Ultimate Fall Bucket List for the Family

Happy October everyone!  It’s raining and a bit cooler out there today.  Can you feel it though? Fall is in the air!

Fall has to be one of my favourite seasons, and it’s a very close second to summer which is my fave!  There’s just so much that I love about autumn. I love the beautiful colours all around us, the changing leaves, the crispness in the air, and the bountiful harvest that’s ready for all those delicious and comforting autumn recipes!  What I also love about Fall and gets me so excited around this time of year is the abundance of fun activities to do, with kids or without!  But let’s be honest it’s usually with the kids!

As we start off the month of October, today I thought I’d share some fun ideas of what to do with the kids and entire family this Fall!  Our whole family came together to brainstorm some fun adventures, activities and experiences for our Fall Bucket list!  We came up with lots of outdoor and indoor activities, for daytime and the evening, and lots of places to visit.  Did I mention lots of things to make too?  Check out our Fall Bucket list below for some ideas of fun things to do next time you or the kids are feeling a bit bored or stumped on how to spend the day the next couple of months!

 

Head Outdoors

Head outdoors and enjoy the beautiful autumn weather!  Feel the crispness in the air and take in all the gorgeous colours and smells of Fall around you!

• Go Apple Picking
• Visit a Fall festival. Check out your local events listing to see what festivals there might be in your area.  There’s a great Pumpkin Fest at a local school in our area we will definitely be checking out!
• Visit a Farm and pet the animals, pick fruit, shop at the Farmer’s Market and enjoying other fun things like pumpkin canons, the corn maze and hayrides! We love Brooks Farms because it’s not too far from us and there’s so much to do!
• Head to the park for a family game of football or better yet…
• Go to a Football game at your local high school or maybe even a pro game.
• Visit your local zoo. We are so lucky to have the amazing Toronto Zoo so close to us.  Fall is the perfect time to visit the zoo because it is surrounded by beautiful autumn colours and scenery.  Plus the cooler weather means the animals are a bit more comfortable and out and about, and it makes for a more comfortable walking experience for you too!
• Go on a hike
• Plan a Fall Scavenger Hunt, maybe even make it a nature themed scavenger hunt
• Go camping
• Make campfire smores or just roast some marshmallows over a bonfire (just as good!)
• Volunteer (not sure if this counts as being outdoors but think about how you and the Family could give back to your community – maybe participate in a Food Drive!)
• Our personal family favourite – do some stargazing!  We love to use the Skyview Lite app on our iphones or iPads for identifying the stars, planets and constellations!

 

Get in the Kitchen

Head indoors and into the kitchen to do some Fall baking and cooking with all those great fruits and vegetables you picked!

• Bake an Apple Pie or tarts.  This recipe is very similar to the one I used to make as a kid with my mom!
• Bake a Pumpkin Pie.  I’m not going to lie, it’s not completely from scratch.  And you know what, I don’t care.  It’s easy to make with the kids and it’s so delicious I get compliments every year!
• Make an easy Apply Crisp.  This has to be my favourite fall dessert to make – so delicious and so easy!!
• Prepare some jams and preserves to last through the Fall and all Winter long!
• Make caramel apples or better yet plan and host a caramel apple party! How much fun would it be to make your own and cover with all sorts of delicious treats!

 

Celebrate Halloween

Spend the moth getting ready for the spookiest and most fun ever Halloween and make sure to celebrate it to the fullest!  I am a total Halloween person, so we could honestly spend the whole month doing fun Halloween stuff it were up to me.

• Make spooky decorations and crafts
• Decorate the house
• Decorate outside, giving trick or treaters a spooky haunted house to visit
• Plan a Halloween party with lots of fun food and games
• Make a costume (or just go costume shopping).  Hit the flea markets, Salvation Army and other thrift stores to pick up items to make your own costumes!  Or if you’re like us, jump online to browse the costume selection on Amazon or head to your local Party City!
• Have fun trick or treating
• Visit a haunted house like Legends of Horror at Casa Loma here in Toronto, or  Halloween Haunt at Canada’s Wonderland.  Or for something a bit tamer and kid friendly check out Camp Spooky at Canada’s Wonderland!  See what Halloween events might be happening in your city and try to do a couple before the big Spook day!

 

Get Crafty

On those rainy and windy days when you might be stuck indoors there’s no need to get grumpy and bored.  Or have the kids on their iPads all day – trust me it’s a constant struggle over here!  Here are some fun crafts you can do as a family instead.

• Make a thankful tree for Thanksgiving.  While you can buy these pre-made and ready for you to decorate at many stores this is such an easy DIY!  Check out this Pottery Barn Inspired Thankful Tree you can make on your own with the kids!
• Create a Fall wreath!  There are so many ways you can make this.  You can use pine cones, leaves, tissue paper, painted hand silhouettes or a combination.  Grab a bunch of art supplies, go for a walk to collect what nature has to offer and let the kids get creative!
• Build a scarecrow
• Make homemade pine cone bird feeders.  And here’s a tip for all you nut-free families like us.  You can use Wow Butter, Sun Butter or even corn syrup instead of peanut butter to make these!
• Make Fall Candles (think amazing scents like vanilla, apple cinnamon and Pumpkin Spice!)
• Start a Family gratitude journal or collage.  I personally love this idea from Becky Higgins and the Gratitude Poster she created with her family.

 

Hope this helped in giving you some fun ideas and activities for you and the family this Fall!  And of course don’t forget to jump in the leaves and have that pumpkin spice latte!  Let me know in the comments of any other great ideas we can add to our list!  And definitely create your own personal Fall bucket list!  Include the whole family so that everyone can participate in planning all the fun adventures you will have!

And remember to follow Life’s My Party on Instagram to hear about all of our little adventures too!