Fall Activities for Kids

Autumn-lovers, your favorite season is finally here. As the weather gets cooler and the leaves begin to change color, it’s time to start thinking about how you can help your kids get outdoors and take advantage of all that this amazing season has to offer.

From fun arts-and-crafts projects to festive outings, this list of 20 fall activities for kids has something for everyone!

1. Visit an apple orchard.
2. Make a classic apple crisp.
3. Build a scarecrow stuffed with newspaper.
4. Have an apple cider “tea” party.
5. Bake apple chips.
6. Make an apple stamp.
7. Make handprint leaves.
8. Jump into a leaf pile.
9. Play “I Spy” during a nature walk.
10. Collect and identify leaves.
11. Press leaves into a photo album.
12. Visit a zoo.
13. Check out a haunted house.
14. Make a necklace with Halloween-colored beads.
15. Take a hayride at your local pumpkin patch.
16. Toast the pumpkin seeds from your carved pumpkin.
17. Decorate pumpkins with paint, markers or stickers.
18. Enter your decorated pumpkin into a local contest, or have your own contest!
19. Roll down hills and listen to crunching leaves beneath you.
20. Go on a color walk, gathering outside “treasures” in yellow, orange, red and brown.

Tips for keeping your kids safe on Halloween

Staying safe on the trick-or-treat trail.

As the excitement rises for trick or treating, unfortunately the dangers of walking in the dark outside requires precaution and supervision to ensure the night ends up with a bag full of goodies. A little planning before the big night can go a long way toward keeping your children injury free. Safe trick-or-treating begins with your littles ones’ costumes.

“Parents may think buying costumes that are too big allow children to wear the costumes for several years, but outfits that are too big can cause falls,” said Dana Walraven, manager of Community Health Outreach at Cook Children’s and coordinator of the Safe Kids Tarrant County Coaltion.

Use these tips as your kids are preparing for Halloween:

1. Select costumes that fit well.
2. Trick-or-treat with your children or ensure their location and discuss with other parents a proper ‘path’ that a group of appropriate age children would be permitted to visit.
3. To help drivers see kids in the dark, put reflective tape at the top and bottom of costumes. This lets drivers better see your kids’ height and movement.
4. Use face paint instead of masks so trick-or-treaters’ vision isn’t blocked.
5. Plan a familiar trick-or-treating route on safe, well-lit streets, use sidewalks and cross the street at intersections.
6. When crossing the street, use the crosswalk and make eye contact with the drivers so you know they see you and your group.
7. Use a flashlight or glow stick to light the way.
8. Prepare a variety of healthy snacks in advance so that they’re completely ready to eat in containers. This will minimize the desire to snack on sugary items before the caregiver can properly inspect the candy/items.
9. Have a discussion with your children prior to getting dressed and heading out the door of what will be expected of the event; loud noises, costumes, ringing the door bell and waiting for someone to answer the door and how to say ‘Trick or Treat’ using an appropriate voice volume.