Fall is officially upon us!. As sorry as I am to see summer go, I’m excited about all the fun activities to do with kids this fall. I personally love this time of the year, with October being my favourite month. Fall colours, Thanksgiving and Halloween make this month filled with fun activities to do with kids. The trick is to try and fit all the activities in!
Need some ideas for making the most of this beautiful time of year with your family? Here are 20 fun activities to do with kids this fall.
20 Fun Activities to Do with Kids this Fall
1. Go Apple Picking
Nothing will put you into the autumn mood more than a visit to the apple orchard. If the orchard offers hay rides, corn mazes and other fun fall activities, even better! Make sure to pick some apples that bake well, such as Cortland and Northern Spy apples. Then…
2. Make Your Own Apple Pie
What a fun weekend activity to do with the kids. Pick the apples, and then make apple pie together with the help of your little ones. Or try this apple crumble pie, or any apple recipes! or…
3. Make Your Own Apple Sauce
You can find a good homemade applesauce recipe … or
4. Make Your Own Caramel Apples
Skip the pie-making… making pie crust from scratch can be a little tricky… and instead, make candy or caramel apples. Here’s a tutorial on how to make caramel apples.
5. Take a Hay Ride
If the apple orchard offers hay rides, bonus! If not, find a local farm that does. Make sure to dress appropriately for the weather. If you can’t find a hayride near you, make your own fun at home; pull the kids around the neighborhood in a wagon. Create your own “hay” ride by adding leaves to the wagon, and then…
6. Jump in Leaf Piles
Rake a pile of leaves for the kids to jump in!
7. Go for a hike
Find a local trail and/or forest and take the family out for a hike.
8. Use a Crayon to Do Leaf Rubbings
While you’re on your walk, collect leaves along the way, and sort them by colour at home, or use them to create artwork. For example, allow the kids to glue leaves to poster board, or make leaf rubbings with crayons. How to do this? Simply place a leaf under a piece of paper, remove the paper from a crayon, and lightly rub the side of the crayon over the paper.
9. Find Your Way Through a Corn Maze
Fall is such a beautiful time to take a drive in the country, and visit a farm with a corn maze.
10. Visit the Pumpkin Patch
Bust out the camera and take some photos of the kiddos exploring the local pumpkin patch. Make it an afternoon affair; grab a hot chocolate afterwards, and then head on home afterwards to…
11. Carve pumpkins.
Carve your pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. Print faces from the internet, and allow the kids to trace them first with markers, or allow them to draw freehand. Then, parents can carve out the faces.
12. Bake pumpkin desserts
Bake a pumpkin pie with the kids. Also, buy smaller Pie Pumpkins to make pumpkin puree for use in pumpkin recipes.
13. Read Fall-themed Stories
“Apple Farmer Annie” by Monica Wellington, “Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf” by Lois Ehlert and “The Little Scarecrow Boy” by Margaret Wise Brown are three awesome choices.
14. Watch Halloween-theme Movies
For younger kids, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is a classic. Other kid-friendly Halloween movies are Hotel Transylvania, ParaNorman, Coraline, Monster Family, Casper, and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas are sure to entertain.
14. Learn about Fall.
Why do the days become shorter? What is daylight savings time? Here’s a fun lesson to teach your kids about autumn equinox, and the changing temperatures and sunset times. Here are some ideas for lessons and worksheets.
15. Make a scarecrow
A simple scarecrow is easy to create for your garden, or as part of your fall decorations. Here is an easy tutorial.
16. Make fall decorations
Here are some fun fall DIY decorations you can make, and your kids can perhaps be your little helpers.
17. Make turkey themed crafts
For an easy turkey themed craft, have your kids trace their hands on a piece of paper. Add details to make their thumb the turkey’s head and their fingers the turkey’s body. Color.
18. Make a list of things you’re thankful for
What are you thankful for? Have your kids write down what they are thankful for as well, and why we give thanks on Thanksgiving.
19. Decorate the house with Halloween decorations
Get ready for Halloween by decorating the house. Get into the Halloween spirit by baking some Halloween treats, like these Jack O’Lantern and Jack Skellington Oreo Pops!
20. Make DIY Halloween costumes
My kids start thinking about Halloween costumes as soon as back-to-school rolls around. They like to help create their own DIY Halloween costumes. Here are 30 DIY Halloween costume ideas to inspire you!
What are your favourite fun activities to do with kids this fall?
