There's something about the crisp air of fall that makes us all want to get out and enjoy the outdoors before winter arrives. If you live in the northern parts of the United States, the crunch of colorful leaves and the changing hues of the trees might inspire you to create a fall collage with your little ones. Or perhaps you live in a warmer climate, where more subtle changes in the weather will encourage you to try a new project. These projects are for grandparents and their much-loved grandchildren no matter where you live.

*Leaf Mobile. Try taking a walk with a brown paper bag, and collecting the prettiest dry leaves you can find. When you get home, you can sandwich each between two pieces of wax paper, seal with a warm iron, and string with fishing line. These lines can be hung from a coat hanger, embroidery hoop. Or you might tape each wax-paper leaf to a low window for your little ones to enjoy.

*A Minty Mug. Here's a twist on the swizzle stick! When you get back from tromping around outdoors, try popping a peppermint or cinnamon stick into a cup of warm cocoa for a unique treat. Your little ones will love stirring their cocoa with their flavorful stick!

*What's Missing? This is a wonderful game for grandchildren ages two to five, and you can easily adapt it to a fall theme. Arrange some items you associate with fall — small, colorful gourds and pumpkins; leaves; acorns; corn husks; you name it! — on a blanket. Talk about each one, being sure to leave it in the same position on the blanket. Then cover the display with another blanket, have your little people cover their eyes, and sneakily take away something from under the top blanket and hide it behind your back. When it's time to look again, your little ones will delight in guessing what's missing!

*Pumpkin Seed Prints. This is a fun one for older preschoolers and school-aged grandchildren. Arrange and glue dried pumpkin seeds to a stiff piece of paper (a shirt cardboard works well). Paint with temperas and lay another piece of paper over the top to make a print!

Just because you're far away doesn't mean you can't take part in your grandchildren's Halloween fun. Send a simple "do-it-yourself" costume and transform those tricksters into "luscious grapes"!

Ages: Four to five years

You'll Need to Send for Each Costume:
*15 purple or green balloons
*15 small safety pins
*A grape-leaf collar cut from green felt or paper

Here's How:
*Parents may have to help blow up balloons, making some big for the top of the "grape bunch" and some small for the bottom of the grape bunch.
*Knot the end of each balloon.
*When the little ones have dressed in their outdoor clothing, tell parents to carefully pin the end of each balloon onto the jacket and pants, making the "grape bunch" broad at the shoulders and narrow at the hips.
*The finishing touch is the grape leaf collar!

Remember, deflated or broken balloons can cause choking and should be kept away from younger children.

The rewards of making holidays grandchild-oriented are personal and rich — for both grandchildren and their grandparents. In the rush to get things done, however, relaxed and simple opportunities for memory-making can be missed.

If this sounds like a portrait of your family, visit our Holidays page for gentle tips from families worldwide and stockings full of terrific holiday activity ideas.