60 Fall Activities For Kids
Fall brings the excitement of the holidays and an abundance of activities that families can do together.
When it comes to deciding what family activities can (and should) be done, the overwhelm can be great for many.
Some families feel like they just aren’t doing enough and missing out on this special time of year.
Other families are so busy bouncing around that they feel exhausted quickly and then enter into the next round of holidays already burned out.
Laura Linn Knight, author of Break Free from Reactive Parenting: Gentle-Parenting Tips, Self-Regulation Strategies, and Kid-Friendly Activities for Creating a Calm and Happy Home suggests families make a "fall bucket list" to start.
"No matter where you are on the spectrum of fall family activities, a family bucket list will help you," Knight told TODAY Parents. "I love the fall-themed bucket list, because it takes away the pressure of making a bucket list for your whole life and instead focuses on just this season."
Knight suggests finding a time to gather around the table with your family to brainstorm.
"As you write the list, welcome ideas and also let your kids know ahead of time that not everything might happen this fall, but it can be a list that continues to build with your family," she said, adding that it's meant to be a list that will live and grow with you.
After you have created the list, your family can decide what to prioritize.
"Perhaps everyone gets to pick one activity from the list," Knight said. "Maybe you put everyone’s favorite activities on pieces of paper and draw three of them at random. However you decide to pick your fall activities, keep it fun."
Knight told TODAY Parents that adults should look for opportunities to create new traditions.
"Bond with your children and be careful not to spread yourself too thin, so that you can enjoy your time instead of feeling like you are dragging yourself to each event," she said.
60 fall activities for kids
Ready to get started on all the fall fun? Here are 60 fall activities for kids and families to enjoy this season.
Make a "fall bucket list."
Plan a fall foliage road trip.
Paint acorns.
Visit an apple orchard.
Make an apple dessert recipe like apple pie or apple crisp.
Make apple cider.
Do apple tasting at home to discover what type of apples everyone likes best.
Make caramel apples.
Roast pumpkin seeds.
Create an outdoor fire and roast s'mores.
Try a new soup recipe the whole family will love.
Pick out a new book to read as a family.
Make a fall sensory jar with fall leaves, sticks, acorns and glitter. Collect items in your area and put them in a mason jar. Add water if you wish and notice each object as your child shakes the jar and watches everything in the jar settle.
Make handprint leaves by tracing hands on paper, coloring them and cutting them out.
Make your own Halloween decorations.
Build a blanket fort.
Make a special place in your home to celebrate Día de Muertos and teach your children about the holiday if they aren’t familiar with it already.
Find leaves outside and identify them.
Do a color-based outdoor scavenger hunt.
Create leaf rubbings.
Bake pumpkin pie.
Write a gratitude list.
Create homemade cards for friends and family and put them in the mail.
Have a fall-themed picnic at the park with pumpkin bread and apple cider.
Press leaves into a favorite book for next season.
Visit a farmer's market.
Decorate pumpkins and use them as a tool for mindful breathing with the family.
Host a cookie — or fall treat — exchange.
Visit a pumpkin patch.
Play hide and seek with glow sticks or flashlights.
Visit the library.
Host a pumpkin decorating contest.
Carve pumpkins.
Play BINGO with candy corn.
Have a Halloween movie marathon.
Attend a local fair or fall festival.
Make hot chocolate.
Host a dance-off with a playlist of Halloween music.
Get lost in a corn maze.
Visit a haunted house or hayride.
Have a costume parade in the neighborhood.
Host a "monster mash" Halloween party.
Make homemade play-dough with fall colors or orange, yellow and brown.
Visit a flower farm.
Rake a leaf pile and jump in it.
Host a DIY pizza night.
Visit a farm.
Bundle up and go on a family friendly hike.
Go to an amusement park.
"Boo" the neighbors.
Put a puzzle together.
Deliver baked treats to friends.
Have a trivia night.
Decorate the front porch, or front door.
Visit a new playground.
Enjoy festive coloring pages.
Have a family game night.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
