After the scorching summer heat, fall is a welcome relief --a season that strikes the perfect balance between too hot and too cold.
Before temperatures take a nosedive, savor all the season has to offer. We're sharing some of our favorite fall activities that your family will love!
Fun Fall Activities: The Foods
Is it possible to overdose on pumpkin spice? Nah! One of the best things about fall is the food! Plan activities that center around the tastes of the season.
#1 Make an Apple Bar
Grocery stores and farmer's markets stock a variety of apples during the fall that you won't find the rest of the year.
Grab a charcuterie board and slice up several different kinds (toss them in Sprite or 7Up first to prevent oxidation, if you aren't eating them right away).
Fill small custard cups or a muffin tin with a spread of unique toppings: chocolate dip, caramel sauce, mini M&Ms, chopped nuts, mini marshmallows, chocolate pieces, fruit dip, yogurt, or whatever appeals to your palate, and invite your family to taste test the spread.
After sampling, ask everyone to vote for their favorite apple variety and topping.
#2 Scavenger Hunt for the Best Fall Breakfast Treat
Load your family in the car and hit the bakeries in your area to snag a fall-flavored sweet at each stop that will be served over the weekend for breakfast.
Look for pumpkin spice donuts, apple cider donuts, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, or anything fall-ish. Divide your finds into enough servings for each family member to sample and then vote on your favorites!
#3 Create a Fall-Themed Coffee and Tea Bar
Coffee and tea brands release fall flavors that are soothing cups of comfort.
We purchased a small, decorative crate from Hobby Lobby, hot glued a pumpkin decoration to the front, added a few fall touches to surround it, including a strand of pumpkin lights, and stocked it with our favorite teas.
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| If you really want to get fancy, add a neon sign to your coffee bar! |
While bagged coffees, like Starbucks or Dunkin, may not fit in your coffee and tea organizer, K-cups certainly do, so if you own a Keurig, stock up on fall blends before they disappear.
#4 Plan Your Thanksgiving Menu & Activities Ahead of Time
September and October are the best months to plan your Thanksgiving menu and the activities you'll be doing with guests after the big meal. Once November hits, things get crazy! Festive, but crazy.
Thumb through family recipes and old cookbooks or search online for new ones to dazzle your guests with a mouth-watering feast. Will you bake, pressure cook, slow cook, or smoke your turkey? Are you going to swap mashed potatoes for sweet potatoes or serve both? In addition to pumpkin pie, what else will you plan for dessert (Dutch Apple is my favorite)? What are you going to ask guests to bring? Hammering out the details in advance will mean less stress as the holiday approaches.
How will you keep the fun going after dinner? Take a walk, play board games, craft, watch a movie, play trivia, or work a fall-themed puzzle.
Fun Fall Activities: Friends & Family
Before a bitter chill drives everyone indoors, here are some things to do with your friends and family this fall that will have you soaking up the last bit of sun while relishing the crisp air!
#5 Go Kayaking
What a better way to enjoy the changing foliage than from a kayak as you paddle down a winding river. Pack a picnic and invite your friends and family to join you for a final meal outdoors. Don't wait until the water is cold, in the event someone falls overboard!
#6 Take a Nature Hike
The woods are God's art gallery. All of the seasons God created are gorgeous, but He was showing off when He designed Fall!
#7 Shop for Decor
You may think you already own enough fall decor, but if you shop at a home store, you'll find treasures you didn't know that you needed!
While you're at it, make the extra effort to spruce up your front lawn for fall. Maybe it's time for a new inflatable (especially if you have little kids) or finding the essentials for a classic look, like
haybales,
scarecrows,
mums, and
pumpkins.
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! Kids in the neighborhood will love seeing Snoopy on your lawn!
Once your summer flowers have faded or died from the frost, your curb appeal plummets. A few strategically placed fall items can make your house pop, making your cozy residence the envy of the neighborhood.
#8 Sample Pumpkin Spiced Lattes
Pumpkin spice lattes are one of my favorite indulgences in the fall. Chain eateries, like Starbucks, carry a signature version each year, but so do many other local bakeries and coffee shops. Plan your own pumpkin spice latte crawl and sample all the ones your community has to offer.
#9 Read Fall-Themed Books
If you have young children, the selection of fall-themed books is vast, fun, educational, and engaging. On a rainy day, scoop up your kids and binge read with them, maybe even supplementing your reads with a corresponding craft or game.
Fall romances novels and cozy mysteries are in ample supply in the fall, so be sure to find one that matches your taste, wrap up in a blanket, and get lost in reading.
All cozy vibes with this novel!
#10 Visit a Fall Festival
Facebook lists events happening in your area, so check out nearby fall festivals. Your family will enjoy carnival rides, apple cider, live music, fall crafts, and costumed events, like
Trunk or Treat.
No kids? Head to
Oktoberfest for
bratwurst, beer cheese, sauerkraut, schnitzel, warm pretzels, and an adult beverage.
#11 Take a Hayride or Tackle a Corn Maze
Local farmer's markets don't close the doors after the summer harvest--they extend their operations into the fall season by offering hayrides and corn mazes throughout October.
These fun events are perfect for families or date nights. Don't forget to purchase a pumpkin from the patch before you head home!
#12 Carve or Paint Pumpkins
If your kids are too young to handle a carving knife, have them design a pumpkin on paper and use this as your guide when carving their pumpkin. Don't forget to save the seeds for roasting (even though you'll probably end up throwing them out after everyone only eats a couple!)
Don't like dealing with slimy pumpkin guts? Paint your designs instead--the pumpkin won't rot as quickly!
#13 Attend a Football Game or Tailgate Party
Show community spirit by attending a football game at your local high school.
Is your favorite team playing at a nearby stadium? Gather your friends for a tailgate party before the game or invite them to your house to watch on the big screen while grazing on football-themed finger foods.
#14 Host a Bonfire
Fall evenings are perfect for settling around the firepit in a cozy sweatshirt with friends for fall foods, fun conversation, and lots of laughs. Invite everyone over before the cold winter sends everyone inside until Spring.
#15 Create Fall Crafts
Fall craft options are plentiful, and a quick
Pinterest search will provide you with more ideas than you have time to create.
#16 Participate in Trick-Or-Treat Night
Dress up your boys and ghouls and parade them around the neighborhood on Beggar's Night to create lasting memories.
If you're not a fan of Halloween, many local churches offer Trunk-or-Treat night as an alternative fall celebration in place of spooky activities.
Empty nesters or parents with older children don't have to miss out on the fun! Dump Halloween candy into large bowls, station yourself at a card table in the garage, flip on the front lights, and enjoy meeting the families in the neighborhood who stream through!
#17 Plant Bulbs in Preparation for Spring
Make sure your yard is the first one to pop with color come spring! Once the weather turns chilly, usually the end of October or early November, plant spring bulbs.
Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus, and alliums are the best choices for gardens, borders, and containers.
Amazon will deliver a complete spring garden right to your doorstep!
Fun Fall Activities: Kid Centered
Not all kid activities are fun for adults, but the joy of watching your littles explore the fall season is priceless.
#18 Plan a Fall Scavenger Hunt
Find a printable
fall scavenger hunt and schedule a fun hike with your kids. As they trek through the woods, they are tasked with being the first one to find everything on the checklist.
#19 Have Fun with Leaves
Making leaf rubbings with crayons on paper is a classic, but it's still fun!
You can find endless
leaf crafts on Pinterest, too, but nothing matches the joy of building a leaf fort in the great outdoors and jumping in them to burn off energy!
When our kids were young, one of their favorite fall activities was reading the book
Leaf Man by Lois Ehler and then heading into the woods with a paper bag to collect "nature," which they would then bring home and use to make their own leaf people.
This classic children's book is still available on Amazon.
#20 Fall Games for Kids
Design fall games that will help your kids learn and grow! Here are some ideas (click on the links to read info on game play):
- Hot Pumpkin (played like hot potato)
Fun Fall Activities: Savor the Season!
The sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Fall are spectacular! Don't let the season pass you by without enjoying the festive foods, sharing good times with friends, and making magical memories with your children. There's so much to do!
Now, about that pumpkin spice latte...
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