Fall is such a beautiful season full of exciting changes and opportunities for wonder. From the weather cooling down and the leaves turning golden to the excitement of the holidays just around the corner, there’s plenty to celebrate and look forward to as fall approaches. With so many fall-related activities available, it’s easy for your family to create warm memories and even potential traditions to be repeated year after year.
We’ve built a Fall Fun Fest List with 13 ideas to help your family make the most of the fall. We’ve divided these ideas into four categories based on topic or type of activity so you can easily build a Fall Fun Fest List tailored to your children’s unique interests and passions.
We hope you can try them all and, in the process, show your little ones all the magic this season holds!
Outdoor Activities
Autumn is an amazing time to be outdoors. Just because summer is coming to an end doesn’t mean that all the opportunities for fun in the sun are over! In fact, the fall brings about new and exciting natural phenomena and cozy surroundings that your family won’t want to miss.
1. Nature Walk
Explore the nature near your home or at the nearest park or forest with a nature walk. Take a close look at how nature is changing with the seasons, from leaves falling to the abundance of pinecones and acorns. Pick up a few of your most interesting finds, whether that’s golden leaves, pine cones, or twigs, to be used in the arts and crafts activities later in this list.
2. Drive-in Movies
Drive-in movies offer an excellent opportunity for the family to get together and do something new yet familiar. No matter what you choose to watch, the novelty of doing it all from the car with your favorite snacks from home can’t be beat.
3. Apple Picking
Find an apple orchard near you and watch as your kids become excited to harvest fruit the old-fashioned way. Be sure to save a few apples for the cooking activities listed below!
Arts & Crafts
1. String Together a Leaf Garland
If you found some beautiful leaves and pinecones on your family’s nature walk, bring them home and really amp up the fall ambiance in your living area by creating a leaf garland. There’s nothing quite like bringing a bit of the outdoors indoors to inspire a festive mood!
2. Make a Scarecrow
Make a scarecrow to place on your patio or in your garden. You probably won’t scare away any birds, but your children will sure have fun stuffing some old clothes, making a face for the scarecrow, and giving him (or her!) a name!
3. Decorate Trick-or-Treat Bags
Why go out with the same plastic jack-o-lantern tubs as everyone else when your children can craft unique trick-or-treat bags of their own? Grab some large paper bags from the grocery store and put out any materials that could inspire your children, from construction paper to googly eyes to the leaves and twigs you picked up on your nature walk, so they can create a bag that’s one-of-a-kind.
Reading
The cozy weather of fall and shorter days offer the perfect opportunity to crack open a good book. Here are a few of our faves, which can each inspire your family to tackle the other activities on this list!
- Little Acorn by Wednesday Jones
Geared for younger children, this board book has adorable illustrations on everything about the season. - Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell
Try this fall classic, which is set in an apple orchard and on a pumpkin patch. Have a taste test with your children between apple pie and pumpkin pie, talk about the differences between their seeds and textures, or go to pick your own apples and pumpkins together! - Leaves by David Ezra Stein
A young bear’s first autumn opens up the wonder of the season from a bear’s perspective: falling leaves and falling asleep!
Fun in the Kitchen
Are your children always eager to help in the kitchen? Cooking can actually help kids nail down crucial math and science concepts, so it’s a great idea to have a few simple recipes they can try whenever they get the urge to cook up a storm. Fortunately, the bounty of the fall season offers plenty of inspiration in this area!
1. Pumpkin Pancakes or Waffles
Your family will love wolfing down these warm and comforting pancakes on a chilly Saturday or Sunday morning! Best of all, the recipe can be as simple as your favorite pancake mix, a can of pumpkin puree, and some pumpkin pie spices.
2. Apple Butter
Did you ended up with more apples than you can snack on thanks to your apple picking venture? Pull out the crock pot and have your kids measure out all the necessary spices to create a yummy apple butter spread! Apple butter can top toast, pancakes, peanut butter sandwiches, and a range of other favorites!
3. Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
If your family carved a jack-o-lantern this year, you can scoop out those seeds and turn them into a tasty – and healthy! – snack. Just instruct your kids to spread the well-cleaned and dried seeds out on a sheet pan and give them a few options for creating a spice mixture. Our favorites include:
- Powdered ranch seasoning
- Chili powder
- A combination of basil, oregano, garlic powder, and grated parmesan for a fun pizza flavor.
Bonus: If you didn’t carve a pumpkin this year, no worries! You can easily roast the seeds found in butternut squash as well!
We hope these Fall Fun Fest List ideas have you inspired to make some beautiful memories with your family this fall! With fall traditions in the making, your children will have something amazing to look forward to each time the summer comes to an end.
