The leaves are starting to change and will soon be dropping, and the air is getting that crisp autumn feel to it. Fall is one of the most fun times of the year, with lots to do in the cooler weather before the summer fades away from memory completely and it gets downright cold with the winter frost.
Looking for some fall activities for your kids? Here’s a few ideas:
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Make leaf animals
This could be a really fun activity, especially when the leaves are all different colors. Figure out fun and creative ways to incorporate the different colors, and choose different shapes, as many as you can find.
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Go to the Arboretum
To help in your leaf animals, you could go to the Morton Arboretum to find all the different colors and shapes of leaf that you can imagine. The arboretum is only 25 miles west of Chicago and would make for a great fall family outing, and it offers walking, hiking, biking, various events, and even some fall races if you’re in the competitive spirit.
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Jump in a pile of leaves
Get the kids to join you in raking up a big old pile of leaves in the yard, or go to a friend’s or neighbor’s house if you don’t have the yard for it, and get the biggest, fattest, crispiest pile of leaves together that you can muster – and then jump away! Show them this video of a husky loving his leaf pile for some fun and to get them in the mood for it.
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Go feed the ducks
There’s no better time than now, while there’s still sunlight – and ducks! Toss ’em some stale bread before they head south for the winter.
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Stroll through the park
Grab the stroller, put on the tennis shoes, get on the slide and the swings, and take the kids to have a great time before it’s too bitter cold to do it regularly. Be sure to get some photos of them, and of you all together!
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Pick apples
Go to your local orchard and enjoy the last days of the warm(ish!) sunlight by picking some apples with the kiddo. Then go home and have some fun with your fresh-picked treasures!
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Go bobbing for apples
Pop those apples you just picked into a nice big, open bucket of water and watch the kids crack up as they try to figure out how to get an apple out without using their hands.
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Make your own play-dough
This is a fun way to get play time in. You can make various “flavors” of play dough, for example: apple pie, cranberry, and even pumpkin spice marshmallow dough.
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Have a pumpkin carving party!
Invite your friends, your neighbors, your family to come and carve pumpkins. It’s especially fun for the kids if you get them their own little special pumpkin-carving tools and show them how it’s done, from carving out the top and pulling out the “guts”, to cutting out the eyes and mouths – then let them give it a shot on their own!
Fall is a wonderful time to spend time with your kids. Get out there and have a great time!
