Category Archives: Autumn

Autumn, Colouring

Remembrance Day Printables

It’s so important to remember those who laid down their lives in the hope of of keeping the rest of us safe, that we might inherit a better world.

Of course, we remember them for more than just one day a year, but Remembrance Day is a chance to do so together, and with that in mind, below are the printables we’ve got which we think might be useful for this day.

The British Legion need your donations more than ever.  You can donate to their Poppy Appeal here: britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/ways-to-give/donate

Let’s start with some posters, which you can use to decorate. The colouring in ones are a nice way for children to be involved, so that the next generation will also be encouraged to remember.

Next, we have some printable remembrance cards.

While Remembrance Sunday is always the second Sunday in November, Remembrance Day in the UK is on the eleventh day of the eleventh month.  On that day at 11:00 GMT a two-minute silence is usually observed to commemorate those who died in conflict.  Remembrance Day is also called “Armistice Day”.

Autumn, Seasons, Thanksgiving

Harvest Festival Printables

Autumn is upon us (in the northern hemisphere anyway) and so is the time of harvest.  In fact, did you know that the Old English word “haerfest” actually means “autumn”?  That’s not the only interesting link to history either.  In fact, the autumn harvest is a time of year steeped in ancient traditions.

For example, did you know that scarecrows, one of most iconic symbols of harvest time, have been used for over 3,000 years?  Originally, they were as simple as wooden frames dressed in old clothes, but over the centuries they’ve been made in all sorts of different ways across different cultures – whatever has worked to protect ripe crops.

Anyway, and if you’re on the hunt for harvest festival printables for your children to help celebrate, we’ve assembled ours below, starting with these two harvest-themed pictures to colour in:

 

When is Harvest Festival 2024 (UK)?

Well, did you know that here in the UK there isn’t one, single date when everyone celebrates Harvest Festival?  No, indeed!  However, lots of people use the dates recommended by the Church of England, which is typically any Sunday you choose choice during the September/October harvest season.

picture of annual solsticesIn 2024 Sunday, the 6th of October is proving a popular choice.  Other people are celebrating it a bit earlier, on Sunday the 22nd of September.  This is because the autumn equinox takes place around this time, usually between the 21st to the 23rd of September.

If you wanted to be ultra-traditional, you wouldn’t hold your harvest festival after Michaelmas Day on the 29th of September, because that’s when the church decided that the Harvest Festival period should end.  The idea was that all the crops had to be brought in before St Michael’s Mass and that parishes would then gather in their churches to give thanks.  In modern times however, dates are not as strict.

As harvest celebrations  take place over several days, it doesn’t really matter when you have yours.

Picture of a corn dolly twist
Corn Dolly Twist

Also, it’s worth remembering that traditions surrounding bringing in the harvest predate Christianity by a long chalk, in the UK going back to at least Saxon times.

Some of the very old traditions are feasting, dancing and playing games.  Making corn dollies was also popular, which were carefully kept in people’s homes as a tribute to the Spirit of the Corn or Goddess of the Grain, in the hope that he or she would make sure there was a good harvest the following year.  Not all corn dollies were made in the shape of a doll mind you, some were woven to look like bells, crosses, knots, spirals and animals such as hares and horses.  Different parts of the country often had their own corn dolly traditions.

Along with all the harvest festivals, we get to enjoy the magical Harvest Moon at this time of year.  It’s a full moon which was traditionally very important to farmers because its extra light allowed them to work late into the night.  This year in the United Kingdom, the Harvest Moon will shine down upon us on Friday Thursday, the 17th of September.  Why not colour in a harvest moon of your own?

Most of all, the time of harvesting was a chance to come together and have fun, to be thankful for whatever the land had supplied, and to lift people’s spirits and put them in a positive frame of mind, ready to get through the winter.

If you’re having your own Harvest Festival celebration at your home, church or school, you might like our free printable poster:

And after all the harvest festivals of course, we’re in the run up to Halloween…

Autumn, Winter

Best of Bonfire Night

Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night, is a long-standing, annual tradition across the UK.  It takes place after dark on the 5th of November.  People gather around large bonfires, often with a guy on top, and the sky is lit up with fireworks and bonfires to remember the infamous Gunpowder Plot of 1605.  Although some fear it’s dwindling in popularity compared to Halloween, it’s still a much-loved celebration for all the family, not to mention an evening full of excitement, bright colours, and a sense of history.

To help you celebrate, we’ve created a cracklingly good range of free printables for children to enjoy in the lead-up to, or on, Bonfire Night!

Craft Your Own Guy Fawkes Mask!

One of the most recognisable symbols of Bonfire Night is the Guy Fawkes mask, and we’ve made it easy for you to download and print your very own.  You can even choose from different designs—whether you want the traditional black-and-white version, a blank template to colour in, or a more vibrant, fiery version.  Hang them up as decorations or wear them – they’re perfect for getting into the Bonfire Night spirit!

Stay Safe and Have Fun

Fireworks are beautiful but they can also be dangerous, so it’s important to remind children about staying safe. We’ve created fun safety posters which you can use to help them understand that Bonfire Night is both fun and something to be cautious about.  They carry simple messages to stand back and let the grown-ups light the fireworks.

 

Remember, Remember Scrolls

If you’re looking for a printable version of that famous Guy Fawkes Night chant, ours are below.  They’re a great way to add to the 5th of November decorations.  You could hand them on the wall and encourage children to read them out as a fun, history-inspired activity.

Goodie Bags for Bonfire Night

If you’re hosting a Bonfire Night party, you might like to add a special touch by giving children goodie bags.  Here are some printable, easy to assemble bags which can be filled with treats to gobble up as you watch the fireworks.

We hope you have a roaring good time on Bonfire Night, but remember to be careful… fireworks can be as hot as dragon’s breath, and you wouldn’t go too near a dragon, would you?  x

Autumn, Seasons, Winter

Best of Back-to-School

Goodness, is it that time of year already?  Where did the holidays go? If you’re a parent, guardian, or teacher getting ready for the new school term, we’ve got you covered with the best of our back-to-school printables below.   They’re all free for personal use so whether you’re setting up a classroom or preparing for the new term from home, we hope these resources will add a touch of excitement and fun.

First up are some resources to help children set enjoyable goals:

Our “All About Me” sheets are a great way for children to share information about themselves at the beginning of the school year or term.  For those children who finish filling them in early, they also double up as colouring pages.

Looking to create a positive back-to-school beginning?  These reward certificates might come in handy to encourage good work and behaviour right from the off.

New school terms can sometimes mean a new school, too.  If you have child in this situation who needs rewarding for their courage, perhaps one of our bravery certificates might help:

Of course, a bit of colouring never goes amiss, especially at the end of an exhausting first day!  After all, it takes time to get back into the swing of scholarly things after the holidays.

Whatever you choose to do, we hope the back-to-school period goes well for your family or class and that you manage to generate some enthusiasm and a sense of purpose from the children in your care. It’s not always easy, we know, but the key thing is to create a nurturing environment that supports emotional wellbeing along with learning. Don’t forget to make use of all the fantastic free learning resources you can find online, such as BBC Bitesize, Duolingo, and the Khan Academy.

Autumn, Seasons, Thanksgiving, Winter

Bits and Bobs for Thanksgiving

ThanksgivingAlthough we are based in the UK, we know we have many American visitors, so we’ve created a few resources for Thanksgiving.   These include:

  • Thanksgiving Notes – Little notes to print and/or write on, saying what you give thanks for.

All out printables are created with kids in mind, and we hope they add a little extra magic to your Thanksgiving celebrations!  Our favourite printables for this event are below:

Our Favourites:

 

It’s always great to involve children in the spirit of Thanksgiving.  You could encourage them to write about what they’re grateful for using our themed writing paper, or maybe just express their creativity with a little coloring.  As well as keeping them entertained, these activities give them the chance to slow down and reflect on the importance of gratitude, which as we all know these days, is so good for their mental health too.

 

Don’t forget that any printable resources you use for your Thanksgiving can  offer a way to preserve these memories for years to come.  Once you’ve used them as a family you can put them carefully away as treasured mementos that can be revisited each holiday season.

However you choose to celebrate, our printables are here to help make your Thanksgiving joyful and memorable.  We hope you have a wonderful day!

 

 

 

 

Autumn, Halloween

Our Favourite Fun for Halloween

Not long now until that spooky time of year – so we’ve collected a few of our favourite Halloween printables together below.   Some are popular every year, others are new additions.  Whatever you’re doing on the 31st of October, we hope you have a frighteningly good time!

In the mood to make some Halloween cards?  Here are a couple of cute printable ones to write your spooky greetings in:

Or you could write a Happy Halloween message, using our froggy notepaper…

No Trick or Treat Posters

Trick or treating is great fun but it’s fine not to want to take part. You don’t need to give your reasons to opt out but one of the best ways to let trick or treaters know it’s not for you is to put a light-hearted notice up in your window. Here are a few which might help you out.

If you’re looking for some simple paper decorations to hang around the house, you might also like our Halloween ghosts:

Oooo! And before you go, you might like to create some decorative jars full of spooky potion ingredients.  If so, why not make use of our Witch’s Pantry Potion Labels.  It’s a great way to get your house looking just like a witch’s hovel!

Autumn, Halloween

Decorate for Halloween!

Yay, it’s that spooooooky time of year again and time to decorate accordingly!  Here are our fave decorations from around our site.   Hope you and your family have a scarily good time.

Autumn Leaves

Paper leaf decorations
Paper Leaves Hanging from a Bannister

If you don’t happen to live deep inside a magic forest, you can still get that enchanted autumn look with these printable paper leaves.  They look gorgeous in any room and are useful for any festival in fall, including Halloween.

 

Witch’s Potion Pantry Labels

Up next are these fabulously witchy pantry labels, for all your potion ingredients.  Print and stick on jars and bottles all around your home to turn your house into a veritable witch’s hovel!

 

Halloween Bunting


Good old-fashioned bunting is always a great fallback for Halloween.  By all means print ours – it’s al free – or just use it for inspiration to make your own.

 

Witchy Wall Spells

Decorative witchy wall spells to print and hang on your wall.

These fun poems with a witch’s spell theme make a lovely addition to your Halloween decor.  Just print them out and pin them around the house.  Or you could write some of your own!

 

Autumn, Colouring, Halloween

Halloween Ghosts

Looking for some ghosts to print out for Halloween?  Here’s our collection.  We hope you have fun decorating!

One great way to use all these different ghost characters is to thread them all along a string.  They look great!  Oh, and don’t forget that you can also use out blank ghost template to draw your own.

Autumn, Our Favourite Printables

Pretty Jam Labels

Are you making jams, jellies or preserves?  We’ve added these pretty labels to our pantry label range, and you’re welcome to download and print them for free.  We’ve only put the name of the fruit on each label, so that they’ll do for jam or jelly or anything of that kind.  Hope you find them useful, and good luck with your jam-making project! x

Other useful Labels:

Autumn, Colouring, Winter

New Colouring Pages

Hello!  As you’ll know if you’re a regular visitor to this site, we add new printable colouring pages whenever we can.  Here are our latest offerings, many of which have been created with the upcoming season of autumn in mind.  We hope you find them useful and that if your children are heading back to school this September, they have a great term.