside in autumn and winter and are ideal for entertaining friends and family. Who thought that making campfires was only for the youth movement, is out of luck! Don't have a garden? Then you can also put some fire pots on your terrace. But never leave them unattended! Feet up, chocolate milk ready and creeping!

5. Spooky on Halloween 🎃

Halloween has a rich history in America but is now also well integrated in our country. For some, it can't get scary enough and they watch one horror movie after another, while others prefer to go out into the neighbourhood for a trick-or-treating session. A Jack-o'-lantern always looks nice in the garden or to welcome the neighbourhood children at the door. You can let your imagination run wild and easily make one yourself with the children. For small children, there are all kinds of kits with knives and spatulas for sale so that they can safely make their own creepy pumpkin.

6. After hollowing out, time to fill the belly! 👩‍🍳

After all that walking, searching and decorating, it is time to regain your strength! Is the rain pouring down? Then you can warm yourself up with a steaming cup of coffee and homemade cake, or a well-filled stew. The autumn vegetable par excellence is pumpkin, but also beetroot, parsnip, winter carrots and Jerusalem artichokes are delicious taste-enhancers in your autumn dishes.

The classic orange pumpkin is still the most frequently used in Belgian cuisine. But other varieties are also slowly creeping into our autumn recipes. For example, there is the bottle pumpkin or butternut which tastes delicious in an oven dish. Less known in Belgium is the spaghetti pumpkin. After roasting in the oven, you can scrape out strings of 'spaghetti' with a fork. Tasty and healthy!

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