Autumn Activities for Kids

If you’re looking for fall activities to do with your kids, you’ve come to the right place! For many of us (especially those of us who live in the northern states), fall means making the most of the beautiful weather before we’re stuck inside all winter.

It’s a time for changes in nature outside, and a time to start getting cozy at home inside.

Kids are settling into their back-to-school routines, and parents are starting to think about all the fun ways to bond with their kids in their free time, from pumpkin patches and scenic drives to apple orchards and football games.

Here are the best fall activities for kids, including outdoor fall activities and ideas for all age groups from toddler to big kids.

What you will not find here are ideas for fall-themed crafts. That is not my wheelhouse!

So without further ado, let’s jump into the 50 ideas for things to do this fall with your kids.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Best Things to Do in Fall with Kids

1. Go Apple Picking

Nothing says fall like going to a local apple orchard and filling bags full of apples you’ve picked yourself! Find an orchard nearby that allows apple picking, then head inside to warm up with cider, baked goods, and all of the apple-themed products you can get your hands on.

This is a great fall activity to do with kids because everyone can get involved no matter how young they are. I have such great memories of our toddlers eating more apples than they picked and having the time of their lives.

2. Jump in Leaf Piles

Get your chores done and have fun with your kids at the same time! Grab a rake (and a kid-sized rake so they can help), and clean up all the leaves in your yard.

Show your kids how to take a running start and leap into the pile of leaves! You’ll have the whole family laughing and covered in colorful leaves in no time.

3. Do a Fall Scavenger Hunt

Head out into nature and bring a simple scavenger hunt to help your little ones identify the signs that fall is in the air. Look for different colors, different shapes of leaves, different types of trees, and fall weather apparel like boots and sweaters.

You can make your own, or use the one I created for my 3-year-old for our fall hikes last year! This fall scavenger hunt is perfect for kids ages 3-8. It’s completely free! No need to enter your email address.

Grab the rest of my fall activity book for kids here!

4. Get Apple Cider Donuts

One of my personal favorite ways to enjoy the fall season is with an apple cider donut. There’s just something about the combination of fall spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice balanced out by the sweet and tangy apple flavor that just makes me so happy.

And let’s be honest - you won’t have to ask your kids twice to accompany you to go get donuts!

5. Pick out Pumpkins at a Pumpkin Patch

Now this is a quintessential fall activity, but one we missed dearly when we lived in Florida for 5 years. Having grown up in the midwest I was used to spacious and plentiful pumpkin patches, but they just weren’t as common in Florida!

>> you can watch my YouTube video about moving from Florida to Wisconsin here! <<

This fall you can bet I’ll be doing the whole pumpkin patch experience with my kids this year and letting them pick out their own pumpkin to carve or decorate.

6. Create a Leaf Rubbing

This is a craft so simple even I can do it with my kids! Grab a blank piece of paper, a crayon with the paper wrapper peeled off, and some leaves you’ve gathered from outside.

Lay the paper on top of the leaves and rub the side of the crayon over the leaves to create the outline of the leaves, and the veins of the leaves. You can do a single leaf, or a whole bunch in different shapes and sizes using different colored crayons to create your own works of art.

Better yet, frame them in these easy art display frames for cheap and meaningful fall decor for your home.

7. Have a Bonfire

Cool nights mean its time to gather around a bonfire in sweatshirts and hats with a warm drink in hand and a spread full of s’mores ingredients.

Once winter temperatures have set in, you’ll have no desire to be outside once the sun goes down, so enjoy these last weeks of mild nights where the warmth of the fire will be enough.

8. Make Apple Cider

Homemade apple cider is a fall staple! Going for a scenic drive? Apple cider. Heading to the pumpkin patch? Apple cider. Sitting around a bonfire? Apple cider.

If you’ve got extra apples sitting around from your apple orchard adventure, heat them in a stockpot with water and spices until they’re soft. Mash them with a potato masher, then simmer some more. Strain through a mesh strainer, and you’ve got yourself some delicious homemade apple cider!

If you don’t have the patience for that, simply pick up some apple cider from the grocery store and heat it over the stove or in the crockpot.

9. Learn about Fall Trees

Last fall I took my kids on several fall trips around Wisconsin, and even to Idaho! I wanted to add some education to the experience, so I taught my 3-year-old the difference between deciduous and coniferous trees so he knew why some leaves changed color and others didn't!

I’ve actually created an entire activity packet for kids that you can use to get your kids excited about fall leaves and trees while learning a little something along the way. It’s got fun facts about leaves, information about deciduous and coniferous trees, fall word games, an adjective activity, art ideas, a coloring page, and more!

10. Tailgate at a Football Game

Pack up the cooler and the portable grill and head to a football game for a parking lot party!

Whether you’re able to get NFL tickets, attend a local college game, or support your nearest high school’s football team, have some snacks in the parking lot before hand and setting up some games like corn hole will make the experience more exciting!

11. Do Some Fall Baking

Something about a chill in the air gives me the urge to pick up a few cans of pumpkin puree are start baking pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting, or pumpkin bars.

Apple-flavored desserts are tempting this time of year, too! Apple cinnamon muffins, apple bread, and apple cobblers are all so satisfying.

Don’t forget about the pies, either! Make a few practice pies together as a family to make sure you have your recipe just right for Thanksgiving.

I love getting my kids involved in the process, too. It helps them with fine motor skills, math with the measurements, and the ability for follow directions.

Pull up a chair to the counter for them to stand on, or order a kitchen helper step stool for toddlers and preschoolers.

12. Go for a Hayride

Kids absolutely love sitting on a bale of hay and watching the fields pass by. There’s just something so nostalgic about it for parents, too!

Many pumpkin patches or apple orchards have the option to go for a hayride, or a quick Internet search will tell you which farms and attractions are offering hayrides near you!

13. Attend a Fall Festival

There are so many options for fall festivals to attend, and it’s so tough to narrow down the options! Many towns have fall festivals, harvest festivals, trunk or treat activities, Oktoberfest celebrations, arts and crafts fairs, apple festivals, pumpkin festivals, and more.

Kids love the energy a festival offers, and it’s a great way to enjoy the weekend as a family. They’re usually outdoors so you don’t have to worry about kids being loud, and there’s always plenty of good food to enjoy!

14. Decorate or Carve a Pumpkin

If you’re anything like me, pumpkin carving is not your forte, but you really want to do it for the kids. Do yourself a favor and pick up a pumpkin carving kit to save yourself time and avoid making a really embarrassingly bad jack-o-lantern.

Or if you want to avoid the pumpkin guts, try these adorable pumpkin decorating stickers or this helpful pumpkin painting kit.

15. Go through a Corn Maze

Corn mazes are a great way to get outside and complete a challenging activity with your young kids! It’s fun to let the kids take the lead and put them in charge of making decisions about which way to go. They love the feeling of being in charge, and it’s a wonderful way for them to problem-solve when the consequences are low, and they know and adult is there to help them out if needed.

16. Go Hiking

I absolutely love hiking with my kids in the fall. Summer can be difficult because the weather gets so hot and humid, but in autumn there’s usually a lovely breeze and a bit of warmth still in the air. The colors on the trees are an easy way to distract kids when they start complaining. It’s a great opportunity to use the fall scavenger hunt, too!

17. Do a Fall Photo Shoot

Whether you decided to hire a professional photographer for a fall photo shoot, or you bring your camera and tripod to take your own photos, it’s a great time of year to get that family photo session done! The colorful fall foliage makes for the perfect background, and everyone can wear comfortable sweaters while still looking nice enough for pictures. My whole extended family did a photo shoot with professional photographers last year, and we loved the results!

18. Watch a Family Halloween Movie

Snuggle up under some warm blankets, pop some popcorn, and get cozy for a festive or spooky seasonal movie! If you have younger kids, they might prefer something like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (a classic), or Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest (I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to watch that movie).

As kids get older they may love Casper, Spookly the Square Pumpkin, Coco, or Hotel Transylvania.

19. Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Don’t let any part of your pumpkin go to waste! Save the pumpkin seeds and wash and dry them before adding olive oil and the seasoning of your choice.

After you roast them, have the kids taste test the different flavors to see which they like best!

20. Make Apple Stamp Art

Again, I am not a crafty mom by any means, but this is a non-Pinterest-mom-approved art project. Cover your table with newspaper and put your kids’ papers on top, OR you can cover your whole table in Kraft paper and have the kids decorate that!

Cut some apples in half, pour some paint onto a paper plate, then press your apple into the paint. Once the flat side is completely covered, use it as a stamp to create designs on your paper.

Hot tip: stick a fork into the apple to use as a handle so your hands don’t get covered in paint.

21. Take a Scenic Drive

Ahhh…one of my favorite fall activities because the kids are strapped into car seats so I can properly enjoy the vibrant fall foliage.

Throw on an autumn playlist and venture out to the nearest rustic road or scenic byway for a glimpse of nature in all her glory. Stop along the way for photos or snacks, and really make an event out of it!

If you’re in Wisconsin, I’ve included some scenic drive ideas in this post.

22. Visit a Biergarten

Maybe this is just a Wisconsin thing, but beer gardens (biergarten in German) are such a fun activiity for the whole family, especially in fall! You can make the most of those last few warm days by sitting on a patio with plenty of space for the kids to play yard games or wander around and play.

Sometimes there is live music, sometimes there are snacks like giant soft pretzels or pizza, but it’s always a place for lively conversation!

23. Make a Gratitude Tree

A few years ago during the month of November, I grabbed a few decorative branches from Hobby Lobby and put them in a vase on our table. Every day throughout the month, I had one member of our family write down something they were thankful for, and we attached it to the branches. By the time Thanksgiving rolled around, we had a centerpiece filled with gratitude for the small and large blessings in our lives.

24. Eat Caramel Apples

Caramel apples are a quintessential fall snack! Whether you go to your local farmers market, apple orchard, or farm to pick one up, or you make your own at home, it’s such a sweet way to enjoy the harvest of apples.

We always prefer to cut ours up into smaller slices to they’re a bit easier to eat without getting caramel stuck in your teeth for days on end.

25. Do an Outdoor Movie Night

If the weather is still nice enough where you live, set up a projector and speakers outside, put out patio furniture, cushions, blankets, and pillows for seating, and gather your family, friends, or neighbors for an evening of fun!

Make it even more festive by serving up fall-themed snacks, hot chocolate for the kids, and autumn cocktails for the adults.

26. Fill Your House with Fall Smells

Go ahead and buy those fall-scented candles, or stock up on autumnal essential oils to diffuse. We love Thieves, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, pumpkin pie, and pine. (We do order some Young Living essential oils, but also love Revive and Plant Therapy.

Another option is to simmer a pot of water on the stove with cinnamon sticks, vanilla, cranberries, apples, and clove. It smells heavenly!

No matter how you do it, your kids will enjoy helping you pick out the scents for a fall ambiance.

27. Make a Fall Trail Mix

One of my favorite snacks in fall in a mixture of candy corn, Chex mix, and pretzels so you get a mix of sweet and salty. There are so many variations on this! You can do a sweeter mix drizzled with brown sugar, butter, and vanilla, or healthier versions with nuts, raisins, and pumpkin seeds.

28. Read Fall-Themed Books to the Kids

We love getting cozy and curling up with a fall-themed book this time of year! Your local library will have plenty of options, but I’ll share a few that we love:

Spookly the Square Pumpkin
Pete the Cat Falling for Autumn
There was an Old Lady who Swallowed some Leaves
If you Give a Moose a Muffin (not specifically fall-themed but they wear sweaters and the leaves are falling)
Leaves

29. Play a Game of Touch Football

Get the kids or extended family out in the yard and set up a game of touch football. Everyone will enjoy the exercise and friendly competition, and it will teach kids about teamwork and the rules of the game.

30. Make Mummy Hot Dogs

This has been our family tradition every Halloween. We cut crescent roll dough into long thin strips and wrap them around hot dogs, then bake them in the oven to make mummies good enough to eat!

It’s easy enough that my kids can climb in a stool and help wrap after I cut up the dough, and it feels so festive for such a small amount of effort. Win for kids and parents! It’s the perfect light meal before hading out to trick or treat.

31. Go for a Fall Camping Trip

Our family has enjoyed camping in the summertime, but we’ve never been quite brave enough to venture out in the fall when the temperatures get a little chillier at night.

As long as you’re stocked up on the proper cold weather gear like sleeping bags and warm pajamas for kids, you should be just fine. The upside is that you won’t be dealing with as many bugs as you do in the summertime!

Check out my post on family camping tips for beginners!

And if you’re not quite ready to brave the wilderness in the cold, try camping at home!

32. Start a Gratitude Journal

Last year around this time, I noticed that my kids were coming home grouchy and whining about every little thing. With Thanksgiving approaching, I had gratitude on the mind, so I decided the antidote to whining was teaching my kids about being thankful.

We each grabbed a blank notebook and took 5-10 minutes each day after school to write down a few things we were grateful for.

If you want to use something more official, you can order a specific gratitude journal for your kids to use!

33. Attend a Farmers Market

It’s that time of year where farmers are harvesting their crops, and you can support them by heading to your local farmers market for produce, handicrafts, sweet corn, and more.

Not only can you feel good about picking up some healthy food and supporting your community, but it makes for a fun family outing on a crisp fall morning, too!

34. Take a Cozy Cabin Getaway

Here in Wisconsin we’re blessed with lots of forests, which comes along with cozy cabins to rent! You can also road trip to the nearest mountain town to get that same fall cabin vibe with incredible views. (North Georgia Mountains, Gatlinburg, and Sun Valley are all great mountain options we’ve experienced!)

Bring some board games to play with the kids, spend time in nature, and just enjoy a laid back weekend full of family fun away from the hustle and bustle of your daily life.

35. Make a Fall Bucket List for your Family

Get your kids together and take turns writing down what you want to do this fall. You’d be surprised at how excited kids get about making the list, and everyone enjoys giving their input.

It doesn’t have to be fancy or even pretty! We rolled out some Kraft paper and used markers to make our list. You can print one off the computer, too.

Use ideas from this post to get started, or let kids take the reigns with their own suggestions.

36. Plan a Fall Vacation

Fall is such a fun time to travel with kids! There are countless fall destinations, and places are often not as crowded during fall since it’s the shoulder season.

You may run into crowds if you’re planning a classic New England autumn road trip, but we have enjoyed trips to

and most of these places were quiet and absolutely gorgeous during fall.

37. Attend a High School Football Game

Get out there in your community and enjoy cheering on your local high school football team! Kids will love eating popcorn under the Friday Night Lights!

Though the nights get a bit chilly, it’s a great excuse to bundle up in sweatshirts, hats, and scarves and see friends from the community.

38. Have an Apple Tasting Party

A fun way to celebrate fall and the apple harvest is to gather several different types of apples, invite friends or family over, and set up an apple bar.

Cut the different apples into slices and label them. You can add a caramel apple dip and toppings such as mini chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, nuts, crushed graham cracker, or chopped candy.

Give each guest a plate and let them dip and decorate their own apples. Let guests vote on which type of apple was their favorite!

If you want to make it educational for kids, create a chart for them so they can mark whether each apple was tart, sweet, crunchy, soft, green, red, or yellow.

39. Donate Food to a Food Pantry

Fall is a time to celebrate everything we’re thankful for, so why not share our abundance with others? Find a local food pantry or food drive, and stock up on non-perishables for those who could use a little help this year.

Beyond food, you could look to see if any other staples are needed such as blankets, jackets, socks, underwear, hats, or mittens.

40. Attend Halloween After Hours at Disney

This might not be available to everyone, but if you’re planning a fall Disney trip or live somewhere near Florida or California, you MUST plan to attend the Halloween celebrations at one of the parks.

Disney World usually has Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, an after-hours party that happens during the months of August - November. It’s super fun to experience the park in a completely different way with the Villain characters in all their glory, Halloween decorations, parades, and shows. Read my Mickey’s NSSHP blog post here.

Disney Land usually has the Oogie Boogie Bash, which is basically the same thing as the Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

41. Start a Sunday Soup & Bread Tradition

Slow Sundays at home during fall are the best! I love the smell of soup simmering on the stove or in the crockpot, and homemade bread baking in the oven.

I make a very simple no-knead bread recipe in our Dutch oven, and it’s the perfect complement to soup, stew, or chili.

42. Go Bobbing for Apples

Remember sticking your head in a freezing cold bucket of water in order to gran an apple with your teeth as a kid?

Yeah…that was kind of the worst.

BUT, there’s an easier way to do it with young kids without getting everyone soaked on a chilly fall day. For toddlers, try using a soup ladle, bowls, a strainer, or a small pot to get the apples out of the bucket.

For older kids, challenge them by using a set of kitchen tongs.

43. Make a Pinecone Craft

Do anyone else’s kids gather tons of pine cones from outside, or is it just mine?

If you also have a “collection” of pine cones sitting inside your house, there are tons of crafts you can make with them. Try something as simple as painting your pinecones or adding googly eyes, or something as complex and intricate as making pinecone turkeys using felt for the tail, feet, and face.

44. Go for a Family Bike Ride

Soak in the cool weather and colorful trees from the bike path! Child bike seats and bicycle trailers are great options for younger children who either can’t ride a bike or can’t quite keep up yet.

Choose a simple bike path in a forest for maximum fall vibes, and enjoy getting some exercise while also making memories as a family.

45. Celebrate Oktoberfest at Home

Here in Wisconsin we have plenty of public Oktoberfest celebrations, but I realize not every area has the same German heritage as we do here.

If you’re interested in learning about another culture while also having some fun, why not throw your own Oktoberfest celebration at home?

The yearly party began as the Prince of Bavaria’s wedding celebration, and is now an annual excuse to get together and drink beer, eat good food, and enjoy life.

Try serving soft pretzels, German sausage, and sauerkraut for the food, and put everyone’s drinks in a stein or beer mug (even if it’s just water or juice for the kids). Play some German “oom-pah” music, throw a checkered tablecloth on the table, and dance the day away.

46. Host a Friends-giving

Here’s another good excuse to get together with friends! You might already have Thanksgiving plans with extended family, but consider scheduling a friends-giving celebration on a different weekend in October or November.

Assign a dish for each friend to bring, and have a big potluck-style meal just for fun. Why not show your friends how thankful you are to have them in your life?

47. Take a Scenic Fall Train Ride

If you’re looking for another relaxing option for viewing fall foliage, but sure to check if there are any scenic fall train rides in your area!

Picture snuggling up with your little ones as trees dripping in rich golds, reds, and orange hues fly past your window. If your kids are like mine, they’re obsessed with transportation in general, and especially fascinated by trains!

48. Do a Harry Potter Deep Dive

Something about Harry Potter just seems to go hand-in-hand with the fall season. I’m not sure if it’s that each book in the series begins with Harry going back to Hogwarts in the fall, or if it’s because the witches and wizards and magic elements give off Halloween vibes. Either way, it’s so much fun to do a deep dive into this series to share the magic with your kids.

I’ve been reading the books aloud to my oldest, and we only do one per year. We start in fall, and it just feels so cozy! Once we finish the book, we put the younger kids to bed, then have a special Harry Potter movie night. You could go beyond that with themed snacks and decor, too!

Want to go all out with your Harry Potter deep dive? Schedule a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando to experience the magic in person.

49. Go Trick or Treating

This one should really go without saying, but of course trick-or-treating is one of the most exciting activities of the season for kids. Who wouldn’t love free candy?

Take this Halloween activity to the next level by coming up with a themed costume your whole family can get involved in!

50. Go Star Gazing

Take advantage of the shorter days and take the kids outside for an evening of star gazing! We happen to live out in the country, so we don’t have to go any further than our back yard, but if you’re in the city or suburbs, you might need to drive a ways to somewhere without light pollution.

If you don’t know what you’re looking for, download a stargazing app to help you find the constellations in the night sky!

Best Things to Do in Fall with Kids

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