The Ultimate List of Fall Activities

The air is crisp on this autumn day, that's right I said autumn. It's that time of year that you have to blast your car's heat in the morning and then start peeling layers off as you sweat by mid afternoon. Go ahead and bust out your secret cache of sweaters and boots; Fall is officially here.

I'm not so basic that I stomp into my Ugg's and run out to get my pumpkin spice latte the minute the the first leaf hits the ground, but I do so love the fall season for all the fun activities you can do. And so I have complied The Ultimate List of Fall Activities to give you a few ideas on where to take your family and how to enjoy the next spooky months as the weather gets colder.

Corn maze: If you live anywhere near the mid-west then you should have no problem finding a local corn maze to take the kids. My children love running through the stalks and expending their seemingly endless amounts of energy. Most corn mazes that I have been to are themed and come with a little punch card. The goal is to hit all the hidden spots and collect all the punches or stamps. This gives the kids an easy goal and they get excited when they finally find one and get to mark it off.

Pumpkin Patch/Carve Pumpkins: It's been a tradition in my family since before my kids were even born. One of the very first dates my husband and I had was visiting a pumpkin patch and picking out our own victim to take home and carve up. Since then we have always made our annual trip to the local pumpkin patch, I tend to pride myself in finding the most gnarled and pimply pumpkin or squash to hollow out and illuminate my front porch. If you are nervous about putting knives in your little one's hands you can always help them pick out some smaller pumpkins to paint. Check out my pinterest page Here for pumpkin design ideas.

Jumping in The Leaves: With all the fun stuff fall has to offer there is also some not so fun chores. Like raking up all those leaves. Luckily my kids find it entertaining to gather up the sticks to see who can make a bigger stack. So to dull the pain of such chores I try to get the whole family involved in the fall clean up process. Before bagging up those bright oranges, yellows, and reds. My husband and I will try to pile them up as high as we can and then let the kids (and the dog) go to town jumping in them. It gets the kids out of the house and may even encourage them to pick up a rake and help out!

Apple Cider and Doughnuts: This can be as expensive and fancy as visiting a cider mill, taking a hay rid, and picking your own apples out of the orchard. Or maybe just picking up a gallon from your local SuperMart and don't forget the apple cinnamon sugar covered doughnuts. I like to warm up my cider and put it in a nice thick mug and snuggle into the couch. The kids think of it as special treat and it also works as a nice mixer if your into making yourself a toddy.

Spirt Halloween and Matching Costumes: If there is a vacant space in Michigan you can bet at some point this time a year a Spirt Halloween will pop up out of no where, do business for two months and then disappear. It's always fun to take the family to try on the costumes and see the animatronics. Keep in mind as mom you only have control for a few years, maybe. Your kids are going to tell you what they want to be, but when they are really little you can decide to have cute matching costumes! This year we are going to try to do a Mario Brothers theme, but last year my two year old was Charmander and My five year-old insisted on being a Minecraft zombie. At least we got to have a cute matching out fit with the baby!

Decorate Your Porch: The possibilities are endless. My Aunt used to live to decorate for Halloween, she had everything from foam tombstones, crawling zombies, to a life-size Jason Vorhees. Don't just put out a bowl of tootsie rolls for your trick or treaters, plan on scaring the living daylights out of those little candy grabbers. If you have older kids that maybe don't want to trick-or-treat this is a good way to get them involved. They have so many ways to decorate, Keep it simple with some stretched out cotton for spider webs and holiday writhe or spice it up with a dry ice cauldron and some props. But why not go all out with projectors and lights to transform your home into something Spooktacular!

Haunted Houses: Throughout this whole month you could check your local event calendars because more than likely there is one or more haunted houses to visit. Just where I live they do a "haunted Ghost Ship", a "Haunted Prison", and a "haunted Ranch". Now I know what you are thinking, for small kids this is out of the question. My two year old would loose it if someone or something jumped scared them. But it's not a bad date night idea and your teenagers are going to love it.

Trunk-or Treats: Now a days there are plenty of church and small town trunk-or-treat events! I was confused when they first started happening too, what the heck is "trunk-or-treat"? But it turns out that it's much like a trick-or-treat tailgate party. Families decorate their car or trunk and have bags of goodies and sweets. The littles get to dress up and go car to car to collect their candy. Growing up we were always told to not go to cars with candy, but these events are usually hosted by your local churches or local businesses and I have found them to be a great way to get more than one use out of those costumes!

Horror Movie Marathon: Pick a night and make it a whole vibe. I'm talking popcorn, snacks, fountain sodas from your local gas station. Depending on the age of your kids you may want to choose something a little more kid friendly. If you don't know by now I love watching movies so check out my website for ideas of classic movies to watch with your kids, but just a few I could name off the cuff, Hocus Pocus, Halloween Town Series, Witches, Lost Boys, or The Burbs. Now those might be a little too scary, but I remember watching them as a kids and loving them. Use your own judgement and have fun with it!

Pro Tip: Put some boxes out for your kids to sit in. Tell them that it's a drive in, best thing about it is that they usually stay put at least for part of the movie.

Fall Shopping: Now this one is for the ladies that like fashion. It's time to store those flats and the white capris, and dig out your stash of peacoats and fashion boots. The best thing about fall is that we get to wear warms cozy clothes that also look cute. One of my favorite activities is to go out and buy some new leggings, maybe some stylish footwear, and hell, why not try on a few oversized sweater dresses? Don't forget to bust out those thick soft socks.

Make the House Cozy: The easiest way to get into the fall spirit is to wake up each today to the smell of apple cinnamon or pumpkin spice. Get your home some new fall scented candles and while you are at it throw in some throw pillows. Replace your center pieces, or decorative balls with some in tiny pumpkins. It's the little changes that bring out the fall season. Subtle touches of autumn will make your house feel like a home, and don't forget to turn off the air, and set that thermostat to your hearts desire.

Bake Some Goodies: Don't just use scented candles to make your house smell amazing. Get in the kitchen and make your own fall goodies. If you have been following my page at all you know that I can't cook to save my life, but there are some easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy recipes that even I can do. Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, or pre-made sugar cookies that have little pumpkins in the center will do. Just pop those bad boys in and done. If my six-year-old can do it, then I can do it and so can you.

Kids crafts/Pictures: There are literally thousands of kids Crafts for pumpkin and fall. If you have a baby you get bonus points because you can plop your little bundle of joy into a pumpkin for a cute picture. If your really into the spirit you could visit a pottery barn to make the in-famous "bum-kin" place with your baby's tush prints. I'm not that enthusiastic or ambitious so I'll skip the butt bowls and stick to my Pinterest page for easy craft night ideas for my kids. Check out my board here: https://www.pinterest.com/mamatessathome/kid-activities/

So there you have it, The Ultimate Fall Activity List. The weather may be getting colder but that doesn't mean you can't get yourself and your family out for some good ol' harvest season fun! Did I forget your favorite activity? Send me a message and subscribe for more quality content!