Fun Family Activities To Do In the Fall

Fall is a favorite season for many Michigan families and for good reasons! The leaves start to change to beautiful colors, the kids are back to school, and there are so many fun things to do. Enjoy these activity ideas for any age.

Go Apple Picking

Did you know that Michigan’s state flower is the Apple Blossom? It’s no surprise when you look at how many apple orchards you can visit in just Metro Detroit alone. Picking your apples can be a fun experience for the whole family and allows kids to spend time in nature. 

Make it a competition of who can pick the most apples or who can find the funniest-looking one. For even more fun, you can use the apples for a new recipe at home. Pick a recipe that would be fun yet challenging depending on your child’s age and let them help out or make it themselves. This makes for a good opportunity for them to learn counting, measurements, and following directions.

Get Creative With Pumpkins

On cloudy days, chase gray skies away with indoor fun. First, prep the space that is going to be used for the activity. Collect newspapers, a plastic sheet, or a tablecloth to make for easy cleanup. Next, make sure that the paint is toxic-free and water-based. 

After that, collect some paper towels, water, brushes, paper plates, paper bowls, and sandpaper. The sandpaper is for sanding down pumpkins so that paint can be applied smoothly with less application. There is no need to overboard with a belt sander. A simple, light sanding by hand with fine-grain paper will do the trick. 

If your child is younger and they have an idea but need help, drawing a template with a thin marker can make the activity more enjoyable. Think of it like creating a coloring book for your kids. You can use an image online as a stencil or older kids can outline their own designs if they are more advanced. 

Lastly, go outside of the box and collect materials that can be glued onto the pumpkin to make even more eye-catching designs! For example, black construction paper and googly eyes can turn a black pumpkin into a spooky bat! Heavier materials might call for hot glue, so make sure to be careful and handle this part for your little one. 

Most importantly, have fun! One of the best parts about painting pumpkins is that there are no rules to how creative one can be!

Visit A Cider Mill

Nothing says fall like a cider mill doughnut and a cup of fresh cider. This is a fun day for just about every kid (and parents too!). Depending on which cider mill you go to, there are tons of things to do and see at the cider mill. 

At some cider mills, you can see how the apples are pressed to make cider, feed goats and other animals, or play on hay bales to get out all of that energy from the sugar rush. For young kids, the cider mill is almost always followed by a great nap time.