Food Play Ideas for Autumn

As the weather gets colder and the leaves change and fall, why not have a go at an autumn themed food play session? You can also focus on target words to model. Food play is a great way to help cautious/ fussy eaters explore new foods or textures.

Level: Easy (dry food)

Corn kernel sensory bin

Materials: Dry corn kernels, cups, funnels, toy animals

Target words:

• Concepts: full/empty, hard/soft. same/ different

• Verbs: eat, chew, jump, pour, hide

• Adverbs: up/ down

• Prepositions: on/ under

• Nouns: toys, corn

Actions: find/hide, pour, tip; pretend eating, jumping etc.

Level: Medium (mixed textures)

Seasonal food printing

Materials: white paper, raw kūmara (cut into autumn shapes or halved), seasonal fruit or vegetable purée (apple, pear, pumpkin), coloured markers or food colouring

Target words:

• Concepts: wet/dry, big/little

• Verbs: push, press, paint, dip, stamp

• Nouns: stamp, paper, kūmara, paint, specific shapes

• Adjectives: sticky, smooth, colours

• Adverbs: gently, quickly, slowly

• Prepositions: on, next to

Actions:

• Dip kūmara into purée and press onto paper. Tip if touching puree is stressful, use a paint brush to make this step easier 😊

• Make patterns and repeat stamps

• Drag the kūmara to paint lines and swirls

• Use markers to add stems, leaves, or faces to prints

• Explore changes in texture as the purée spreads

Level: Difficult (mixed textures with fine motor component)

Autumn Fruit & Veg People

Materials: Soft fruits (pear, apple slices, orange wedges, grapes, banana rounds), autumn veggies (cooked kūmara slices, roasted pumpkin cubes), toothpicks (could use food‑safe sticks), food-safe markers (optional for drawing simple faces), tray or board for building

Target words:

• Concepts: whole/half, squishy/hard, heavy/light, wet/dry

• Verbs: poke, stick, pull, balance, build, break, roll, dance (if doing pretend play)

• Adjectives: wobbly, sticky, smooth, bumpy

• Adverbs: carefully, slowly, together, apart

• Prepositions: between, through, on top

• Nouns: body parts, food names, stick, shapes

Actions:

• Stack fruit/veg pieces to build an “autumn person” (head, body, hat, skirt, boots)

• Push toothpicks through soft foods

• Balance pieces (toppling is part of the fun!)

• Compare textures (wet fruit vs firmer veg)

• Make faces or hats using berries/apple slices

• Line up finished characters

• Talk and model changing outfits. This can help with flexible thoughts

• Option: Make an “autumn people village” with houses etc.

  Tips: Can use gloves if touching food is tricky

  
  

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