I was at the grocery store yesterday and they already had the Halloween candy out?! It’s still August, but I guess I can’t blame them. I’m pretty excited for Fall too. I even picked up some skull string lights for Halloween/Day of the Dead the other day. So, who am I to judge?
Probably one of the best things about this time of year are all the fun Fall activities for families. There are so many things to do that are really unique to Fall. I mean, consider eating caramel apples in January? Sure, you could do it, but it just feels wrong.
Most of the Fall activities for families that I’m going to list are definitely tradition worthy, so if you’re looking for new family traditions to start, jot these down! We have specific family traditions that we do for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas too so be sure to check those out. I have them linked in the previous sentence for convenience =)
Also, speaking of family traditions, I’m thinking of starting a new one for birthdays & certain holidays. I’m thinking instead of spending $3-5 on a card to attach to a gift for my kids & nephews, I might attach a $5 bedtime story instead to serve as the card. And then we’ll write a little note inside the cover wishing them a Happy Birthday or Merry Christmas, etc. Does that sound like a good idea? My kids LOVE getting new bedtime stories, so I know at least they would like it. Plus how fun would it be to see your collection of books with little loving notes in each one. Because normally, we read the card, hang on to it for a little while & then eventually toss it never to read that sweet note again. At ages 2&4 my kids are the oldest in the group of cousins, so I think I still have some time to decide.
Okay, got a little side tracked there. Back to the Fall fun! I’m going to do my best to keep these strictly Fall and less-Halloween, but it is hard since they overlap. The thing is, you can’t really do anything Halloween until October, but Fall starts in September so there definitely exists Fall activities for families outside of the scary/spooky go-tos.
Fall Activities for Families
Apple picking– OKAY, I’m going to be honest, I know a lot of people love apple picking, but it just doesn’t excite me AT ALL. But, I do like the idea of using the freshly picked apples for the next couple of ideas.
Caramel apples– caramel apples are fun for the kids to help with and are especially delish if you dip them in chocolate too #protip
Make cinnamon apples– Literally one of my all time faves. Super simple. Just take some cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, apples and cook in a frying pan until tender.
Nature walk– Choose a walk with lots of Fall trees that way you can see the pretty color changes.
Pumpkin patch– pick a good one guys! Do your research. We love ones with petting zoos, bounce houses, face painting, and games for the kids to play.
Roast pumpkin seeds -great source of omega 3s and zinc!
Corn maze– I’ve said this before, but we always make fun of how easy these are in the beginning and then we ALWAYS end up getting legitimately lost. It’s a blast.
Run a fall 5k
Play Giant Football– This Kong-Air Football Set really levels the playing field with it’s giant 18″ football and 7 foot inflatable goal posts. My husband is a pro at football, so this takes away his advantage.
Halloween movie marathon
Zucchini bread– We get so caught up in pumpkin spice that we often forget that Fall is zucchini season! I had a roommate that made the best double chocolate zucchini cake with a crumb crust on top. I looked forward to it every Fall. I definitely regret not getting a copy of that recipe, but there are still some yummy alternatives on Pinterest =)
Homemade apple cider– I’ll have to post my fave recipe here soon. Super easy and you make it the crockpot.
Make a final bonfire– Celebrate the end of Summer with a huge final bonfire, complete with s’mores and maybe some foil dinners
Go on a hayride
Build a scarecrow– FYI these can definitely be mini scarecrows.
Make pinecone bird feeders- We have to be careful with these because our cat LOVES hunting birds. He’s even caught some hummingbirds before so we definitely don’t want to make it any easier for him.
Take a foggy morning walk– Foggy mornings are few and far between. In fact, I always forget that fog even exists until it sneaks up on me one morning. Enjoy it! Next time it’s foggy, I’m grabbing the kiddos a bunch of flashlights and walking to get some hot cocoa and donuts =)
Plant a tree- apparently Fall is the best time for this, who knew?
Go to a football game
Eat pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes– Always, always, always make these from scratch! I’ve tried so many box mixes trying to make my life easier and they just don’t taste right–too much pumpkin spice maybe? I don’t know..
Carve pumpkins
Paint pumpkins
Decorate the house for Halloween!– we’re taking a less spooky, more Mexican/Day of the Dead approach this year
Play pumpkin ring toss
Attend a Fall/Halloween festival– We love Pumpkin Nights, but we’ve moved to a different state so it’s time to find a new one. They are in 4 different states I believe and have displays with carved pumpkins all over, plus bounce houses & games at the end of the walk.
Those are 25 of our favorite Fall activities for families, but I know there are so many more good ones too! Let me know some of your faves in the comments below! Also, be sure to check out our favorite Halloween traditions and our 31 days of Halloween books (bedtime story countdown) for more fall fun!
