Fun Fall Activities: 15 Ideas for Families
Summer is full of lazy days, sunny memories, and outdoor adventures. It's not challenging to come up with ways to spend quality time together when you have all the time in the world to plan it.
When summer ends, how can you plan fun family activities? Let's talk about the ways you can make the most of the new season, even with busy schedules and cooler weather.
First, let's go over a few tips.
Tips for Planning Your Family Activity
Sometimes, planning for quality time with your family is effortless. Everyone's schedules align, and you enjoy one another's company without any problems. Other times, you might have distractions or interruptions in your plans that make family time more challenging.
Let's go over a few tips to help you make the most of your time together with the ones you love most.
Choose Something Your Entire Family Will Enjoy
What are your children's ages? If you have toddlers and middle schoolers or elementary-aged kiddos and teenagers simultaneously, you might feel as though it's a hassle to pick activities that everyone will love.
While it may take a bit more intention and effort, selecting games, outings, and activities that include the entire family can be your best bet for making lasting memories.
Limit Distractions for More Quality Time
Putting devices away is more challenging than ever in our hyper-digital world. While you may love how your phones and tablets help you pass the time each day, it's a good idea to try to limit distractions during your family time.
Instead of demanding that your kids need to turn in their devices, try explaining that you love them and want to have uninterrupted fun with them. Don't shame them if they pull out their phones. Instead, let them know you enjoy their presence and you're happy to put yours away during this time as well.
Let Everyone Have a Say in Your Plans
When coming up with fall plans, your older kiddos and younger kiddos should all get a vote. If you can't reach a unanimous agreement, you may consider choosing two outings: one for the little ones and one that the big kids will enjoy most. Regardless, as you plan, let everyone have a voice so that you can choose something together.
Get Outdoors
When summer is finally over and fall begins, there's a beautiful couple of weeks where the weather is ideal. During these moments, you can enjoy the outdoors without having to plan for cold weather wear. With this in mind, consider planning one activity outdoors if you can.
Even if you wait until the weather is chilly, spending quality time outdoors is a rare occurrence in our technological world. Take this opportunity to enjoy nature and each other at the same time.
15 Fall Activities for Your Family
When you meet together to talk about family activities, you might find that you can easily come up with an idea that you all agree on. On the other hand, you might realize that you're having a challenging time brainstorming autumn games and activities to try together.
If you need a little bit of help, don't worry.
Let's look at 15 ways you can make memories with your family this fall.
1. Have a Leaf Pile Contest
You can spend quality time with your family and trick them into helping with yard work simultaneously. If the leaves have already begun to fall, you can play a unique game: the leaf pile contest.
Pair up into two's and give each team a rake. Have each team rake up the fallen leaves into a tall pile. At the end of a ten-minute period, measure each pile. The team with the most giant, most towering pile will win the contest. After the competition has finished, you can either gather the leaves in trash bags or take turns jumping into the stacks.
2. Draw With Chalk
When the weather cools down, even ordinary outdoor activities can seem magical. While the weather is nice, grab some chalk and tell each family member to create their own fall scene. You can also have your kiddos team up again to see who can come up with the most unique drawing.
This activity allows your children to express their creativity in a safe environment, so make sure to compliment them where you can and withhold any constructive or negative comments. You can take this opportunity to learn about their creativity in a relaxed setting.
3. Ride Bikes Around Your Neighborhood
Have your little ones learned how to ride a bike? If so, you can take advantage of the cooler weather and go for a family bike ride. Along the way, you can stop whenever you find exciting leaves, rocks, and other roadside finds.
It's a simple way to spend time together when you don't have an entire day to devote to another outing.
4. Pick Out Pumpkins at a Local Pumpkin Patch
Picking out pumpkins at a pumpkin patch is a quintessential part of the fall experience. Take a trip together toward the beginning of the season, so the best selection of pumpkins is still out.
While you're at the pumpkin patch, you can take pictures, have a contest to see who can find the silliest-looking pumpkin, or look together to find a giant pumpkin on the lot. Spending time at the pumpkin patch can easily take an hour or more, so plan to get there with enough time to look before the sun sets.
After you pick out a pumpkin, you can do several things. You might choose good-looking gourds you can use to decorate your front porch. On the other hand, you might select pumpkins you can paint or ones that you can carve together to make jack-o-lanterns.
Try talking with your kids about which activity they want to do most. Then, plan another day when you can execute your pumpkin plans.
5. Go for a Hayride
Do you have a traditional fall festival in town? Another classic fall activity is going on a hayride with friends. Consider bringing family friends along to a local fall festival to have fun together. There, you can eat candy apples, go for a hayride, and enjoy the crisp night air in the countryside.
To make the memory even sweeter, you might bring along a disposable camera that each child can take turns using to capture their autumn adventures that night. While not every picture will turn out, you'll end up with a few golden gems you can admire years later when they're grown up.
6. Go Apple Picking
Do you have a full day to spare? Whenever you can get away with the entire family, consider going to an orchard to go apple picking. You may have to drive a significant distance to find one, so ensure you have accurate directions and enough time to spare.
While you're there, keep in mind that exploring is the most fun part of the experience. However, ensure that as you explore, you do so safely. Once you've picked your apples and it's time to leave, you can plan on baking a delightful apple pie together on another day.
7. Bake a Pie Together
Here's a tasty fall family activity: Consider sending your older children to the grocery store to fetch supplies for baking a pie whenever you have an afternoon together.
When they get back, you can have each family member involved in the pie-making process — from making the dough to stuffing the pie crust with a delicious filling. When it's time to get it out of the oven, you can all enjoy the sweet fruits of your labor.
8. Visit a Petting Zoo
This is an activity that's exciting for little children. In many cities, autumn's arrival includes carnivals coming into town to set up fairgrounds. If you have a free afternoon or evening with your family, going to the fairground to see the petting zoo is an excellent experience.
While it might be a little smelly, letting your children learn about different animals is a memory you'll want to hold onto.
9. Go Stargazing
If you live in the city, you may not see stars often. As fall approaches, stargazing is a priceless activity you can do together while enjoying all that nature has to offer.
For this activity, think of a destination that's away from bright city lights. Bring a blanket and some snacks to a safe location. Spread the blanket out and enjoy the twinkling stars in the night sky.
10. Make the Perfect Fall Soup
When it gets colder outside, it's essential to find unique ways to stay warm. One way you can beat the chilly weather is by making a yummy fall soup to enjoy together one evening. After purchasing the ingredients, you can have each child help you make the soup.
When it's ready, enjoy your meal together. If time permits, you can get cozy on the couch with your favorite spooky movie to end your evening together.
11. Visit a Maze
Have you ever visited a maze? If there's one nearby, consider checking it out on a free afternoon. Make sure to use the buddy system so that no one gets lost along the way!
12. Have an Outdoor Movie Night
If it's not too chilly, you can plan an outdoor movie night as another fall bonding activity. To make it extra comfy, make sure to bring out blankets and pillows so you can lay down and bundle up. If it's cold, make sure you have enough cold weather clothing to stay cozy in the cool weather.
13. Build a Bonfire
When it gets cold in late autumn, you can build a bonfire to keep warm. Make sure to practice fire safety with this activity.
Consider inviting neighbors over to your house to enjoy making a fire that can keep you warm while you enjoy joking with one another. This is surely a night your family remembers for years.
14. Make S'mores
While you have your bonfire going, you can take advantage of the open flames by making s'mores. Some people associate this activity with summer, but we think these make a perfect cold-weather treat. Your kids will love the opportunity to get a little bit messy while they enjoy this classic fireside snack.
15. Have a Picnic
Lastly, when you're searching for ways to enjoy quality time with your family in the fall, you can't go wrong with a picnic. Bring a picnic blanket, along with napkins, wipes, utensils, and enough drinks for everybody. Pass out easy meals or snacks, and you're all set.
After everyone's finished eating, you might even have time to play outdoor games like frisbee or tag.
Tips for Staying Warm During Outdoor Activities
When you're thinking of ways to have fun with your family in the fall, you may have to consider the weather as a factor in your planning. Fall can be super chilly in many regions, so it's essential to ensure your little ones have the cold-weather protection they need for cold, windy days.
Let's look at a few tips to make dressing in the cold easier.
Dress in Layers
Dressing in layers is essential for keeping comfortable as temperatures rise and fall in the daytime. Instead of focusing on bulky coats, try ensuring your child has a warm sweater with a jacket on top for when it gets colder.
Invest in Durable Jackets
While you may not need to get out the snowsuits, you'll want to make sure you have proper durable jackets that can keep your kiddos warm on windy days.
For milder weather, we recommend our LEGO Wear Kids' softshell jacket. It's available in multiple sizes and has a 5,000-millimeter water column material. It's windproof and breathable so that your little one can stay warm and comfortable no matter what the weather has in store.
Wear Gloves and a Beanie
As you get ready to have fun outdoors together, don't forget to bring along gloves and a warm hat for each kid.
Our LEGO wear kids' gloves feature a breathable FanTex membrane that helps keep their hands dry while protecting them from cold temperatures and harsh wind. They're anti-slip, too, so they'll last through any adventure.
Stay Safe and Warm During any Activity
It's not always easy to plan fall activities with your family. When you notice that you have an open day coming up, you can make the most of it with one of these fall-themed ventures. If you are outdoors in cold weather, remember to keep everyone dressed appropriately.
Look for durable cold-weather clothing to stay comfortable while you make the best memories. You can find all the cold-weather basics you need for your kiddos right here at Mallary by Matthew.
Sources:
55 Best Fall Activities That Make the Most of Crisp Autumn Days | Good Housekeeping
62 Fall Activities for Kids, Families, Couples, and Adults| Real Simple
Fun Fall Activities for Families - Autumn Bucket List | Woman's Day