10 Must-Do Autumn Activities with Your Family

Autumn has a way of drawing families together. The cooler air, colorful leaves, and harvest traditions make it a perfect season for spending quality time with family. Between school schedules and busy routines, it isn’t always easy to carve out those moments—but fall offers plenty of opportunities to slow down and share something special. From orchards and pumpkin patches to crafts and cozy evenings by the fire, these simple activities create memories your kids and grandkids will carry with them long after the season has passed.

Visit an Apple Orchard

Visiting an apple orchard is a great way to get some exercise in the great outdoors while sampling the best of the autumn apple harvest. Orchards sometimes provide more than apple picking. They may offer activities such as hayrides, yard games, hiking, and petting areas for animals, among others. Visit the gift shop for a variety of crafts and apple treats, including pies and pastries. An apple orchard also makes a fantastic setting for some family photos that will be cherished for years to come.

Pumpkin Decorating

Pumpkin decorating is another highly engaging and memorable activity that kids love. You can make the most of the experience by going to a pumpkin patch and letting the kids pick out their own. When it's time to decorate, you might dare the kids to scoop out the slimy insides themselves, which can be an opportunity to get some hilarious photos. Then, allow their creative instincts to run wild. Older kids will enjoy carving designs into the jack-o'-lanterns, while younger children will enjoy safer, no-carve activities. This could include painting, gluing straw hair, or any other way to make the pumpkin their own!

Enjoying the Leaves

There's nothing like the changing leaf colors in the fall. There are numerous ways to enjoy this part of the season with the family. Take a walk with them in areas that are reaching their peak of color. It not only helps them appreciate the beauty of nature but also allows them to experience the exhilaration of outdoor exercise. (Don’t forget a camera to capture the vibrant scenery.)

On the outing, the kids can pick their favorite leaves for scrapbooks, which can also be a learning activity as you teach them to identify various trees. Your family hike in the woods can become an annual tradition that your children or grandchildren will look forward to each year.

Navigating a Corn Maze

A favorite fall tradition is the corn maze. While people have been fascinated by mazes since ancient Greece, the corn maze only originated in the U.S. in 1993. Since then, it has exploded in popularity.

The easiest way to find a corn maze is to look online. If you have younger grandchildren, check to see if the corn maze is geared for their age group. If you have older kids, you might be able to find a corn maze with a few frights in the attraction. A haunted maze or hayride can make for a delightful memory of experiencing the ghosts and zombies together.

Attending Festivals

Fall brings numerous seasonal festivals. Many have kid-friendly attractions such as carnival rides, face painting, music, and delicious food from local vendors. Imagine the fun you and the younger ones will have wandering the festival grounds with mugs of warm apple cider or hot chocolate on a beautiful autumn day.

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Teaching a Family Recipe

Teaching your children or grandchildren to cook can be a fun fall activity and a memorable bonding experience. By using family recipes, kids can feel a connection with previous generations and learn cooking traditions that they can pass down to their children.

Find a recipe that features classic fall produce, such as apples, pumpkin, squash, or other in-season fruits and vegetables, but make sure it is both sweet and savory so that the kids will enjoy it. If you feel ambitious, you can spend a day designing a three-course meal featuring the best family dishes. This may take some effort, but the children will remember the experience for years to come.

Making Autumn Crafts

Another fun activity that can inspire the younger generation is having them create autumn crafts. Let them select the craft idea and then bring them to a local craft store to pick up the necessary supplies. One idea would be to create Halloween decorations, such as paper pumpkins or hand-turkeys. You can also get creative and incorporate natural materials, such as leaves and autumn-blooming plants.

Get Baking

After a day of picking apples or pumpkins, bring the fun into the kitchen by baking them into something tasty.

Some ideas are bread, pies, cookies, or tarts. You should aim to adjust the recipes to be age-specific, so kids stay engaged in the process and have a fun time. If you enjoy baking, this is a wonderful way to give children a special gift by sharing your culinary knowledge.

Building a Bonfire

Hosting a bonfire is one of the best autumn activities you can engage in with family. You can share stories, songs, and family history that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Cook up some hot dogs and s’mores, and the experience will be even more memorable. Remember to take all fire safety precautions, especially if smaller children are present.

Bird Watching

Taking children out bird watching is another excellent way to spend time with them. It also provides you with the opportunity to share your knowledge of birds and other aspects of nature. An important part of this is to instill in them an appreciation of nature and the importance of conservation and environmental stewardship.

The distractions of modern life can make it hard to connect, but time spent together—especially during a season as full of charm as fall—creates lasting bonds. Whether it’s teaching a favorite recipe, exploring the outdoors, or simply laughing around a bonfire, these moments give children more than fun; they give them a sense of tradition and togetherness. Take advantage of the season’s natural rhythm to create memories they’ll treasure for years to come.

Make fall family outings even more rewarding. From festival treats to pumpkin patch purchases, earn rewards on all your autumn adventures.