Fall Family Fun!

As temperatures begin to cool, thoughts drift to comfy foods like a warm apple pie, and red and gold leaves seem to dominate the skyline, people can tend to head indoors to hunker down. Instead of ousting autumn in favor of winter behavior, try a few of these fun, simple activities to engage the whole family in some fall-themed fun!

Play in a leaf pile

Knock out a would-be boring chore by having the whole family gather leaves from around the yard and create a pile. The colorful heap is fun to jump over or into, toss around, and even crunch underfoot. It is also the perfect opportunity to get some playfully festive candid family photos, so be sure to have a camera on hand!

Paint a pumpkin

This simple twist on a traditional activity helps the creativity flow freely by adding pops of color. With virtually an unlimited number of paint shades (available at most shopping centers), everyone can decorate his or her pumpkin to best represent them. Add on other crafting supplies like glitter or fuzzy pom poms to really dress up fall’s favorite gourd.

Play a festive game

Prepare for Halloween by playing a game of reverse hide-and-seek. This game, called “Ghost in the Graveyard”, is played outside with four or more players, usually at night. The object of the game is to find the “ghost” or the one player who is hiding. When one of the other players finds the ghost, they call out, “Ghost in the graveyard!” to alert the other players that the round has ended.

Light a bonfire

Just because summer has ended does not mean the flames have to fizzle out! A blazing bonfire is sure to ward off the chill of the coming winter. Round up friends and family, roast some hot dogs and s’mores, sip some hot apple cider, and bust out the guitar to turn a run-of-the-mill evening into a mini fall festival.

Visit a corn maze

This activity is a fall favorite sure to please the whole family! If the maze portion is too simple for an older audience, challenge the group to a game of hide-and-go-seek in the corn maze. For an even more fun, but challenging twist, wait until nightfall and wear dark clothing to play hide-and-go-seek in the maze. Who said being an adult couldn’t be fun?!