Autumn is an amazing time of year and it will be gone before you know it! With the October holidays just around the corner, it really is a great time to be making some family memories and do some fun activities with the kids.
In the UK, we are either going to have a lovely October break with dry, mild, sunny days or it is going to be a complete washout – you just never know. We’ve picked out a number of different activities that you can do come rain or shine.
Also, don’t forget to capture all the moments on your camera as Christmas is just around the corner and they make for picture perfect family Christmas cards!
1Go pumpkin picking
Believe it or not, many of us live near a pick your own farm. You can normally find one within at least a 15 mile radius of your home. At this time of year, they really are great places to go. If you can find one that is large enough, they will most likely have pumpkins in abundance. If you know that the weather is going to be on the turn in the next few days, get your pumpkins in and then you are ready to do some carving.
2Carve some pumpkins
This is an all time family favourite. I loved carving pumpkins as a child, especially creating all the mess! You can of course get these from a local pick your own if you fancy an adventure out but most supermarkets will stock them at this time of year. Don’t forget to make life easier and get yourself a pumpkin carving set. There are two options here, you an either get yourself one that will probably only last the year such as this set or you could spend a little more and get something a little more heavy duty.
3Create a nature scavenger hunt
Now these are awesome! Whether you do them in the back garden or out at the local park. The autumn time has so many fun items lying around. It also encourages learning as children will need to look for an oak tree if you have acorns on the list. Keep them simple if you are introducing them for the first time and add more items as your child becomes more confident.
4Make some homemade bird feeders
With the weather starting to cool down, nature is potentially giving a little less food to our flying friends outside. Making home made bird feeders is really easy and fun to do. It also helps children understand a little more about the food that we put out for the birds and helps spur some interest about the birds that come into the garden. Perhaps create a tick sheet to see how many of them they can attract. Read all about how to make these bird feeders here.
5Pick apples and bake a crumble
If you are going to the local pick your own to get a pumpkin, why not also get some cooking apples at the same time? On a colder autumn day, there is nothing better than the smell of an apple crumble cooking in the kitchen. If you have little sous chefs, this is a great recipe for them to get involved with too. You can then gobble it all up for pudding!
6Get an autumn family portrait
Autumn really is the best time to take a family portrait. The colours, lighting and clothing choices at this time of year make the most wonderful family photos. It is worth speaking to some family to see if they know of any friends who may be starting out in photography and would like to get some practice in for their portfolio. Make sure that you get some of the little ones on their own as these kind of picture make great Christmas cards and gifts.
7Attend a local bonfire night or have one yourself
This has to be a personal favourite. I do enjoy a good bonfire and the autumn is the perfect time to have one. There is just something about having a bonfire that gets the whole family excited, the kids just love them.
Don’t forget to get some marshmallows to roast over the fire to make the experience even more memorable.
If you don’t have anything to burn, you can generally pick up a bag of kiln dried wood from a local garden centre that would make a perfect small bonfire. Make sure it is kiln dried, otherwise it will take forever to get it going.
8Jump in a pile of leaves
This is an activity that won’t actually cost you any money at all. Whether at the park or in your own garden, rake up a load of leaves and just let your children go wild. This will give them hours worth of fun.
9Make some leaf art with the children
With hundreds of thousands of leaves around, leaf art is a simple, fun learning activity that you can do with your children. Getting them to see how all of the different leaves are constructed really is quite fascinating – even for me as an adult. Head over to Edventures with kids to find out more about this great activity.
10Go star gazing
Before the clocks go back in the UK, this one can be a little difficult if your little ones go to bed before 19:00. However, once the clocks go back, star gazing should certainly be on the menu. For some, this will be the first time that they are able to appreciate the stars. Make the most of the clear nights and see how many constellation you can see.
What ever you get up to this autumn, have fun. We’d love to hear all about it in the comments below.
