7 Ideas to Add Spice to Your Fall Family Fun
Updated: Oct 29
L.M. Montgomery put these words into the mouth of one of literature's most beloved characters, Anne Shirley:
"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers."
Anne of Green Gables
We couldn't agree more.
It's easy to feel young Anne's exuberance as we watch the changing leaves turn the landscape into an explosion of color. The distinctly crisp air in our lungs sparks gratitude for the season. Many call fall their favorite. The sights, sounds, and smells of pumpkin spice coffee and pumpkin chai tea. It's a new school year, football season, and shifting temperatures are finally starting to cool. It's a heartwarming, welcome precursor to the upcoming holiday festivities.
Whatever you do, don't miss a minute of this beautiful season. Here are seven ideas to add a little spice to your fall family fun:
Family Fall Flair
Do you have a box of fall wreaths and décor in the garage or basement? Enlist your kids to help deck the halls this season with pumpkins, leafy garlands, and more to bring your home to peak autumnal glory. Add extras like fresh pumpkins, new craft items your kids bring home from school, and a few new items from Hobby Lobby to round out the fall collection.
Don't forget the fall candles or wax warmers to keep your home filled with aromatic reminders of the season. There are so many choices like pumpkin spice, cinnamon vanilla, autumn leaves, or campfire.
Consider making a Gratitude Tree. Thanksgiving season is the perfect time to reflect on the many blessings in your family's life. Put some empty natural tree branches (or another crafty creation) in a vase – or even use a small artificial Christmas tree. Cut out paper leaves in lots of colors. Then gather the family to write on each leaf what you are thankful for and attach each leaf of gratitude to your tree. It will add to the overall fall décor, while serving as a daily reminder of your many blessings.
There are so many fun fall crafts for your kids or grandkids to enjoy with you. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of ideas are at your fingertips with a quick online search. You might spend a lovely fall afternoon making pinecone bird feeders, an air-dry clay turkey, or corn husk dolls. Whatever you choose, enjoy time together talking, laughing, and getting creative.
Have a Pumpkinpalooza!
Pumpkins are everywhere right now, and who doesn't love them? You may decorate like the porch designers on YouTube and Instagram using dozens of pumpkins to cover every inch of the porch and steps. Finishing with lush pots of mums and thick arches of fall leaves framing the doorway, or you may simply manage to stick the wreath out and add a couple of pumpkins to the mix. Purchasing 50 pumpkins to create a magazine-worthy front yard fall-scape may not be in the plans, especially if you do the math in your head on purchasing 50 pumpkins. Yikes.
Still, we love pumpkins of every shape, size, and color. Nothing brings the fall vibes like this bright orange gourd, botanically speaking, a fruit. Still, there are so many creative ways to use pumpkins for fall family fun.
You can carve them with faces, the classic jack-o'-lantern move, or hollow one out to hold a potted mum. Drill a few holes in the bottom to let water flow through.
If you don't want to pull out the knives for pumpkin carving, pull out the paint instead, give each child a pumpkin, and let them create their own unique design. Then, you've got some wonderfully personal family art to proudly display on the porch or inside the house. With supervision, you can also create a melty, rainbow-hued pumpkin by affixing unwrapped crayons around the stem and using a blow dryer (on high heat) to melt them and watch the colors drip down. Once dry, you'll have a colorful and one-of-a-kind creation.
How about a pumpkin hunt? Grab some cute tiny pumpkins (sold everywhere, or, if you prefer, artificial ones from your local craft store), hide them, and let the kids enjoy the fall air and a fun adventure in your very own yard.
While you're enjoying the outdoors, how about a little pumpkin bowling, using empty plastic bottles as the pins and a medium-sized pumpkin as the ball. Or they could roll little pumpkins, attempting to hit a big one poised at the end of our outdoor "bowling alley." Of course, you may need to cut off the pumpkin stem so it rolls. Expect laughs and general mayhem. Spoiler alert: pumpkins don't roll straight! It could be the best skill leveler in a rousing adult/child competition.
Fun Fall Outings
No doubt your community and city have plenty to offer this fall. Local churches may host Harvest Festivals, and schools or other organizations may host costume parties and Trunk-Or-Treat fun. Your city may even have special fall or Halloween-themed activities at the zoo.
Check online to see what's happening in your area. You can't do it all, so pick out a few things to enjoy throughout the season.
Other ideas include visiting a local farm for apple picking, going to a pumpkin patch or a corn maze. Try a hayride. Attend some local high-school football games. Nothing says fall like watching young athletes compete under the Friday night lights. If you have a college team nearby, that's another great opportunity for a little fall tailgating and the chance to scream your head off with other like-minded fans.
For a more serene escape, consider a family nature hike to collect leaves and pinecones for fall crafts later. Take a drive to nearby areas for some leaf-peeping. Plan a picnic with some yummy fall foods. If you can enjoy a campfire and roast marshmallows under the stars, when it comes to fall fun…you have arrived. Getting outdoors to enjoy the weather with a hometown fall family adventure can create memories that stick with your kids for life.
Family Getaways
Any season is good for a family getaway. Time with your spouse and kids is memorable and meaningful. Some of their most vivid memories will be of times you took time as a family to experience an out-of-town adventure together.
This may not be financially feasible every fall, but when you can, plan a day trip, a weekend away, or a full-blown vacation, and consider the best places to visit for seasonal views and events. Many trek to New England to enjoy breathtaking fall colors, while others take advantage of the waning heat at the beach for a last-chance trip to the ocean.
We favor good historic trips and tours. You can find American history in every state, including yours. Or if you prefer a more ambitious trip to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, or Historic Williamsburg, if time and funds allow, go for it! To get some great ideas with options in all 50 states, check out our Liberty Trips Map where you'll find adventure from coast to coast, with plenty of gems throughout our beautiful nation.
Festive Fall Cooking & Baking
To many fall enthusiasts, this is pie season. The smell of baking apples, pecans, or pumpkins tucked inside a golden-brown pastry is iconic, and there are so many more fall baking ideas out there. Online, you'll find endless recipes for Pumpkin muffins, scones, cookies, and cakes. Then, there are apple fritters, apple crisp cookies, and apple cider donuts. Pick a new recipe and let the kids help you create something you've never tried before. It's a learning experience for them (and you) and a delicious kitchen adventure.
Don't forget fun fall snacks like roasted pumpkin seeds dusted with cinnamon sugar or salt. Sweet and salty Chex Mix (using fall candies in the mix) or puppy chow (it's peanut butter & chocolate on Chex cereal - not for dogs), or pepperoni pizza rolls. The options are unending. Pinterest, anyone?
Invite your children to help plan a festive fall meal (not Thanksgiving). Discuss options for using seasonal flavors and decorating the table in fall colors for this special dinner. A few ideas include homemade chicken pot pie, casserole, chili, or soup with cornbread. You could stuff pork chops or make apple cider chicken. How about a butternut squash mac and cheese?
Cozy Fall Nights In
Plan some warm and cozy family nights in. Break out the hot chocolate and marshmallows, adding a few of your fall snack creations. Then, get the fireplace going and enjoy some games together or a family movie night. Special times at home can bring your family together with laughter and creativity. These moments can also strengthen your child's home-court advantage (which we shared in another blog post).
Before we list a few fall movies to consider, check each movie's rating and age appropriateness for your family. (Pro-tip: If you're not sure about content concerns, look up the title on Plugged In.com for Christian movie reviews.)
Here are just a few that may meet the moment:
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Little Women (1994)
Anne of Green Gables (1985)
The Fox and the Hound
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
You've Got Mail
Lady and the Tramp
Remember the Titans
The Blind Side
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Rudy
Sweet Home Alabama
Encanto
Pride and Prejudice (2005)
Grab a PSL and Go Vote
Nothing celebrates fall quite so well as exercising your right and responsibility as a patriotic American to participate in this year's election. We hope you see casting your vote as a welcome festivity for this fall season.
Have age-appropriate conversations with your children about what's at stake this year, specifically concerning the candidates and the issues. Election season is the perfect time to talk through topics in the news, especially with teens. Together, investigate big stories like the riots in France or the SAVE Act. Let them learn with you the details and dangers of different hot-button topics. We don't want to raise kids who blindly follow, because they may later be easily convinced to abandon your ideals. Instead, we must help them become discerning, thoughtful adults so they can think outside the algorithms.
If your kids are younger, of course, simpler lessons are in order. Share your excitement about our rights as citizens to choose our leaders and the broader concepts of these American freedoms.
So, grab a Pumpkin Spice Latte and hit the voting booth. Making your choices in this election will warm your heart and encourage hopeful anticipation. However you choose to mark the season, make sure voting is center stage!
Happy fall, mamas!
Podcast Note: Lara Trump Unfiltered, Encore Airing! This was one of our favorite conversations, and we just had to share it again! In case you missed it the first time, join us for this special encore episode of the Moms for America Podcast with Lara Trump. Host Debbie Kraulidis sits down with Lara Trump for a candid conversation about her journey as a wife, mother, television host, and political strategist. Lara shares how she met Eric Trump, balances family and career, navigates life in the public eye, and raises children in today's culture. Originally released as the 250th episode of the Moms for America Podcast, this special conversation also celebrated America's 250th anniversary and reflected on motherhood, our nation's legacy, and the future of the next generation.
Tune in on Tuesday at 10am EST to listen to the podcast on your favorite platform: YouTube, Rumble, Spotify, or Apple
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