20 Outdoor Fall Activities Your Family Will Love Doing Every Year

There is a time every year where the summer heat is winding down and every morning you wake up, the air is just a little crisper than the day before. This time of the year is the fall holiday season, and it is magical.

This is the time of the year to start thinking about getting out the warmer clothes, gathering around a fire a little more, and drinking everything pumpkin spice you can get your hands on.

Getting outside and enjoying the changing landscape of trees and the cool breeze has always been the best way to kick off the season, so here are some of the best outdoor fall activities you can do with your family to bring in the fall season.

Head to Your Local Orchard for Outdoor Fall Activities

1. Apple Picking

Visiting an apple orchard this time of the year to pick apples will always be on my list of favorite fall activities.

This is one the best ways to get out in the fresh air and have a little fall themed fun with the entire family. You can get you kids involved in the process of gathering food while enjoying the crisp air.

The best part of this fun outdoor fall activity is that there are so many things to make with apples. Once you get home, teach the kids a couple of recipes like homemade applesauce or apple pie. Not to mention fresh apple cider. What a fun feeling of sitting down at the dinner table and eating a bowl of applesauce that you made with the apple you picked!

If there is not a local picking apple orchard around where you live, check your local papers or online for a farmers’ market. Usually around this time of the year they make the experience festive to ring in the change of seasons.

2. Pumpkin Picking

Visiting local pumpkin patches during harvest season is something that should be on everyone’s fall bucket list. Picking pumpkins is one of those fun things that is better done yourself instead of buying them in the grocery store. What would fall be without pumpkins and what a better way to get them then pick your own pumpkin with friends and family?

Once you get home with your new picked pumpkins, there are a number of things that can be done with them. The most popular thing is, of course, carving them for a little front porch decoration, but the fun doesn’t stop there. You could always keep the pumpkin seeds and roast them for a yummy treat, make pumpkin pie, or keep some of the pumpkin pulp to make pumpkin spice anything.

3. Go to a Botanical Garden

Going to a local botanical garden is a unique fall activity that the family can enjoy. Walking around the grounds in the autumn season will give you a look and feel for all of the fall colors around you. Some venues have a sculpture garden in them that stay green year round which adds a nice contrast against the fall backdrop.

One of the unique ways to enjoy botanical gardens is planning a date night with that special someone. If the venue is open at night they might have a dinner option and the grounds of these gardens look radiant lit up at night.

4. Wine Tasting

One way to take your orchard experience to the next level is to sign up for a wine tasting. While the kids are on a lunch break or participating in another activity (with adult supervision) would be the perfect time to sit back, look at the beautiful fall foliage all around and sample some good local wines.

Check out Your Local Fall Festival or Fair for Outdoor Fall Activities

5. Corn Maze

Corn mazes are a staple outdoor activity around this time of the year. They are usually set up inside a local fall festival or fair and are for people of all ages to enjoy. It is such a fun experience making your way around the corn stalks and walking on top of all the fall leaves which make it feel like a leaf maze as well.

Some corn mazes are set up to end in a haunted house which is fun for some people as long as you enjoy that sort of thing.

6. Turkey Trot

It’s time to get that blood pumping while taking in all of the beautiful scenery around you with a turkey trot. This is a fun run which can be a 5k or a full blown marathon usually hosted at a local park.

Even though this is an athletic event, think of how much fun you could have participating with some great people at your favorite park. If you are not able to partake in an event like this, make sure you at least go for a nature walk this time of year. There is just too much to see and too much you could miss out on.

7. Haunted House

This time of the year brings out all of the Halloween activities. Some people like them and some don’t. This could be fun way to bring older kids together for an outdoor activity. It’s also one of the prime times to see how much spooky you can handle!

8. Scavenger Hunt

A good old fashioned scavenger hun is a great way to get the whole family involved in fun fall activities. All of the kids small and large (adults too) will have a great time searching for the hidden treasures all around.

Explore the Great Outdoors for Outdoor Fall Activities

9. Take a Road Trip

Road trips are a great way to get the family together this time of the year. With all of the landscape around outside changing, there is never a lack of new things to see. Every twist and turn around the road will give you a new perspective on nature.

The possibilities with a road trip are endless. Is there a national park you have wanted to check out or possibly a relative you have wanted to visit? Pile everyone up in the family car and take that scenic drive, you never know what you will stumble upon throughout the journey all while having some family fun.

10. Take a Fall Hike in the Woods

Taking a fall hike is probably at the top of the list where favorite outdoor fall activities are concerned. It gives you a chance explore the great outdoors, visit some of your favorite places, and take in all of the colorful leaves around you.

It’s the best time to get the kids involved also with activities such as collecting pine cones or guessing what fall leaves they see laying on the ground. This can really get the family excited for the outdoors.

11. Go for a Mountain Bike Ride

Time for a family bike trip! Mountain biking is something that is family friendly and can give you a chance to explore new areas where you live. Many state and local parks have mountain bike trails available for public use.

If your family doesn’t particularly like hitting the trails, you could always go for a nice leisurely bike ride around the neighborhood. This would be a good time to pack a lunch on a Saturday afternoon and have a picnic!

12. Take a Camping Trip

Taking a family camping trip is a great pastime that can be enjoyed by everyone. Many families have fond memories of sharing time with loved ones sitting around a campfire and swapping stories.

Grab your tent, sleeping bag, and marshmallows camp away!

Keep it Close to Home for Outdoor Fall Activities

13. Play Some Outdoor Games

Outdoor games are the perfect way to get the family involved in some great outdoor fun. Some fun things to play are the old but good games such as tug of war and hide and seek. If those games don’t cut if for you, use your imagination and come up with some creative ideas to use this year.

14. Have Fun in Your Own Backyard

There is not a rule saying outdoor activities can’t be fun in your own backyard. Some fun things to do at home are rope swings, sitting around a fire pit, and partaking in some creative fall crafts.

Invite people over for a little fall get together and sit on the back patio with friends and family while enjoying a freshly cooked hearty soup, some sweet potatoes, and sipping on hot chocolate. Sounds like a good time to me!

15. Have a Bonfire Party

Having a true bonfire is so much fun and fall is the best time of year to do it. While the sun is still out you can gather with friends and family around a favorite meal and when the sun goes down get out the camping chairs and throw on a hoodie for a night of fun.

You can take this time to sip on some hot chocolate, roast some marshmallows and possibly listen to a few not so scary ghost stories.

16. Host a Leaf Hunt

Hosting a leaf hunt is a great way to get a child excited about the great outdoors. It pretty easy to set up. Just print off some pictures of a variety of leaves for the children to find. You could even give out prizes for who finds the most leaves or just have a party at the end. It’s a fun and educational activity.

17. Make a Leaf Slide in Your Backyard

This activity is great for every kid and everyone who is a kid at heart. Making a leaf slide is super simple. If you have a play slide, simply rake up a big pile of leaves at the end. When the child comes down the slide, they will land in a huge pile of leaves. Who doesn’t want to do that? Sign me up right now!

If you don’t have a slide, you could go the old fashioned route, rake up a leaf pile and let the jumping commence.

Giving Back Activities

18. Volunteer for a Local Charity

When it comes to fall and helping out, there is always a local charity in need. Although it is not a common outdoor fall activity, giving back to a charity is a good lesson to teach children and it helps out people in your community.

There are many things to choose from such as building homes or just helping a local charity with building repairs or landscaping needs.

Contact your local church or an organization like Habitat for Humanity if you are interested in helping out!

19. Help a Family Member or Friend with Chores

We all have a family member or a friend who could use a little extra help with day to day projects especially with winter approaching. There are many things you could help them out with, depending on their need, but here are a few ideas.

• gardening
• cleaning out gutters
• mowing the lawn or lawn work in general
• bringing in plants for winter
• raking leaves
• switching out storm windows for winter

20. Help With a Local Garden or Greenhouse Project

Many areas have local gardens or greenhouses that could always use volunteers. These gardens often give a community something beautiful to look at, but are a lot of time and work. A few ideas you could help out with are:

• Yard Work
• Transplanting for the winter
• Picking up trash
• Painting or grounds maintenance.

Not only will this keep the garden looking fantastic for you and other people, this will teach your family how to maintain and care for a little bit of the outdoors.