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Summer tends to get all the glory when it comes to family activities. With things like pool parties, beach trips and even kayaking and drive-in movies, who is ever truly ready to say goodbye to longer, warmer days and embrace chilly, early nights?
Although winter is coming, there’s plenty to do this fall with your kids that will make summer look like child’s play.
1. Go Apple Picking
Going to the apple orchard is a great way to not only get some hand-picked produce with your family but also gain a great excuse to get some fresh air and physical activity. Fall is the perfect time to go apple picking with your loved ones — not only is the fruit in season, but the cooler weather makes long treks more bearable as well.
2. Build a Blanket Fort
A perfect go-to for especially cold or rainy days, blanket forts serve as cozy cushioned kids’ caves that can work for a number of activities. You can play board games, read a book with the kids or even have a movie night in the fort. Come up with your own fort name, make up a secret password for access and be sure to have secret corners for snacks and drinks.
3. Have a Bonfire
Fall is the best time to build a fire, throw on some blankets and roast marshmallows and hot dogs. Not only does this activity make for a fun alternative dinner for the family, but it’s also simple and inexpensive to set up your own bonfire pit for years of use. You can set up a mini speaker for music, tell fun or spooky stories with the kids or just enjoy the crackling fire together.
4. Have a Hot Chocolate Party
If the wind has an extra bit of chill to it, throw a family hot chocolate party. You can set up a table with mugs, cinnamon sticks, candy canes, different flavored syrups, marshmallows and more! The kids can get cozy with their personalized cocoas, and if you’re looking to get warmer, you could even set up an adult station equipped with your drink of choice.
5. Bake or Cook Something Together
Whether you’re looking to turn those apples you picked into a pie or want to try out a new recipe, getting the kids involved in baking or cooking is a fun fall activity that leaves everyone feeling good. You can teach your young ones baking basics and enjoy watching them turn dough into pies or beans into chili. If you have picky eaters, you may even find that they’ll eat food that they had a hand in preparing.
6. Play Flag Football
If you’ve got a few kiddos under your roof, get them out for a game of flag football. You can buy belts or even DIY your own. This strategy is a great way to get some exercise in, plus it’s fun and doesn’t require any helmets or gear.
7. Go Glamping
If you’ve got a tent that’s been collecting dust, it’s time to break it out. If it’s too much of a trip to get the family out in the wilderness, or if your little ones aren’t quite old enough yet, glamping, or glam camping, in the backyard is a perfect way to get the family outside and rough it for the night — or a couple of hours depending on how it goes. Either way, backyard camping is a great way to ease kids into camping, with the comfort of going back inside the house if they need to.
Happy Fall, Y’all!
They don’t stay young forever. Enjoy the little moments as much as the big ones, and don’t be afraid of exploring new things together. Fall is a great time to band together as a family, and you never know when trying something new might become an annual tradition.
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Photo provided by the author.
