Easy Ideas For Fall Family Fun

It’s finally fall! The weather is cooling, the leaves are changing, and everyone is gearing up for the start of the holiday season! There are so many fun things you can do with your little ones this season! Don’t overcomplicate family activities - simply browse through the list below and choose a few options for some great fall family fun you and your loved ones will enjoy.

1. Pumpkin Patch and Pumpkin Painting

Everyone loves to visit the pumpkin patch in October! Take your little ones along for some quality family time. There’s much more to do than just pick out the perfect pumpkin. For starters, pumpkin patches make wonderful family photo opportunities, especially if you visit in the evening, during that “magic hour” right before sunset. Bring along a small blanket so you can pose your little one nestled among the pumpkins! Babies also look adorable in a wheelbarrow or wagon at the pumpkin patch, too. 

Once your little one has picked the perfect pumpkin, bring it home for some more family fun! Just because your baby or toddler is too young to carve with a knife doesn’t mean he can’t enjoy personalizing his pumpkin! Grab some non-toxic, baby-safe paints (or make your own!) and some stickers, and your child will be able to decorate a unique pumpkin all by himself!

Here is a recipe for baby-safe (even for eating!) paints from @mothercould on Instagram!

You’ll need: 

• ¼ cup of salt
• ½ cup of flour
• ½ cup of water
• Food coloring 

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Add a few drops of food coloring to the water. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir. Whisk until all the clumps dissolve. Store paints in the refrigerator for up to six months! 

2. Leaf Scavenger Hunt and Fall Collage

What better way to enjoy the crisp, cool fall weather than to get outside and get moving! Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day (and let’s be honest - parents do too!). Even if you have an infant or baby, put her in the stroller and go outside to explore. You can walk to a local park, go on a hike, or just wander around your neighborhood. Let your little one enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the season. Toddlers and children can walk on their own and collect things such as leaves, flowers, pine cones, acorns, and other “fall” objects! Make a scavenger hunt out of it, and write out a list for your child before you leave the house. See if she can find all the items before your walk is over! 

When you get home, grab a piece of cardboard or construction paper, and help your little one create a beautiful fall collage with her findings. Make sure to assist your little one in any cutting or gluing. Let her place the items where she wants on the paper, and then dab one dot of craft glue onto the paper. Help her practice adhering to the items to the paper. When it’s all dry, hang it somewhere in the house where everyone can enjoy looking at it! 

3. Apple Picking and Making Applesauce

There are so many wonderful adventures to be had during the fall season. One of the best family activities you can do during the fall is to find a local apple orchard that is open to the public during certain times of the year. Apple picking season usually begins in September and runs all the way through October, unless the orchard runs out of apples sooner. This can be a very popular activity for families, so be sure to pay attention to important dates and times! 

Bring along a stroller, baby carrier (such as the KeaBabies Baby Wrap Carrier), or a wagon to take your little one apple picking! Even little children can have fun helping in different ways (reaching for the apples, putting them in a basket, organizing them by color or size, etc). The great thing about apple picking is that many farms will also have fresh foods, such as apple juice or apple pies, available for purchase!

Make a day out of it by packing a picnic lunch and picnic blanket, and enjoy a relaxing meal as a family. 

When you get home, get your little one in the kitchen with you and make some healthy, homemade applesauce together. 

Here’s an easy recipe from Jessica at The Forked Spoon:

(www.theforkedspoon.com)

Homemade Applesauce Recipe

Ingredients: 

• Apples
• Water
• Cinnamon
• Sweetener of some kind (sugar, agave, maple syrup, etc)
• Pinch of salt 
• Lemon juice 

1. Peel and core the apples. 

2. Add apples to a large pot, and add the other ingredients. You’ll only need about ½ cup to 1 cup of water to steam the apples. 

3. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat and cover for approximately 25-30 minutes. 

4. Mash or puree the apple mixture. 

5. Cool and store in the refrigerator! 
   

4. Jack-O-Lantern Playdough 

Even if your older toddler or preschooler isn’t quite ready to carve his first jack-o-lantern, he can still have fun creating funny or spooky pumpkin faces! All you’ll need is some playdough, a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter, and some decorations to make different faces (you can cut eyes and mouth shapes out of black construction paper or use pieces of sticks and leaves from outside). 

It isn’t hard to make your own playdough! Here’s an easy recipe from Jamielyn at I Heart Naptime!

(www.iheartnaptime.net)

Homemade Playdough 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups of flour
• ¾ cup of salt
• 4 tsp of cream of tartar
• 2 cups of lukewarm water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil 
• Food coloring (red and yellow can mix to make orange for the pumpkin!)
• Quart-size bag for storage 

1. Stir together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, cream of tartar) in a large pot. 

2. Add the water and oil, and food coloring if you’re using it. 

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Continue stirring until dough thickens.

4. Remove from heat and place into a quart or gallon size bag. Knead the dough while it’s inside the bag, so the color doesn’t stain your hands. 

5. Store the playdough inside the bag(s) for up to 3 months. 

There are so many ways to have fun with your family during the fall season. From pumpkin patches to apple picking, to cooking and creating, it’s easy to find ways to have fun with your loved ones! Follow the easy recipes in this article for some wonderful family moments together.

And as always, we’d love to see your share pictures of your family’s treasured moments together in our Facebook community, KeaBabies Love: Motherhood, Babywearing, Breastfeeding Support Group! 

Do remember to follow us on Instagram @keababies and join our loving and supportive KeaCommunity Facebook Group!

Parenting is awesome. Sleep is overrated. Every day is an adventure.