Fall themed quiet activities

I always imagined that I would have a Montessori style play room-cute little activities in baskets lined on shelves. Pouring, scooping, sorting. But then real life happened, and Vivi, my anti-Montessori child happened. She's not one to sit quietly and scoop beads from one bowl to another-she's one to dump them on the floor and giggle at the sound they make. She never wants to do what is intended, always finding a different way to see things. Which is a good quality, but not really conducive to a shelf full of glass pitchers and 1,000 small pieces.

So I instituted 'quiet rest time toys'-toys that are kept out of reach during regular play time and are brought out during the big kids' quiet rest time (their alternative to napping), and the girls do them in the afternoons while Jeb does school work.

I found these red plastic leaves in the dollar section at Target, a box of them for $2.50. They are called 'table scatter', like for arranging among the candles on a table cloth. I don't know how many came in the box but it was enough for 2 activities and I still have some leftover. They also had white ghosts and I think purple spiders? But I thought that red leaves would last us longer than the Halloween themed ones. They also had these cute acorn bowls 2 for $1. We already owned the spoon, pitcher, green bowl, and the baskets, so for $3.50 I have 2 great themed activities that all three kids love!