7 Fun Fall Activities For Families

This post is sponsored by Bayer. To make sure these products are right for you, always read and follow the label. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Fall into a New Routine

After enjoying the outdoors during the hot summer months, it’s no surprise that our automatic reaction to cool, fall weather can be to head indoors. The fall is such a beautiful time of year; it would be a shame to spend it inside! Instead, I want to encourage you to get outside before the winter months really make us want to hibernate.

To help motivate you, I’m sharing some of my 7 favorite fun fall activities for families to do outdoors during the fall, and the secrets that help keep me going (even if it’s a little chilly).

 

Fun Fall Activity 1 – Fall Walks

There’s nothing better than going for a long, fall walk to take in all the sensory experiences the season has to offer. From the smell of fresh air to the colorful changing leaves, you’re sure to make this a staple in your weekly routine.

Suggestions

  1. You could start off with a walk around your neighborhood. You may be surprised at how things have changed.
  2. Pick a local neighborhood park you’ve never been to before. Drive over there and walk around it. It may become your favorite new park!
  3. Drive across town and pick a park to visit. You know, the side of town YOU NEVER GO TO because it’s WAY OVER THERE. It’s a way to see other parts of your city. Walk around, bring the bikes, rollerblades, or electric scooters and enjoy.

But with the change of season comes a change to our wardrobe.

Switching from sandals to shoes and boots can be uncomfortable as our feet get used to different footwear. To help ease any discomfort, I wear my Dr. Scholl’s Comfort & Energy Massaging Gel Insoles, especially on longer walks to make sure I can comfortably keep moving without having to turn back early. These insoles are great for foot and leg fatigue, with gel waves that massage the most sensitive areas of my foot.

Fun Fall Activity 2 – Do Sports

If you’re looking for a little more activity, there are lots of options to keep you going during the fall. If you’re really adventurous, join a fall sports league, or get your family out to play a new sport like soccer or softball.

Football season is in full force. While you may not be a fan, your son or husband may be. Buy a flag football kit and go outside and start a little game of 2-on-2 with flags. You don’t have to be good at it, the idea is to get the family moving together in a fun format. It’s a ton of fun your family will enjoy.

I know what you’re thinking, the aches and pains that come with physical activity can be a deterrent (even if it’s picking up a few pumpkins), especially if it affects your sleep. I keep ALEVE Nighttime on my nightstand so I don’t have to worry. ALEVE Nighttime relieves my muscle aches and pains for up to 12 hours, plus it has a sleep aid to help me fall asleep and stay asleep.

Fun Fall Activity 3 – Local Activities

If sports aren’t your thing, check out fun outdoor activities happening in your area each week, like apple picking or going to a pumpkin patch.

One of our favorite things to do is explore the corn mazes that pop up in our local area. They usually rebuild from last year and create a new design. Kids love getting lost and the sense of achievement being able to lead the family out of the maze builds a lot of self-confidence.

These types of events are usually hosted by small farms or small businesses so you usually don’t see them advertising on TV. Do a little digging and you can find these in the little circulars at the grocery stores or convenience stores. As well as searching online at tripadvisor.com or googling, “activity in (your city name)”.

You may be surprised at how many fun local things there are to do that you didn’t even know were out there!

Fun Fall Activity 4 – Seasonal Crafts

I love letting my artistic side come out and creating DIY things for the house or crafts with my kids, using bits of nature I find during the fall months (and on my fall walks). It’s amazing how creative we can get using colorful leaves, birch bark, or flowers.

One of my favorite crafts to make is a fall frame using sticks, and gluing leaves, stones, and dried flowers to the frame. Bonus points if you use it to frame a picture taken on one of your walks!

Fun Fall Activity 5 – Camping

The kids are back in school so getting away to a campground may be tough over a weekend. But, the younger your kids are, the more options you have.

Our daughter loves camping in our backyard! Pitch a tent, roll out the mat, and lay your sleeping bags. You must also get a small campfire going (be safe!) so you can roast marshmallows and make smores.

Also plan some outdoor things to do as if you were actually camping. No cell phones, no ipads, just you and nature. I’d suggest tossing horseshoes, throwing a ball, learning to tie knots in ropes, etc.

Fun Fall Activity 6 – State Or National Park

The weather is awesome this time of year and the parks are less crowded. To us, it’s the ideal time to explore a state or federal park.

We were in El Paso, Texas recently and decided to visit Hueco Tanks State Park. The claim to fame for the area is the massive rock formations and the hieroglyphics left behind by the indigenous people known as The Kiowa, Mescalero Apache, Comanche, Tigua and the people of Isleta del Norte Pueblo.

It was so much fun! Climbing over rocks and boulders, peering around rocks and caves, to see if we could find hieroglyphics. Our daughter wasn’t thrilled going to a “park”, but the next weekend she was begging us to go back!

Fun Fall Activity 7 – Become A Photographer

In this day and age when most people use their smartphone for picture taking, share with your kids the old-school tradition of taking photos with a camera. It’s a great learning experience and in the Fall, there are lots of great scenes to take.

Recommended Camera Gear

  1. Nikon Camera Kit

  1. Canon Camera Kit

Items To Photograph

  1. Find an insect. Try taking pictures from different distances, and be sure to include a close up of the eyes.
  2. Find a plant, something that you may have never noticed before. Take a close-up and see the leaf structure.
  3. Find a neighbor, and let your kid take a picture of them. It’ll be a fun process for them to be in charge.
  4. Find a leaf on the ground. Or better yet, find a leaf being carried by an ant. Some of the mundane things we never stop to look at can all of a sudden be an interesting camera subject to photograph.

You don’t have to be an expert to enjoy this with the kids. Follow a couple of websites on picture taking skills, go outside, walk around, and find interesting items to photograph. Then complete the loop by taking those photo’s to get developed in print.

The anticipation and reward of getting a hard-copy photo will probably be a new experience for many kids.

It’s amazing how photos look so different when they’re in print rather than on your iPhone or computer screen. Share that process with your kids.

Summary

Our family is always looking for new fall activities to do together, what are your favorite things to do during the fall season?

 

This post is sponsored by Bayer. To make sure these products are right for you, always read and follow the label. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

1 thought on “7 Fun Fall Activities For Families”

  1. Great article Nicole! Thanks for sharing it. I am not a parent myself but I do have a nephew that I watch from time to time. I appreciate you providing these suggestions on fall activities because I was looking for some interesting things to do with my nephew before Christmas. I really like the photographer suggestion and I can’t wait to see what cool things my nephew captures with his smartphone. Thanks again! ?

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