Today marks the first day of a fun series that I’m hosting here on Sidetracked Sarah!
With the weather getting cooler, our family LOVES to spend time outside! We’ve been so busy, sometimes it’s hard to stop and enjoy the crisp fall weather. We need to remember to enjoy our children while they’re young and to make memories with them! Here’s some ideas to get you (and me) going!
Rake Leaves & Jump In
There’s nothing more fun for kids than being allowed to play in the leaves! I remember as a child, playing in the yard for hours building a new pile of leaves. I would get a running start as far back as I could and then run and jump in. We don’ t have many leaves down on the ground yet this year. I think we lost more leaves in the drought this summer than we’ve lost so far in fall. As soon as they fall, my kids will be all over them (literally!).
Build a Scarecrow
This is something that we’ve never tried, but I love the way they look as fall decorations. I think we may have to give it a try this year! I’ll be sure to share pictures if we do!
Visit a Pumpkin Patch
We have an annual tradition of going to our local pumpkin patch with our Homeschool Group. They usually learn about pumpkins and how they grow and then they go to the field and pick the perfect pumpkin. They also enjoy playing on hay bales, watching the pumpkin sling shot as well as playing in swimming pools of corn. This is a highlight of my kids’ fall season!
Go through a corn maze
Most pumpkin patches have corn mazes on the premises that you can go through for an extra price. I like going to the pumpkin patches that allow you to do this for all one price when it’s attached to your field trip (that’s the frugal girl in me!). Be prepared though. You can get lost easily in the mazes and they’re usually not very toddler friendly. I’ve heard many stories of people spending hours, trying to get out. They usually have a system in place that you can utilize if you get lost though, so keep that in mind. Ask them before you begin what you’re supposed to do if you can’t find your way back out! This is one that I usually send my older kids in and I sit back and let the younger kids play where we can’t get lost!
Go to a football game
This is an easy one for me to fulfill. My 15 year old son is playing football this year for a local Christian School. Whether I like it or not, we’re there! Overall, it’s really nice to sit outside and visit with your friends and family in the cool, crisp breeze. I’m usually hoping it’s not while watching my son get knocked down (gasp) and hopefully he’s not getting hurt, either! My husband is also a big Kansas City Chiefs fan and some years he and my son go to a game. The Chiefs will have to get a lot better, before they ever invest the money again!
Go Apple Picking
We have a friend who used to live in a home with apple trees in her back yard. We would go over and pick as many apples as we wanted. Of course, getting them for free is great, but even if you go to an orchard, the children think it’s so neat to see where the apples are growing and to pick apples all by themselves!
Visit a Local Fall Festival
So many communities celebrate the fall! There’s usually craft fairs, carnivals, decoration contests, pumpkin carving contests, and food. Lots and lots of food! Fall is the time that so many communities pull together and enjoy each other’s company. We make our tradition at our local festival where we spend one evening riding rides downtown. My husband’s parents usually pay for their armbands to wear for the night and we follow the kids around, letting them ride rides while we visit with all the towns people that we happen to know (you’d be surprised….in a small town, you know EVERYONE!). I’ve learned to bring a chair along to sit on while we’re waiting. We also end the week with a great big parade where the kids sit expectantly waiting for candy to be thrown in their direction!
Enjoy the Nice Weather & Take a Hike
We are lucky enough to have a lake nearby with some really nice hiking trails. We can be there within 10 minutes after leaving our house. There’s lots of rocks to climb and nature to observe. Each person in our family thinks its so fun….not to mention that you get some extra exercise!
Make a campfire and roast marshmallows
S’more’s anyone? I’m not crazy about roasted marshmallows unless you mix them with chocolate and graham crackers. Then I’ll say yes! Of course, that doesn’t help my diet much. Nope….I’ll have to be careful this fall season!
Practice your Photography (the lighting is perfect!)
I want to get out there and photograph the changing leaves and all the scarecrows, fall wreaths and pumpkin decorations. Of course, practicing with my kids is great, too! I have a lot to learn when it comes to photography….so every bit of practice time I get, I’m happy (as long as I have willing subjects!).
What about you? Do you have favorite Fall Activities that your family loves? What would you add to this list?
This post was the first in a series of 10 posts written on Family Friendly Fall. The rest of the posts will be added to the Family Friendly Fall landing page as they’re published. Please take a moment to visit some of the others who are writing in the iHomeschool Hopscotch. There are 40 writers in all with lots of interesting topics! In addition, if you visit the link, you can take part in the Pin It to Win It contest that they’re hosting. You have a chance at winning one of several great prizes from Prufrock Press.
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