10 fun ways to celebrate fall

Make a scarecrow
Making a scarecrow for your yard can be a fun project that the whole family can participate in. Find old clothes around the house that aren’t being used or go to a local consignment shop to find old jeans, a flannel shirt and/or a hat for your scarecrow to wear. You can use hay or old newspaper(s) as stuffing. Let your imaginations run wild and creative juices flowing.

Make caramel apples
Check out your local grocery store for easy at home kits that come with all of the supplies. Otherwise you’ll need caramel, apple sticks, nuts and/or chocolate for garnisment coating and of course… apples!

Decorate your home
Decorating doesn’t have to be expensive, it’s totally up to you. Make it as fancy or simple as you wish. You can purchase pumpkins to set out. Or you can look online for fun decorating projects that utilize things that you have around the house. Just be sure to incorporate fall colors, so that you can evoke the fall spirit.

Play flag football
Football is a fall/winter tradition across the United States. Make it a family or neighborhood game. Have everyone bring their own flag, so that it’s less stressful on whoever is coordinating the event. For a flag you can use old fabric from scraps or cut pieces of an old tee shirt or a washcloth.

Play in the leaves
Leaves during the autumn season are beautiful. Get the family to help with the yardwork. Once the leaves are raked in a giant pile, jump in. The kids will thoroughly enjoy themselves and can let their imaginations run wild as they play in the brightly colored leaves.

Go apple picking
Find a local orchard close by and take the family apple picking. This is a fun way to spend time as a family and maybe even an event that the family can participate in each year. When you come home the children will have so many great stories to tell about their apple picking adventure and will love their tasty treats.

Make a pie
Baking is a fun for all ages. Allow the children to help pour ingredients into the batter and roll out the dough. If you went apple picking you can use your apples to make a delicious apple pie. Otherwise, pumpkin pie is another fall seasonal treat you and your family can make.

Have a bonfire
Bonfires are a great way to spend quality time together as a family. There are several different activities that you can create around a bonfire. Families can tell stories, roast marshmallows, make smores or just sit back and relax in the company of your loved ones.

Make your own Halloween costume
Letting the children create their own Halloween costume can be a lot of fun. Talk with your kids and ask them what they would like to be and explore your resources around your house; you may already have items that can be used to create the perfect costume. Check out the dollar store and local consignment shops for key pieces to make their costume unique.

Paper bag journal
Take a nature walk. It doesn’t have to be in the woods or on a nature tour; it can be in your own backyard, neighborhood and/or park. Give your child(ren) a paper bag and allow them to put any item from nature in the bag. For example, kids may find cool leaves, rocks, acorns or other fall nature items that they would like to keep as momentums of the beautiful fall season. Parents can even make the activity into a scavenger hunt by mapping out all of the “fall” items that they want the children to find.

Photo ©iStockphoto.com/ Dale Hogan

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