Make Planning the Perfect Fall Day as Easy as Pie

Mayra Kavan, October 22, 2020

How to plan fun fall activities

Halloween is creeping up fast, and depending on where you live, the leaves have started to turn amber. Fall is in full swing, and pumpkin spice lattes are now an appropriate morning beverage. Whether you’re cozying up at home this autumn or venturing out among the pinecones and hay bales, it’s time to plan some enjoyable fall activities!

The fall season brings with it many things – lowered electricity bills (yay!), seasonal allergies (boo!), and emails teasing free t-shirts in exchange for suffering through, err … running, a 5K. Ah, the true signs of fall!

But just as fast as fall seems to have arrived, it will turn into winter. Autumn is known for changing leaves, pumpkin pie, and beautiful weather, so be sure not to waste any time and enjoy this charming season! There are many ways to enjoy fall, and we have five ideas for you. Let’s get planning:

Explore the outdoors
Make homemade treats
Go backyard camping
Go for a hayride and build scarecrows
Pick and carve pumpkins

Blaze the trails!

Who doesn’t love admiring the fall foliage? Parks are open, and it’s the perfect opportunity to appreciate the season with our families. Those of us with small kids can even set up a scavenger hunt to keep them busy and entertained! Hiking trails are gorgeous this time of year, and if you’re able to take the day off work or you have a free Saturday, it’s the perfect cool weather activity! Walking is super healthy, and fall is the best time to enjoy the outdoors!

If hiking isn’t your jam, but you still want to get out and see the amber, golden and crimson colors of this time of year, plan a scenic route and go for a drive! Before the drive, start the morning with a pumpkin spice latte and really get into the fall spirit!

Delight your taste buds with the flavors of fall

When making fall treats, preparation is key. Decide what you want to nom on and make a list of grocery supplies for the days you know you’ll be inside.

Fall engages all the senses. The sights, sounds, smells, and tastes are delightful! One fall favorite is homemade hot cocoa. Our mouths water just thinking about it! And it’s not just reserved for grandmas and decorating Pinterest moms. It’s actually super easy to make and only requires a handful of ingredients, most of which you probably have in your cupboard!

Another tasty fall treat that will spice up your kitchen is homemade caramel apples. Again, many of us will have the bulk of ingredients needed, and that’s definitely a big head start.

All in all, food is a wonderful way to bring families together during the fall and make our homes smell heavenly.

Campfires, s’mores, and chilly nights

Roughing it in our own backyards is cheap, fun, and there’s a readily available bathroom nearby. Pick a night when the weather is ripe for a hoodie, set up your tent, and collect some firewood!

Camping in our own backyards can really be the perfect compromise; it gets everyone outside, away from the constant stream of TV and tablets, and is steps away from our home. We don’t have to go totally cold turkey on technology either – playing music from our phones around the campfire makes for a fun atmosphere.

Backyard camping is also the perfect excuse to enjoy more fall treats. Is it really camping if you don’t have s’mores? The word s’mores is actually a combination of the words “some more,” which makes total sense because who can eat just one? When you’re making your fall treats, plan ahead and pick up some graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate for your great outdoor adventure!

Camping is a great family-bonding activity. There’s just something about sitting around a campfire and telling stories that creates a warm and memorable evening.

Hay is for horses!

Hayrides: sitting in the back of a rickety wagon, on top of bales of straw poking you in the unmentionables and rambling along a field; for some reason, kids love them! Give it a try; you might just enjoy it yourself. This is an activity that depends on the weather, so plan and prepare folks!

Another fun activity to do with the kids is building a scarecrow! This one takes a little more preparation if you’re making one at home. You’ll have to buy supplies, but you can also substitute with things you have at home! For instance, if you have a lot of dried leaves in your yard, consider stuffing your scarecrow with them, instead of straw. This is yet another activity that’s made better with family and friends, and spending time together is the key to enjoying every season.

It wouldn’t be fall without pumpkins!

Pumpkins are the easiest decoration to use both inside and outside your home this time of year. The orange gourds are both seasonally appropriate and delightful, and whether you get your pumpkins from a pumpkin patch or buy them from a store, it’s one tradition that can easily carry on!

Three ways to use a pumpkin for decoration are:

Leave as-is and place on your porch, sidewalk, window, etc.
Go the classic Halloween route and carve some shapes into them (bonus activity for the kids)
Paint the pumpkins (ditto for kids)

If you do paint your pumpkins and keep them outside, make sure they are protected from rain. You don’t want children’s tears to flow if pumpkin Picasso gets washed away.

Mixing and matching decorative pumpkin styles (some painted, some carved, some plain) is certainly a fine option too. Just have fun, and don’t get mad if the kids don’t want to touch pumpkin guts and you have to do it for them.

Planning for fall and being prepared

A theme that keeps coming up is the importance of planning and preparation for fall activities. We all know how fast time flies, whether you’re having fun or not, so make the decision to have fun this season and organize some safe and fun fall activities! You won’t regret it.

If you need help planning out activities to look forward to, and actually stick to, 1THRIVE can help. The Megan is a 1THRIVE Wall Organizer that will help you plan the weeks ahead so you can use your free time wisely as a family and not miss out on opportunities to make memories this fall.

The Megan Wall Organizer includes: