Hey There, Pumpkin!

10 Fun Fall Activities for the Whole Fam!

It’s officially Fall!

With that comes a slew of fun family activities geared towards cooling temperatures, beautiful colors, and an array of amazing flavors.

My family lives in Ohio and Fall here is unlike any other season. The trees turn the brightest shades of red, orange, and yellow, and the temperature is just perfect- not too hot, not too cold. It’s our favorite season to be outside enjoying family and all this season has to offer. We have a few go-to activities we do every Fall, and a few others we’re beyond excited to try.

With COVID, some of these activities may not be available in your area, but most should be!

So without further ado, here are my family’s top 10 favorite fall activities!

• Pumpkin Patches– This one may be an obvious cliché, but it’s for a reason! Kids absolutely love going to pumpkin patches. There’s just something about picking out that special pumpkin to proudly display on your front porch or carve into. A lot of pumpkin patches even have other fun fall activities like hayrides, fall food, and face paintings. Pumpkin Patches around here often up-charge their pumpkins from the patches, so we typically let our girls pick out one and then we get the rest at a less expensive local farm. If the pumpkin patches in your area are closed, you can even pick up a few pumpkins at your local grocery store and place them all around your yard for your kiddo to find and “pick.”
• Go Apple Picking- Similar to picking pumpkins, there’s something kids love about picking their own fruit. In the summer, we go blueberry picking, but fall screams apples! You can even take those apples he/she picks and make a fun treat together (apple cider, apple pie, dried apples). It’s even a great learning opportunity to teach kiddos about where our food comes from!
• Visit a Haunted House- This one is geared for those of you with older kiddos! Depending on your location, there may even be a few different types of haunted houses (scarier, sillier, etc). This is even a fun date night with just your significant other if you’re able to find a sitter!
• Jump in Leaves- This may be different for each area depending on when you typically lose leaves, but for us, this is a mid-October type of activity. We love to rake them up (hello help with outside chores!), jump in them, and search for our favorites. It’s amazing how long kiddos can spend jumping in leaves without getting bored.
• Create a Leaf Craft- This sort of bounces off of leaf jumping, but have your kiddo find their favorite leaves and create a craft. You could do a crayon leaf rubbing, paint a canvas with leaf impressions, or design a leaf crown. The possibilities for fun are endless!

• Visit a Corn Maze- In Ohio, there are some pretty amazing corn mazes (some even open them up at night for haunted corn mazes). A lot of them depict an image out of corn, while you work your way through parts of the “picture” to the finish line! In our, area, there are both small and large corn mazes depending on the age of your kiddos. If you’ve never tried it, this is one of my all-time favorites!
• Create Your Own Halloween Costume- This one isn’t necessarily fall specific, but the Halloween holiday specific. We love making homemade costumes. It’s a chance to test your, and your kiddos, creativity and come up with something super fun that not every kid around the corner will have. My daughter’s first Halloween where she was mobile, we made the cutest ghost tutu and got so many compliments on it. She even wore it a few times after Halloween for dress up!
• Decorate a Caramel/Candy Apple- This is one my oldest looks forward to every year! Buy some apples and either caramel or candy coating. You may have to help with the coating of the apple, but then have your kiddos decorate with their favorite things. Chocolate drizzle and sprinkles tend to be a favorite in my house. You can even spring for crushed up cookies, m&m’s, or gummy worms. For young ones, it may be easier (and less messy) to cut up the apple once it dries.
• Carve/Paint a Pumpkin- Remember those pumpkins you picked out from the pumpkin patch? Really test your kiddos creativity and have them carve a design in their pumpkin. If they’re a little too small for that yet, like my babes, then get out the paint and paintbrush and have them paint their pumpkins. Add a level of fun by making it a decorating contest and having friends and family vote on their favorites (the most creative, the silliest, etc.). I promise this activity will be filled with lots of bonding and laughter.
• Host or Attend a Bonfire- This is another family favorite in my house. I live in a rural area so almost everyone has a bonfire pit. If you don’t personally, you may have a friend or family member that does, or even a community event where one is hosted. We love to sit around the fire after a chilly football game, cook hot dogs and s’mores, and just chat. It’s a great way to wrap up in a blanket, connect with friends and family, and soak up those Fall nights while they last. If you can’t find any bonfires close by, you can order a s’mores making kit online (or even cook them over the burner on your stove), head outside and pull up a virtual fire on your phone or laptop. This is a great way to still experience the bonding even if you don’t have the actual bonfire!

Well friends, there ya have it! These are some of my family’s favorite fall activities.

Fall is by far my favorite season, but somehow seems to fly by the quickest. I try to squeeze in the most amount of activities I can before Winter hits and we’re primarily stuck inside. Fall signifies change, but even more, how beautiful change can be. I hope you and yours soak up this season and appreciate it for all the beauty that it entails.

Happy Fall Y’all!

Xoxo,

Chelsi