Whether you’re in the mood for a spooky adventure or simple pleasures, we’re sharing a list of 25 fall activities that appeal to all ages. So grab your coziest sweater, gather the family, and make the most of autumn together.
1. Browse a Farmer’s Market: From colorful produce to hearty baked goods and local crafts, farmer’s markets are buzzing with something for everyone in your family.
2. Go Leaf Peeping: Take a walk to admire the season’s most vibrant colors.
3. Embrace Fall Flavors: We love this simple and healthy recipe for Maple Pumpkin Pecan Muffins from Kathleen Ashmore.
4. Attend Your Local High School’s Football Game: Cheer on the home team under Friday night lights. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.
5. Pick Produce: Fill your bag with apples, pumpkins, sunflowers, and more. No one will tell if you let the kids sneak in some healthy bites along the way.
6. Build a Backyard Bonfire: S’mores and spooky stories required!
7. Have a Cozy Rainy Reading Day: Curl up together under your biggest blanket and let the rain be an afternoon soundtrack for a shared reading adventure.
8. Raise a Glass at Oktoberfest: Many towns host their own version of this event, complete with games, rides and food for the whole family. Prost!
9. Take a Hike: Lace up your boots, inhale the brisk air, and discover nature’s wonders together.
10. Perfect a Cozy Drink Recipe: From golden lattes to hot cocoa and apple cider, there’s a mug-worthy drink for everyone. Try this Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Latte for larger groups.
11. Get Lost in a Corn Maze: Find your way through twisting paths and puzzle solving, all while tiring out the kids.
12. Host a Football Sunday: This is your reason to invite your friends and their kids over for some tasty food and drinks.
13. Rake Leaves and Jump in Them: Making chores fun? It’s a win-win for everyone!
14. Rent a Cabin in the Woods: Invite another family to spend a cozy weekend in the mountains or lakeside for frosty mornings and fireside evenings.
15. Have a Halloween Movie Night: ‘Tis the season for scary movies! Choose your favorite from our list of 25 Halloween Movies to Watch in October.
16. Visit a Haunted House: A childhood rite of passage, watch your kids squeal with delight (ok, and a little fear!) as they brave spooky surprises.
17. Volunteer at a Community Kitchen: In the spirit of giving, spend an afternoon volunteering at a local shelter or pantry. If bringing the kids isn’t an option, include them as you sort through clothes, toys, non-perishables and other items to donate to those in need.
18. Throw a Chili Cookoff: Invite your friends to make and bring their favorite chili recipe. Do a taste test, cast votes and award a fun prize to the winner.
19. Run (or Walk!) a Fall 5K: Lace up your sneakers and get everyone outside. If participating isn’t for you, have the kids make creative signs and cheer on runners at a nearby race.
20. Carve Jack-o-Lanterns: Save the pumpkin seeds and roast them with different spices for a healthy fall snack.
21. Repurpose Halloween Candy: Set aside extra Halloween candy to make these creative cookies.
22. Go Camping: It doesn’t need to be extreme, your own backyard works, too! Set up a tent, unroll your sleeping bags and snuggle up for a night under the stars.
23. Create a Gratitude Jar: Every day for a month, have each person in your family write down something they’re grateful for on a small slip of paper and add it to the jar. Choose one piece of paper to read aloud at dinner, or when someone is feeling down.
24. Organize a Game of Touch Football: Remember that episode of Friends when Monica and Ross get a little too competitive? Grab your neighbors, get a game going, and bask in the 90’s nostalgia.
25. Vote! Do your research, educate yourself and the fam, and make election day an empowering, teachable moment.