INSIDE: Looking for ideas on what to do with your kids this Fall? Well, I’ve scoured the web so you don’t have to! In this week’s post, I’m sharing THE BEST fall activities for kids. PLUS, find out why Autumn is my most favourite time of year!
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Autumn is BY FAR my most favourite season. There’s nothing I like more than those dark evenings where I can close the curtains, light the fire and my (many!) candles and curl up on the sofa with a good book and a blanket. It’s so relaxing knowing that it’s cold and dark outside but I’m cosy and warm indoors.
I love the crisp sunny mornings too. I’ve never been one for the heat – give me snowy mountains over a sunny beach any day! Waking up to a frosty morning where the sun is shining and leaves are turning colour but crisp really puts a smile on my face. And I just LOVE wearing a jumper with jeans or skirt and boots – I’d much rather be dressed like that than in a summer dress!
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Fall activities for kids…
As well as loving autumn for all the beautiful colours, dark evenings and crisp mornings, I also love autumn because there are so many Fall activities for kids that I can do with my boys. It might feel like there’s less to do now the colder weather and nights are drawing in, but that’s not the case.
And so, today, I thought I’d share with you my favourite things about autumn and a few Fall activities for kids that you can do with your own family. As well as sharing with you why I love this time of year so much, I’ve rounded up the best ideas on how to make the most of this season. Are you ready? Let’s dive in!
On loving autumn…
As well as loving this time of year because I get to cosy up indoors, here are five more reasons why I love autumn so much.
1. | It’s birthday time!
Both my youngest and I celebrate our birthdays in autumn. Mine is October and Harrison’s is November. And with his being right smack between Halloween and Bonfire Night, I can’t wait until he’s old enough to have a Halloween-themed party. I’m thinking Halloween fancy dress, apple bobbing, chilli with baked potatoes, a bonfire and fireworks! It’s going to be a LOT of fun!
2. | Halloween and Bonfire Night.
It’s hard to decide which I like best out of Halloween and Bonfire Night. My youngest and I love getting dressed up and carving pumpkins. It has to be one of my favourite Fall activities for kids – young and old! This year we’re going trick or treating for the first time with friends and can’t wait! Harrison has always wanted to do it and now he’s old enough, we thought we’d finally give it a go.
Related: Last-minute Halloween Costume Ideas
3. | Half-term.
October means half-term and I love having that week off. A break between getting back into the school routine and planning for Christmas, it’s probably my favourite school holiday of the year. My Hubby and I always take the week off to spend it with the boys. Although this year Harrison decided he wanted to spend it with his grandparents – which has given my Hubby and I an unexpected week to ourselves. It’s the first break we’ve had on our own for about three years, so I’m not going to complain!
Related: My School Morning Routine and How to Create One that Works for You
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4. | Planning for Christmas.
I know, I know, I mentioned the ‘C’ word! Seriously though, it’s never too early to start planning for Christmas! I’m like a big kid come Christmas time and get incredibly excited when I start thinking about what to do, how to celebrate and what to get everyone. This year is going to be extra special for us as we’re going to be away with my Hubby’s family. We’ve hired a cottage in Devon and the boys get to spend the whole week over Christmas with their cousins and grandparents. It’s going to be a LOT of long-awaited fun.
Related: How to Have a Happy, Stress-Free Christmas
5. | It’s time to review the year.
As well as Christmas, the planner in me likes this time of year because it’s when I start thinking about all I’ve achieved since January and what I want going into 2019. I know a lot of people wait until January to start thinking about their goals for the coming year, but I LOVE mulling over things in the run-up to Christmas. Come New Year’s Eve, I will have already set my goals and intentions for the new year. It’s very exciting!
Related: Don’t Wait for January – Six Reasons to Start Working on Your Goals RIGHT NOW and Why You Should be Setting Habits Instead of Resolutions
My favourite fall activities for kids…
I love a good excuse to write a bucket list! And as well as having one for the summer, Harrison and I have one for autumn too. Why not create your own and make a list of all the fall activities for kids you can do together this autumn? Here’s what’s on ours:
1. | Going for Sunday afternoon walks.
One of our favourite things to do together is going for a Sunday afternoon walk. We try to do it as often as we can, but our most favourite time of year to do it is autumn. We’ll head to our local forest and spend the afternoon kicking our way through all the leaves. It’s the only time our Frenchie pup gets any exercise too. He’s ridiculously lazy and HATES going for a walk around our estate. But take him to the woods and he’s off!
2. | Going on scenic road trips.
With it being colder, we love to wrap up warm in the car and go on road trips together on the weekend. Sometimes we’ll pick a destination on the map with sights we want to see along the way and stay over somewhere overnight. Other times we’ll pick a destination we can reach in a day. We plan a scenic route there and back that avoids all the motorways and pack a lunch complete with flasks of coffee or soup for halfway.
3. Carving pumpkins.
Who doesn’t love carving pumpkins for Halloween?! Every year Harrison and I will get a pumpkin to carve. Sometimes we’ll go to our local farm’s pumpkin patch and pick one too. We’ll surf the internet for a new design and get my Hubby to carve it for us. Last year was a scary face, the year before we carved the Batman logo. Any pumpkin we scoop out gets used to make soup. Harrison gets to put the pumpkin outside in the porch, light it and put the lid back on.
Related: Last-minute Halloween Costume Ideas
4. | Stargazing.
With the cold evenings, cloudless skies and early nightfalls, this time of year is perfect for star-gazing. We’ll take Harrison out, wrapped up warm in his pyjamas and hoodie to our local forest. We park up where it’s nice and dark, open up the sunroof and stand up inside the car to look at all the stars. And, if it’s really dark, sometimes we get to see the Milky Way too. We love seeing who’s the first to spot a satellite or shooting star going across. Flasks of hot chocolate and cosy blankets help to complete the experience too!
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5. | Baking pies and hearty dishes.
Spending time in the kitchen is something we absolutely love to do. This time of year is THE perfect excuse to make plenty of hearty stews and naughty puddings! We’ll go through all our cookbooks, pick out dishes we want to try and find a scrummy pie or crumble to serve as dessert. Our favourites are lamb shanks with red wine and rosemary or a chunky beef stew. For pudding, it’s homemade apple and blackberry pie or rhubarb and ginger oat crumble – served with LOTS of hot custard of course!
6. | Fall crafts.
Harrison loves to make and create and we’ve tried all kinds of fall crafts. From leaf painting to scavenger hunts and apple picking to making scarecrows, the possibilities of craft-related fall activities for kids are endless. To make it easier for you to find an activity to try, I’ve scoured the web and reached out to my fellow bloggers for their suggestions of the best fall activities for kids including a few fun craft-related fall activities for you to do together. Here’s what they’ve shared.
The BEST fall activities for kids from around the web…
- 1. Toddler Fall Tree Craft – Becoming Schultz.
- 2. Fall Nature Scavenger Hunt – Parenting Chaos.
- 3. Leaf Suncatcher Craft – The Best Ideas for Kids.
- 4. Fall Craft Paper Bead Necklace – Crafts by Ria.
- 5. Falling Leaves Sensory Bottle – The Soccer Mom Blog
- 6. Five Little Pumpkins Easy Fingerpaint Craft – Mom Envy
- 7. Acorn Paper Plate Craft – Parenting Chaos
- 8. November Good Deeds – Give Back Bucket List – Mom Envy
- 9. Fall Playdough – The Best Ideas for Kids
- 10. Pumpkin Apple Stamping – In the Kids Kitchen
Fall activities for kids and why I LOVE autumn so much…
And if you want more ideas of what to include on your own Fall Bucket List this autumn, check out these posts from Sharing My Favourites, My Design Rules and Surviving Student Loans. Scroll through all their great ideas, pick out those you like the most and start making the most of autumn right away!
- 50 Ideas to Make this Your BEST Fall EVER! – Sharing My Favourites.
- 27 Fall Bucket List Ideas Your Family Should Try – My Design Rules.
- 21 Fun and Frugal Fall Activities to Try this Year – Surviving Student Loans.
That’s it for this post!
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Did you like this post? What’s your favourite fall activities for kids? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time…
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