Fall is here, and that means it’s time to have some fun! The blazing days of summer might be over, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create a memorable autumn with outdoor Fall activities.
Family fun: we’re sharing outdoor Fall activities AND indoor ones, too
Whether you decide to go camping, catch some fish, or throw a harvest party, there’s always something for you and your family to do during this season.
Go Camping!
One of the most iconic fall activities is a good old-fashioned camping trip. Although it may be a bit cooler outside, the colors of the changing trees and the gorgeous foliage will be well worth it. Dress properly for your outdoor adventure, and if it is too chilly for a sleeping bag, you could always camp with an RV. An RV gives you a roof over your head where you can cook and sleep, and you can still spend plenty of time sitting outside.
Find a campground that has a lot of great hiking trails. As you walk with your family, look at the different plants and flowers, and share your horticultural knowledge with the kids. Have a contest to see who finds the most diverse and colorful selection of leaves, then use everything you find to make some fun fall-inspired crafts. Play a game of trail bingo, where you lay out a list of animals or objects to find, like an owl or a tree with a fork in it.
Camping is also an excellent opportunity to teach older kids some life skills. You can teach them how to catch their own food by bringing them fishing. This can help with their coordination and patience, and it shows them how humans and animals interact. Plus, sitting there and talking about life is a great way to bond with one another. Other survival skills you can teach is how to show respect for the environment by leaving things how you found them and how to make a safe campfire.
Fun in Your Own Backyard
If camping is not your thing, there are still plenty of fun outdoor fall activities that you can enjoy in your own backyard. More ambitious families might try creating an obstacle course using PVC pipes and a bit of imagination. For those with a smaller budget, you can never go wrong with hopscotch or playing a game of corn hole.
One of the most fun aspects of autumn is the falling leaves, and they can create a lot of exciting activities. Get the whole family involved and create a leaf labyrinth, then try to solve it. This is a great way to have fun while also expanding their problem-solving skills. Once you are done, you can use the leaves to make a colorful wreath or cute leaf puppets.
Another staple of fall are pumpkins, and they also produce some awesome opportunities. But it is not just carving jack o’ lanterns. Instead, you can use your imagination to make a pumpkin into an exploding volcano, or you can add color to your pumpkin by carving the face and then adding colorful lights to give it a fun or spooky look. Another idea is pumpkin bowling, where you use corn ears or soda bottles as pins, hay as the lane, and roll the pumpkin for a strike!
Indoor Activities
Although there is a lot to do outside, when it gets colder, indoor activities might be the way to go. There is a bunch of great activities for the colder or rainy days, including making holiday ornaments or even starting a new hobby.
This is the ideal time to learn a new musical instrument. In addition to being a new experience, playing an instrument like a flute or the piano can give them a sense of timing or lead them to more sophisticated instruments down the road.
You can also stay cozy in the warm kitchen as you make delicious fall-inspired treats. There are a million different goodies you can make including candy corn cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cream cheese bars, spice cake, and more. This is also a great time of year to make caramel apples with your pick of toppings from pretzels to candy.
Finally, get the season started with a bang with an indoor party celebrating the seasons changing. You have many themes to choose from, whether it be a pumpkin carving and decorating party or a family game night with fall-type games such as the mummy game where the first player to wrap their friend in toilet paper from head to toe wins. You can make your own party decorations by using those colorful leaves to design a fun banner or by crafting adorable paper pumpkins.
Who says summer has all of the fun? Try some of these great fall activities and make this an autumn to remember!
About the Writer: Brooke Faulkner is a writer and mom in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. You can check out more of her writing on twitter, @faulknercreek
