I despise winter. Sure, it’s got Christmas but really, the rest of it is just not my cup of tea! If I could curl up inside a cocoon for the whole season, I’d be pretty happy. I figured out, though, when my daughter was young, that one of the best ways to seek out family fun was by embracing the changing seasons and what each one brings with it. So we’d look for those activities that made each season special and turn them into family traditions. Sometimes we’d even post a list of what we wanted to do each season on the fridge and challenge ourselves to complete as many as we could. You can even turn the list-making itself into a craft activity – make a tree and write each activity on a leaf. Every time you complete one of the activities, the kids get to hang a leaf on the tree. See if you can fill up the tree before the season ends!
Flickr, Ryk Neethling
Here are some of our Autumn favourites:
Flickr, iMaffo
Go apple picking. Make applesauce, apple butter, apple pie or apple crisp.
Rake leaves into a pile. Jump in!
Go hiking through the woods; don’t you just love the sound of leaves crunching below your feet? Collect colourful leaves. Make rubbings of the leaves using crayons; lay leaves down on paper and spatter paint over, remove leaves leaving a leaf outline behind; paint a leaf and then press it to some paper like a stamp.
Flickr, OregonDOT
Go on a hayride.
Go to the pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins. Carve pumpkins into Jack O’Lanterns. Roast the pumpkin seeds for a delicious treat!
Drink warm apple cider with a cinnamon stick stirrer.
Go to a football game – pick a high school or college team to root for! How about making an old fashioned pennant to cheer them on with?
Flickr, DrBacchus
Have a picnic. Yes, outdoors! Even on a chilly Autumn day, a picnic can be wonderful fun. Layer on some cozy clothes (pull out your favourite sweaters!) and pack some thermoses of hearty stew or chili, some of that warm apple cider, and some crusty rolls.
Check out your area tourist attractions for special “haunted” events. In our city, the Pioneer Village does a haunted hayride – they put on a scary play as you ride through the village in a wagon after dark. Canada’s Wonderland in Toronto opens up as a haunted amusement park. Downtown London offers “The Old Soul Stroll”, a ghost walk through various heritage sites in the city.
What other fun ideas can you add to this list?
This post is part of a series called 31 Days of Family Fun. If you missed Day One of 31 Days of Family Fun, go here: http://cynchronicity.wordpress.com/2011/10/01/31-days-of-family-fun-the-basics/ For other participants taking part in the 31 Days series and writing on a wide variety of topics, check out this link: http://www.thenester.com/2011/09/31-days-participants.html
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