5 Easy Fall Family Outings
It’s that time of year when the trees show off their true colors and there’s the smell of change in the air. It’s that smoky, chilled harvest scent that makes us want to run out and buy apple cider and make pumpkin bread.
With kids in tow, it’s not always easy to jump into elaborate fall activities. You’ll usually have a small block of time where someone doesn’t need a nap, a feeding, or a time out.
But planning simple outings that match the seasons will catch hold in their hearts and make every time of the year special with memories and family traditions. When they grow up and someone asks them what their favorite season is, hopefully they’ll say, “All of them!”
Autumn especially has a lot to offer, though. The blasting heat of summer is fading, but it’s not too cold yet to have to bundle up like crazy just to enjoy nature.
So here are some top tips for memorable fall family outings.
1. Treasure Hunt for Leaves
Gear up and head out on a small family hike. Give each child a bag to fill with their favorite leaves. Make it a treasure hunt for the prettiest, brightest leaves they can find.
Now’s a great time for a science lesson.
The science behind the leaves changing colors is fascinating. The bright colors tend to be the leaves’ real color, but when it’s making its food to grow and blossom, the chlorophyll turns the leaves green.
It’s like they’ve been wearing a mask all year, but now as the days are shorter and the trees are getting sleepy, the mask goes away.
When you get home, let the children glue their leaves onto construction paper and hang up their masterpieces.
2. Head to the Bookstore
There are always fabulous books for fall and Halloween. Let older kids pick out one book each, and maybe you can choose a board book for your baby.
Hopefully your bookstore has carts and you can use your shopping cart hammock to keep your littlest one secure while you browse with the family.
Here are some book suggestions from teachers that are great to read aloud. After you and your family read the books to each other, search them out on YouTube and see if anyone else has read them out loud.
What did they do differently? The same?
3. The Pumpkin Patch
Chances are you have a pumpkin patch near you or a short drive away. Now it might be quicker to just grab a pumpkin at your next trip to the grocery store, but for a kid there’s nothing quite like wandering through an orange field trying to find the perfect pumpkin to take home.
A lot of pumpkin patches also have other activities such as corn mazes and tractor rides, so a little outing can turn into an epic adventure.
Click here to find a pumpkin patch near you.
4. Pick Your Own Apples
In the spirit of picking your own pumpkins, head to an apple orchard. Apples just taste better when you pick them yourselves.
If you have a hard time getting the kids to eat their fruit, this is the perfect outing. You can also work on basic math skills by having them pick a determined amount of apples.
Later, you can also make applesauce together with the apples you don’t eat. Ask the helpers which ones are best for applesauce and which ones are best for eating. They know all the best apple secrets.
Find an orchard in your state by clicking here, or by doing a general search on the internet.
5. Scout Out Halloween Costumes
Head to the thrift store in search of costume ideas. Maybe you’ll find a red t-shirt you can cut up to look like Aang’s outfit--kids are loving Avatar: The Last Airbender again--or an accessory for your girl’s favorite superhero.
If not, at least you’ll have fun trying and probably get loads of ideas, too.
Whatever you end up doing, I’m sure you’ll find fall is a great time for adventure. So get out there and have some family fun!
