Fall is hands-down the best season! Don’t agree with me? That’s ok, I still have some amazing activities you should try this fall season that just might change your mind. This is my ultimate fall bucket list as a 35-year-old mama of 4 from West Texas (where we don’t exactly have the best representation of fall). But I still try!
It remains hot here in Texas until like October. So yes, some years I may be baking pumpkin-flavored goodies when it’s 90 degrees outside. That doesn’t stop me though!
I love to embrace the fall season in every way possible. The colors, the scents, the cozy feeling, the slightly spooky Halloween vibes. I love all of it and my kids do too!
Here’s list of 20 fun, family-friendly ideas to include in your fall plans this year. Some of these ideas are geared towards the whole family, while others are more focused on the moms out there. Get started now making amazing memories with your family!
The Ultimate Fall Bucket List: 20 Things you Should Do this Fall
- Go to a farm and/or orchard. Pick some apples. Wander through a corn maze. Pet the farm animals. Ride on the cow train. Head to the pumpkin patch and choose the perfect pumpkins. Participate in all the activities that interest you and your family. Tip: If your children aren’t interested in a particular activity, don’t force it. You definitely shouldn’t try to do an activity just because it’s on the list.
2. Make pumpkin cookies (heck, make pumpkin-flavored everything!) My family members have recently been requesting pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting. I always say, “not until September!” However, once September 1st hits, you better believe we are baking those cookies.
Try the recipe HERE: Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting.
Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cinnamon rolls. I’m pretty sure anything can be made pumpkin flavored. So why not try some new recipes this time of year? Or make your family’s favorites?
Not a fan of pumpkin? Maybe apple appeals more to your taste buds. Then find an apple recipe instead!
3. Have a Hocus Pocus movie night. Our favorite spooky, family-friendly Halloween movie over at my house is Hocus Pocus (we love both 1 and 2). Whatever your family favorite is, that’s what you should watch. You can even do a fall/Halloween themed movie night every Friday in October. You can go all out and prepare themed snacks or keep it simple with microwave popcorn.
4. Make a fall-inspired trail mix. You can enjoy your snack mix while cuddling up with your loved ones during that spooky movie. Try to stick with a fall color scheme of brown, orange, and red, to make it more festive. We tried this one below, which includes pretzels, mini marshmallows, teddy grahams (chocolate & original), and red and orange peanut M&Ms. You can really choose whatever snacky items you like!
5. Carve pumpkins. A quintessential Halloween tradition you definitely shouldn’t forget about. Carve a simple jack o’ lantern face or make it more elaborate if you want to get creative. If you have younger children, it might be more fun and easier for them to paint little pumpkins.
6. Read scary books (or fall-themed books). You can get a bunch from the library to read to your children each night. While you’re at it, grab a fun fiction read for yourself.
Two thriller books on my list to read this autumn are: Home Before Dark by Riley Sager and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I can’t recommend them at this point, since I have yet to read them. There are hundreds of options out there for thriller reads or cozy fall fiction; find one that suites your interests. And then cozy up and read, read, read!
7. Go to the drive-in movies. But elevate your experience…have a truck or know someone who does? Why not put a mattress in the back, bring a bunch of cozy blankets and pillows, and enjoy the show that way?? You can make it a date night with your significant other or a fun family night with the kids. Don’t forget all the snacks!
8. Buy yourself a new cozy sweater. One that you’ll want to wear on repeat. There’s nothing better than having a comfortable sweater to throw on. One that you love and enjoy wearing.
9. Go on a hayride. Your local pumpkin patch or farm may have this as part of their experience. It takes me back to my childhood and brings all the feelings of nostalgia.
10. Create a fall aroma in your home. With either candles or using essential oils in a diffuser, you can give your home the wonderful fragrance of fall. Do you prefer the smell of pumpkin or apple or cinnamon? The choices that represent autumn are abundant.
11. Decorate! Give me all the cozy vibes and pumpkins galore. You can keep it fairly simple, which is what I usually do. You don’t need to overdo it, just decorate the main area of your house with a few decorative pieces that you love. I definitely recommend adorning your front door with a beautiful, fall-inspired wreath. I’m going to attempt to plant mum on the front patio this year. Let’s hope the heat doesn’t kill them off like in years past (or maybe I’m the one to blame).
12. Roast pumpkin seeds. We sort of fell into a tradition at my house…my husband is in charge of the pumpkin carving each year. My job is to gather all the seeds and roast them. You can try a variety of different seasonings, depending on your taste preference.
13. Go to a football game. Whether it be your local high school team or an NFL game (if you’re a hardcore football fan), football is another tradition of the fall season. Even watching a game or two on TV can count. As someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy sports, it really does bring all the fall feels for me. When you’re all bundled up at a football game (or in shorts & a T-shirt), cheering for a team, it just feels like fall is here.
14. Make a fun fall craft with your kids (or a fall DIY project). Hobby Lobby has tons of inexpensive seasonal crafts kits your kids are sure to love. I plan to attempt a couple DIY fall decorating projects this year. I have a fall centerpiece and a fall-themed tiered tray in mind, so I’ll keep you updated as to how those turn out!
15. Choose Halloween costumes and take your kids trick-or-treating. I think this is a given. Even if you don’t have children, hand out candy to the neighborhood kids. How fun to see all their costumes and the joy that Halloween (and tons of sugar) brings to children.
16. Take an autumnal nature hike. Explore the great outdoors, when the leaves are changing colors, and the weather has slightly cooled. Your children may like to collect leaves or other items they find in nature. Sadly, we don’t get enough leaves that fall from the trees here to rake and jump into piles. Definitely take advantage if you do, because my kids don’t get to experience that in the fall.
17. Dress your pets up for Halloween. Here’s my two Boston Terriers years ago when they were just puppies. I’ll admit, they probably hated being dressed up, but it made for an adorable photo op.
18. Make all the different kinds of soups. Taco soup. Broccoli cheddar soup. Zuppa toscana. Chili. Find a new recipe to try and make your favorites too. It’s the perfect time of year to make a hot soup to enjoy on a chilly evening.
19. Make a pumpkin inspired drink (or buy one from your local coffee shop). I’m drinking my first pumpkin spice latte of the season while writing this blog post. There’s just something about the first taste of pumpkin that ushers in the fall season for me. I’ll admit, it tastes better from the coffee shop. Or else I haven’t found the right recipe yet or I lack the skills to make a great latte at home.
20. Practice gratitude. Be thankful. You could write in a gratitude journal during this season of the year. If you have younger children, you could make a thankful turkey in the month of November. In past years, I have constructed a turkey out of construction paper and then each day, each of my kids will write or draw something they are thankful for on a construction paper feather. By Thanksgiving, you’ll have a turkey with bunch of feathers filled with things your family is grateful for. I thought it was a cute idea. If you don’t, I’m sure there’s dozens of other ideas to practice gratitude.
Need ideas for a Summer Bucket list, check out this blog post: Ultimate Summer Bucket List for Kids.
Enjoy the Fall Season Thoroughly This Year
No matter what activities you choose to participate in this autumn, don’t forget to be grateful for the season.
Enjoy the small moments.
Appreciate the time spent with family and friends.
Delight in the tastes and smells of the season.
Be open to the changes that life brings with each new season.
Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gatsby”
