Depending on where you live, fall is a beautiful season and a perfect time to spend quality time as a family. From apple picking to hayrides to carving pumpkins, there are countless ways to enjoy the fall spirit with your family.
Here are five fall family activities to help create lasting memories.
1. Plan a five senses fall day to experience the season.
You might start by raking leaves, collecting, bagging them, and moving them to the curb for pick-up. Encourage the kids to look for and collect leaves of various sizes and colors to save for art projects.
Point out the sights and sounds of autumn in your yard and community. This activity has all sorts of benefits: outdoor physical activity, elements of cooperation and responsibility, and plenty of communication.
Visit your local pumpkin patch or farm to let your children experience the seasonal sights, textures, and scents.
Let each child select a pumpkin or two for the fall holidays. Grab some decorative gourds to bring the sights of autumn into the house. Add some cinnamon or apple pie potpourri wafting in the air, and you’ll help the entire family get into the spirit of fall.
2. Enjoy a fall-focused meal.
Encourage family members to work together to prepare a favorite fall meal. Even little ones can participate by setting tables, stirring ingredients, and serving a favorite food.
Corn on the cob, fall squash, potatoes, and a favored entrée can help create memorable traditions around fall dining. Dessert can be pumpkin or apple pie or other seasonal family favorites.
Provide art materials for the kids to make autumn-related placemats or place cards.
Preparing and enjoying a special meal together gives every family member a chance to participate. It also creates great opportunities for communication to enhance your family relationships.
3. Go on a fall hike and have a picnic
Even if fall doesn’t show its beauty where you live (like us in Florida), plan a day/weekend trip to a location where you can hike and enjoy the magnificent sights. Pick a spot that has areas to stop and rest so you can take in the colors of the season.
Pack a fall-themed picnic and choose a scenic spot to eat. Pack seasonal fruits and vegetables, hearty sandwiches, cider to drink, and trail mix with dried fruit, seeds, and nuts.
4. Fall story night.
With the fireplace going and everyone sipping hot chocolate and snacking on their favorite goodies, fall is a perfect time to enjoy reading together.
Find a book that everyone in the family will enjoy. Harry Potter can be a great place to start, but there are many other options also.
Have everyone take turns reading a few pages or a whole chapter.
Holding a family story night one evening a week is a wonderful way for your family to reconnect, relax, and enjoy each other’s company.
5. Fall movie night.
Do a little initial research by finding movies with family-friendly plots or storylines stimulating family discussions.
Some examples may include It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Fly Away Home, and The Fox And The Hound.
This is another activity where you might allow the kids to take turns selecting. However, if you’re seeking movies with morals or special messages, you might want to help “steer” the children’s selections by providing the names of 3 or 4 movies and letting the kids choose from among those.
Take advantage of the opportunities fall offers for making memories with your family. Whether you go for a family outing together or just gather for an old-fashioned movie night, you can spend more quality time with your family this fall!
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