Activities for the fall holidays

The fall holidays are coming up in Germany in September, and you might wonder what to do with the kids all day long. Here is a fun activity for kids ages 4 and up (under supervision), as popular in German Kindergarten and first grade: Build a chestnut zoo: You need: - various big and small chestnuts - acorns (optional) - toothpicks - glue (UHU) - pipe cleaners - pieces of string or wool - small handdrill - permanent marker - large sheet of paper, crayons (optional) Drill 4 holes into a big chestnut (bottom). Drill one hole on top (for neck). Do not let kids use drill unsupervised. Coat toothpicks with glue and attach into bottom holes for legs. Coat ½ of a toothpick with glue and attach to top. Drill a hole into a small chestnut or acorn. Attach to toothpick/neck. Coat end of big chestnut with glue and attach wool or strings for tail. Attach more wool for a mane, if desired. Paint face (eyes, nose etc.) with permanent marker. Glue on whiskers (optional). You have your first chestnut animal. If you want to create chestnut animals with bendable legs, use pipe cleaners instead of toothpicks. Or build an elephant with a pipe cleaner trunk. You may also want to encourage your kids to paint a large sheet of paper with paths, trees, houses and fields for your animals to play in. There is no limit to your imagination. Tip: if you cannot find any chestnuts, use potatoes instead.