Fun Fall Activities
/At last, the temperature is dropping and the humidity is getting more bearable each day. The night air has a chill to it and some leaves are starting to change color. The pumpkin patches are open, the jeans and boots are at the ready, and the PSLs are in hand! That’s right, it’s Fall! There’s no shortage of fun fall activities to do with your family. Take a look at some of the ideas below and see if you can incorporate a few of them over the next couple of months.
Go on a Nature Walk
Whether you go into the backyard, a local park, or a long hike, Fall is a great time to get outside. If you have young children you can do a scavenger hunt with them. Look for things like an acorn on the ground, a squirrel in a tree, or a leaf that is a color other than green.
Visit a Pumpkin Patch
There are many farms in our area that either grow pumpkins or they acquire them and set them out in a field. Usually there is a small fee to pay and then you and your family can go pick a pumpkin out of the “patch. This is also usually a great time for a few fun photos of the kids. You can set your pumpkin out on your front porch as Fall decor.
Paint or Carve a Pumpkin
IF you don’t want to deal with the messy guts of the inside of the pumpkin, paint your pumpkin instead of carving it. This is a fun activity for toddlers to do (set the pumpkin on a sheet outside along with some paints and brushes and let your toddler go to town). We recommend letting your toddler wear nothing but their diaper or underwear so no clothes get messy! Or, you can visit Perkins Orchard in Durham and participate in their Paint A Pumpkin activity. If you prefer the traditional way decorate your pumpkin, you can always go with the classic move of carving a pumpkin as the date draws closer to Halloween. If you want to try something a little different you might check out pumpkin carving with goats!
Visit an Apple Orchard
You’ll have to travel a bit west of the Triangle to find an apple orchard. The Millstone Creek Orchard is one of the closest orchards near Raleigh. Once you are there you can pick some of your own apples from the apple trees and try apple-related treats like apple pie and apple cider.
Go to a Fall Festival
This is really where you can get in ALLLLLL the Fall fun! Typically, area farms will have ongoing fall festivals throughout September and October. Very often you will be able to go on a hayride and do a corn maze. A lot of farms usually include a smaller corn maze that is usually a hit with the toddler and preschool crowd. Raleigh is surrounded by several family farms so there is no shortage of fall festivals in the area! Popular choices are Hill Ridge Farms, Page Farms, and Naylor Family Farm. A fun perk for families with older kids, and for anyone who like a good scare, is that many of these farms do haunted versions of their hayrides and corn mazes after dark.
As you can see there is no shortage of fun during the Fall season. Pick something off this list to do this weekend! Have fun, stay warm, and drink an apple cider for us!