What to do with your children in the fall. Great family activities and activities that make great family traditions year after year. Crisp leaves, pumpkin art, corn mazes, and cozy nature hikes—discover six heartwarming fall outings to spark laughter, learning, and family togetherness all season long.
I love the season of Fall. The weather. The blueness of the skies. The colors in the world. The clothes. the smells.
The food (mmm…pumpkin spice everything). The activities!
There is so much that is fun to do with your families during the fall. Here are my favorites.
Leaf Jumping
If the leaves fall where you live, you must have a day where you gather some leaves up and play in them.
Jump in them, throw them up in the air. Crunch them up. Stomp through them.
Leaves are so fun and offer such a rich sensory experience. There are the colors, the sounds, the textures, and the smells.
Backyard Camping and/or Outdoor Fire
Whether it’s a real camping trip or a cozy night under the stars in your backyard—with marshmallows, fall treats, and story time—this easily becomes a magical memory. We also like to do outdoor fires in the fall. It has cooled off and makes a fire more pleasant.
Hikes
We love to get to the mountains and hike around. Find a place to go for a fall hike or nature walk.
Some children may enjoy having a scavenger hunt list to find different fall items while on the hike.
Last year, we all took our scriptures on our hike, spread out a blanket, and studied our scriptures in the peace of the mountains.
Seasonal Family Movie, Book, or Board Game Night
Choose a seasonal favorite movie, play fall-themed games, or grab a cozy book to read—or even lend it a sensory twist with snacks and pillows. Here are some fall movies to watch. You can also find Halloween movies here.
- It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown – A fall must-watch for all ages.
- Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie – Gentle, fun, and perfect for younger kids.
- Over the Garden Wall (mini-series) – Quirky, autumn aesthetic, good for older kids/families.
- Coco – Though it’s Day of the Dead themed, the colors and music fit fall beautifully.
- Hotel Transylvania (series) – Silly monster fun that pairs well with Halloween season.
- Remember the Titans – Football + school year vibes = very fall.
- The Little Vampire – Cute spooky story without being too scary.
- Matilda – School setting, magical cozy vibes.
- Fantastic Mr. Fox – Whimsical stop-motion with earthy autumn tones.
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (or any early HP film) – Hogwarts’ fall and Halloween feasts are iconic.
>>>Read: 15 Fall Picture Books Kids Will Love
Visit a Pumpkin Patch or Apple Orchard
Make it a family outing—pick pumpkins to carve later, forage for apples, or just enjoy the crisp fall air. It is fun to get out and do some fun things together and get some cute photos!
Corn Maze
A corn maze is a lot of fun. It isn’t always picture perfect with litlte kids. We have had years where we walk in and quickly walk out because the baby wasn’t having it.
In recent years, we have been able to complete the entire maze. The kids have a lot of fun trying navigate us out of there.
Leaf and Nature Scavenger Hunt
Send the kids on a mission to collect colorful leaves, acorns, pinecones, or other fall treasures—a great pairing of nature exploration and sensory play. You can print off a list of things to find or just call them out as you are out and about.
Learning Activities
I love doing learning activities with my children. Here are some ideas of fun fall learning activities to do with your kiddos:
- Leaf Art & Crafts: Think vibrant leaf suncatchers, painted leaf mobiles, leaf rubbings, or cute animal collages made from collected foliage.
- Pumpkin Painting: Let kids design, glitter, and decorate mini pumpkins (no carving needed).
- Apple Stamping: Use halved apples dipped in paint to create fun fall patterns—perfect for cards or wrapping paper.
- Pinecone & Acorn Projects: Ask kids to gather these treasures on a walk, then transform them into pom-pom pinecones, festive mosaics, or seasonal decorations.
- Fall Sensory Play Bins: Fill a container with leaves, twigs, acorns, and scented items (cinnamon sticks, dried orange slices). Kids can touch, explore, and engage imaginative play indoors.
You can find a lot of fall activities here. You can see five quick and easy fall activities your children will love here.
Pumpkin Painting/Carving
Get some pumpkins this fall and either paint them or carve them. If a large one seems overwhelming, get a little pumpkin!
Carving pumpkins with several children can be a very long event–especially when not all of the children can carve independently. I highly encourage you to try out painting or coloring pumpkins.
You can also just carve one pumpkin “as a family” and then have some other pumpkins for painting or drawing on.
Eating Food
Oh the food of fall! I could eat in fall all year long.
Make some new Fall recipes with your kids this year. Pumpkin spice everything! Get hands-on with family favorites like pumpkin bread, apple pie, caramel apples—kids love measuring, mixing, and tasting!
We also really like Butterbeer at this time of year (well, all year, but it just seems right to have Butterbeer in the Fall). You can get our copycat frozen Butterbeer recipe here.
I have a post with some of my favorite fall recipes. Click the image below for recipes. Search Pinterest for fall recipes for more great ideas!
Follow my Pinterest board Fabulous Fall for more great ideas!
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This post was previously published on this blog.