Fall brings many exciting activities for families to enjoy together in your local community. While summer may focus on splash pads and trips to the beach, fall offers many interesting local happenings for you and your children to experience together.
Arrange a trip to an apple orchard and go apple picking! Apple picking is a timeless tradition in autumn that children will fondly remember.
Start a scavenger hunt. Create a list of items you’re likely to come across during a fall trip like pinecones, acorns and yellow leaves and have fun searching for them all!
1. Apple Picking
Apple picking is an enjoyable fall outdoor activity for families to share together, providing fresh air and learning more about where your apples come from. Plus, this delicious pastime lets everyone make classic apple cider or pie!
Apples reach their peak ripeness during fall, making this an ideal time to go apple picking. Visit your local orchard and discover new varieties like Cameo, Cortland and Empire apples; don’t forget to pick up some apple cider donuts while there!
Apple picking can be an enjoyable social experience, even for introverted individuals who usually prefer solitude. As they collect apples on a farm or wander the fields together, conversations often break out between pickers as they break from our smartphone- and tablet-driven culture to interact more directly. Plus, apple picking offers an excellent escape from our dependence on technology!
If you can’t make it out to a farm, visiting the farmer’s market or pumpkin patch can still provide great educational experiences for children while offering them treats from fall. Football fans might enjoy taking in a college game for some added spectacle.
2. Make a Leaf Labyrinth
Backyard mazes can be great fun all year round, but autumn provides special opportunities to create one. A Leaf Labyrinth can easily be created by raking clear spaces on the lawn and placing lines of leaves as paths through it – an enjoyable activity suitable for kids of any age without leaving behind any mess behind!
When the temperatures cool enough, building a fire in your backyard and making s’mores can be an ideal way to spend an autumn evening with family or friends – you could swap ghost stories and scary tales over an enjoyable bonfire evening together!
An exciting fall activity is taking a nature hike. Autumn weather makes for ideal hiking conditions; temperatures remain comfortable yet permit exploration of local forests. You could even turn this adventure into a scavenger hunt or seek specific items within their environment!
One fun outdoor activity to consider this fall is embarking on an overnight glamping trip. Various campgrounds or bed and breakfasts throughout your region offer this fun activity; or you could book one nestled into an idyllic region known for its autumn beauty – either way it will provide an opportunity to unwind before the hectic holidays arrive!
3. Paint Jack-Be-Little Pumpkins
Painting pumpkins is an enjoyable fall outdoor activity for families to share together. Instead of carving, which can be messy and dangerous for young children, consider painting them with Halloween-related images like ghosts and goblins flying about or witches cackling over pots, to create adorable and creepy artwork pieces.
Make your pumpkin more cheerful by selecting vibrant pastel hues or trying puff paint – an innovative 3-dimensional effect on pumpkin surfaces that’s simple to apply and clean up! Draw a design on the pumpkin with pencil, then trace over it with color of choice using puff paint pens. When finished, seal off its surface using clear gloss sealer so your creation lasts.
Make your pumpkins even more impressive with sculpting! Add a dash of charm by tying on a tassel ghost or painting big eyes faces onto cute characters – a fun activity to do when the sun begins to set, so your family can show off their creations with pride! Hold a contest among children to see who can create the most original pumpkin art pieces; display those that stand out best at home to impress guests.
4. Backyard Camping
Backyard camping can be just as exciting and satisfying for families this fall. Set up your tent in your own backyard, and relax around a firepit telling ghost stories or roasting marshmallows. Be sure to have plenty of dry firewood handy if possible and don’t forget your bug zapper for protection from biters!
Rather than sitting around your own backyard firepit, why not set up a portable one or head to a campground with bonfire sites instead? Enjoy star gazing and an unforgettable bonfire experience while sitting with family and friends around it while eating delicious smores?
After dark, play flashlight foraging with your kids: an enjoyable way to pass time until s’mores are ready! One person hides something (such as snacks or camping tools) somewhere in the yard while everyone else uses flashlights to search for it. This fun game will encourage them to remain outside after dusk for longer and provide entertainment until bedtime!
Fall is football season, and what better way to celebrate than by supporting your local team? Make plans to watch a high school or college game and enjoy crisp air and vibrant foliage at one of these stadiums – don’t forget your blankets, Thermos of hot cocoa and hand warmer packets so that you’re comfortable while cheering your home team on!
5. Write an Outdoor Autumn Alphabet Book
Create an alphabet book using nature as inspiration! Take your family outing to search for objects beginning with each letter of the alphabet such as leaves (‘L’), squirrels (‘S’) and pinecones (‘P’), having children write the name and letter on individual index cards before placing all together into a book and reading aloud in autumn sunshine!
Playing alphabet games can also be an engaging way of teaching the alphabet. Play games such as Alphabet Bingo or Alphabet Go Fish to get children interested in learning; or try I Spy by looking out for items beginning with each letter such as apples, pumpkins and squirrels.
Are your children eager for some friendly competition? Encouraging apple bobbing as an exciting party game at home or during an autumn outing could provide them with hours of enjoyment! This simple activity provides easy fun that’s great fun no matter the setting.
Take this season as an opportunity to give back. Switch out those summer clothes for pieces more suitable for chilly climates. Additionally, now is an excellent time of year to join citizen science projects like Southwest Monarch Study or Nature’s Notebook that help scientists track local plants and animals.
6. Construct a Pinecone Bird Feeder
If your children love nature and wildlife, building pine cone bird feeders is an engaging fall outdoor activity that will get them outdoors in the fresh air. It requires little prep work and can easily be accomplished during a weekend afternoon or an after-school program.
When making a pinecone bird feeder, gather up some large pinecones and wash them clean of any dirt that might collect on their scales. Be wary of using scented or painted/glittered pinecones as these chemicals may harm birds; similarly avoid fishing line or dental floss as these thin threads could entangle with feathers posing an imminent risk to their safety.
Simply start by spreading a layer of peanut butter on each pine cone surface. Next, dip each pine cone in a bowl of birdseed and lightly roll it around so that the seeds adhere to the peanut butter. Feel free to add extra bird seed, nuts or bits of dried unsweetened fruit if desired – though this step is not essential.
To create your pinecone bird feeder, tie a piece of twine or string around its base. Next, hang it from a tree or hook in your yard so wild birds can feast upon this delicious meal! For added fun and learning opportunities, set up multiple feeders across your garden.
Here’s a list of fall activities to do during the fall season
Bert Swope
