60 Fun Fall Activities for Kids Your 2023 Bucket List

Do you love the crisp autumn season and all the great fall activities too? I am always amazed at how many fun Fall activities for kids there are both indoors & outdoors. So let’s start planning your new fall adventures with Autumn traditions your kids can look forward to every year.

If you’re searching for ideas of things to do in the fall with kids you’re sure to find the answers here. You’ll even get a free printable Fall Bucket List for 2023 to give you a list of fall activities & fun ideas to help you remember everything your family wants to try. 

Add first to your bucket list cool outdoor fall activities like apple picking, taking a fall hike, jumping in the leaves, pumpkin picking, corn mazes, and attending a fall festival. It’s the perfect time to enjoy some outdoor activities with your kids.

Then try all the fun indoor fall activities at home such as decorating your house, carving pumpkins, playing Halloween games, fall crafts, baking pumpkin seeds, and apple tastings.

Follow along and find your next family tradition or just have a blast searching. You can even try a fall weekend getaway to watch the leaves change.

Get inspired for the Fall season with the best Fall activities for kids and start making unforgettable memories with your family.

This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to buy something using my link, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, see my disclaimer here.

60 Awesome Indoor & Outdoor Fall Activities for Kids

Let’s start planning an unforgettable fall season for your family. The list is broken up into Outdoor Fall Activities, Indoor Fall Activities, Fall Crafts, and Fall Getaways.

Make sure to grab your Free Printable Fall Bucket List with all these fun activites on one easy checklist.

Outdoor Fall Activities for Kids

Enjoy a fun day out with the family trying these entertaining outdoor fall activities for kids. They’re a great way to celebrate the autumn season together.

You can use this list as your inspiration to find fall activities near you. I am sure a few of these will become your favorite fall activities to try every year.

Apple Picking

Find an apple orchard near you to go apple picking. Many will also have a fall festival to pair along with your apple picking where you can enjoy apple donuts & apple cider.

When you bring home a bag of your own apples try making these delicious No-Bake Apple Slice Cookies with all your apples or an apple pie.

Attend a Local Halloween or Fall Festival

Google fall festivals near me and see what events are hosted in your area. It’s a fun way to spend the afternoon with the entire family.

Both younger kids and older kids can find fun fall things to do this time of year. At our favorite festivals, we enjoy huge sensory bins filled with corn seeds, rides, hay ride, a corn maze, zip lines, pumpkin picking, and delicious food.

Get More Halloween Ideas – 50 Spooktacular Halloween Activities at Home for Kids

Corn Maze

Enjoy the adventure of finding your way through a corn maze at your local pumpkin patch. Kids will love searching to find their way out. The one we go to even has a scavenger hunt to do while you’re in the maze.

Pick Your Own Pumpkin

Head to a local farm and let the kids pick out the perfect pumpkin or at least one they like (: While you’re there look to see if they have any special fall treats like pumpkin or apple donuts.

Check your local Facebook mom page and see what everyone is recommending as the best pumpkin patches in your area.

Tip: On your drive to the Pumpkin Patch play Halloween Would You Rather Game. It will get everyone in the holiday mood and keep you laughing on the drive.

Farmer’s Market

Head to your local Farmer’s Market and teach your kids about foods that are harvested in the fall.

Visit a Zoo

Often local zoos host a Boo at the Zoo for several weekends where the kids can wear their costumes and watch the animals play with pumpkins.

I know that both Chicago Zoos host a great Halloween Event that we attend every year. Brookfield Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo. The cooler weather also makes it a lot more pleasant to walk around the zoo than in the summer months.

Rake Leaves & Jump In

Young kids and older kids will love jumping into a huge pile of leaves. Let the kids help you rack the fall leaves in your own backyard into a leaf pile. Then let the kids jump in. We bought kid-size rakes so they could help.

Build a Fort

Build a fort with sticks in your backyard.

Botanical Gardens

Go to a local Botanical Garden and watch the leaves change and see the different fall plants and flowers.

​Fall Planting

After visiting the Botanical Gardens have your kids help you plant some fall plants in pots or in the ground outside your house. Mums are a great option to add to planters around your house this time of year. 

Autumn Hike & Nature Walk

This is a great time of year to go on a hike to see the fall colors. Head over to your local state park or forest preserve and take a family hike through the changing leaves. Enjoy looking at the changing colors and collecting pretty leaves.

Get tips on how to have the best family hike without any whining and keep the kids excited about the walk with our free printable Nature Scavenger Hunt.

If you want to stick to a walk around your neighborhood try these Neighborhood Photo Scavenger Hunts. The perfect season to walk around your neighborhood and take pictures of all the colorful leaves.

Play a Game of I Spy on Your Hike

On your hike keep the kids interested with a game of I-Spy as you walk.

Collect Leaves on Your Hike

While on your hike collect leaves to use for fall crafts later. Kids can paste them onto construction paper and make a collage. Or make leaf rubbings by placing a leaf under a piece of paper and rubbing a crayon across the paper.

Create a Sensory Bin

Make an outdoor sensory bin using a fall theme. Add in pine cones, mini pumpkins, leaves, sticks, and any other items you can collect on your fall walk. This fun fall activity would be a hit in a classroom setting or at home. 

Play Halloween Games

Plan a fun family game night with a Halloween game theme. Use our super fun Printable Halloween game bundle filled with 18 ready-to-go halloween games to play all Halloween season.

Or try these fun Free Printable Halloween games:

Halloween Would You Rather Questions

20 Halloween Bingo Game Cards & Calling Cards

30 Halloween Color By Number Sheets

Go to a Haunted House

This is for older kids in your family. Before you go do a little research ahead of time to see how scary it will be for the kids.

Amusement Park

Find out if your local amusement park hosts a fall event or festival.

The Six Flags near us does a great job of changing the park into a Halloween theme in the fall. The kids love to see all the decorations and characters walking around.

Go on a Hay Ride

A fall tradition the whole family will enjoy is going on a hay ride. It’s one of our favorite seasonal activities at fall festivals. Make sure to bring some hot chocolate to drink on your ride.

Build a Scarecrow

Get some hay from where you buy your pumpkins. Pick out some old clothes and stuff them with hay.

Tie the ends of the shirt and pants with string to hold in the hay. You can use a plastic trick or treat pumpkin for the head.

When you’re done place it in your front yard sitting on a chair with pumpkins around the feet. It’ll be a cute display.

Decorate Your Yard for Halloween.

Make it a family project this year to decide all together how you want the yard to look. Then work together to decorate. We love to use the pumpkin bags that you fill up with the leaves you rake in your yard.

You can also place Halloween signs or blow-ups around your yard. Then use spider webbing on your bushes and trees.

Find more ideas in our Cheap & Cute Fall Decorations from Dollar Tree & Family Halloween Activities.

Costume Parade for Kids

See if your town has a local costume parade for the kids. Often a downtown merchant association will host these or your local park district.

You could also plan a socially distanced parade for your neighborhood. We did it in 2020 and it was so much fun we are continuing the tradition this year.

Don’t forget to pick up fun Halloween Costumes for your kids. We found a great Halloween discount site we love and you might too. See if Halloween Costumes has that cool costume your kids really want this year!

Bonfire & Smores

Use your backyard fire pit to make Smores with the kids. This is the perfect time of year with the cooler temperatures to have a bonfire with neighbors and friends. 

Go Fall Camping 

A fun activity for the whole family is going camping this fall. It could be in your backyard or at a local campground surrounded by the fall leaves. Enjoy star gazing, telling Ghost stories, and sitting around a bonfire eating smores. 

Hide & Seek with Glow Sticks

Let the kids head outside at night to play hide and seek with glow sticks on their wrists. The nighttime element adds a spooky aspect to this fun game. It’s sure to become a new Halloween tradition.

Great game for fall camping too!

Glow in the Dark Hunt

Hide around your yard small plastic pumpkins with glow bracelets inside. Then at night let the kids go out and see how many pumpkins they can find.

Sack Race

Have a fun sack race in the backyard with friends & family.

Fall Family Photo Shoot

Plan an outdoor family photoshoot and get your holiday cards done. Here are some cute family photo ideas.

Fall Experiment Ideas

Add some educational activities by exploring why the leaves change color or use apples to understand why they float in water. 

Find a New Playground

Get the kids outside and running while visiting a new playground in the area.

Fall Picnic 

While visiting that new playground plan a fall picnic with your kids. You’ll love eating outdoors in the crisp air surrounded by fall foliage.  

Football Game

If your kids love sports watch your favorite team playing football together or play a football game in your yard. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the fall season. 

Looking for a socially distanced Halloween this year? It’s easier than you think! Get inspired with our 15 Fun Halloween Social Distancing Ideas for Kids.

Indoor Fall Activities at Home

Some days the weather isn’t great in the fall and you need engaging indoor fall activities for kids at home.

Make sure to Celebrate Halloween at home too with these 50 Spooktacular Halloween Activities at Home for kids. Tons of fun Halloween-themed ideas you can easily do at home.

Here are some fall-related fun indoor activities for kids.

Make Pumpkin Cookies

Make some delicious fall desserts together. Our family loves these super easy 3 Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Play Halloween Bingo

The kids will love a fun game of Halloween Bingo. Use our FREE printable Halloween Bingo Game Cards for a Halloween Party, classroom party, or fun family game night.

You’ll get 20 unique Halloween Bingo Cards and the calling cards. Just print it out and play!

Halloween & Thanksgiving Coloring

Get the kids excited about Halloween and Thanksgiving with fun color-by-number activity sheets. Both are free printables with 30 unique fall images.

Free Printable Color by Number Halloween Printables

Free Printable Color by Number Thanksgiving Printables

Carve a Pumpkin or Decorate Pumpkins

A Halloween tradition you can’t skip is carving or decorating pumpkins. If you don’t want the mess of carving pumpkins just decorate them with stickers and markers.

We love the pumpkin stickers because they’re cute and your kids get to be creative designing their pumpkins. The pumpkins also last longer when you don’t carve open the pumpkins.

If you want to carve your pumpkins try using pumpkin stencils this year to help you trace cool designs.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

After you carve the pumpkins a delicious snack is eating your pumpkin seeds.  Roasted pumpkin seeds are super easy to make and are one of our family’s favorite things to eat in autumn.

First, clean your pumpkin seeds, dry them, and toss them in a bowl with olive oil. Then lay them flat on a cookie sheet coated in nonstick spray.

Bake at 300 degrees for 45 Minutes. When they come out toss them with salt and they’re ready to eat.

Create a Fall Sensory Bin

Make a sensory bin using a fall theme. Add in pine cones, small pumpkins, leaves, sticks, and any other items you can collect on your fall walk. This fun fall activity would be a hit in a classroom setting or at home. 

Make Your Own Halloween Costume

Get creative with your kids and make your own Halloween costumes this year. Find tons of ideas on Pinterest

If you don’t have time to make your own save money with Halloweencostumes.com. The site has tons of Halloween costume ideas and all are reasonably priced. Why spend a ton on a costume they will only wear for one day

Eat Caramel Apples

Who doesn’t love a delicious caramel apple in the fall? This is a great time to make them at home with the apples you collect at the apple orchard or buy premade caramel apples at the store. 

Bobbing for Apples

A great fall tradition is bobbing for apples. Try it as a family or at a Halloween party.

Family Game Night

Enjoy a night at home playing fun family games together this fall. Kids and parents will have a blast!

Make some yummy Halloween treats and a yummy fall dinner to make it a whole night of fun. Our go-to fall dinner is crockpot chili with a toppings buffet for the kids.

You’ll find tons of ideas in our Favorite Family Game Nights or Elementary School Classroom Party Games (these work for home too)

Don’t have time to plan a family game night? No problem make it easy with our Complete Family Game Night Planner with a full year of monthly game nights already planned for you. Just print it out and you’re ready to play!

Check it out and see if the Family Game Night Planner is for you!

Halloween Movie Night

There are tons of great Halloween movies that all family members can watch together. This is the perfect end to a long day doing awesome fall activities. Cuddly up in cozy blankets together & enjoy a movie together. 

Here are some Halloween Movie Ideas

• “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”
• “Hotel Transylvania”
• “Casper”
• “Hocus Pocus”
• “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
• “Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest”
• “Monsters, Inc.”
• “Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie”
• “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial”
• “The Addams Family” (Animated)

Make Popcorn Balls

Make old fashion popcorn balls or a popcorn bar filled with toppings to add to your bowl of popcorn for everyone to eat while watching the movie.

Make the toppings Halloween themed with candy corn or orange and brown M&Ms.

Plan a Halloween Party

Kids love a fun Halloween party and they’re easier to host than you think. Invite all the kids to come and show off their costumes.

Next plan some fun Halloween party games. Get inspired with these fun party games I use at our kid’s school holiday parties and at home.

Then have the kids play some quick and hilarious Minute to Win It Games for kids or Halloween Charades.

After the Minute to Win It games calm the kids down with an easy game of Halloween Bingo. Grab our FREE printable Halloween Bingo Cards.

Or make it a virtual party for a Socially Distanced Halloween with fun Zoom Games.

Halloween Mystery Boxes

Create spooky Halloween Mystery Boxes for your kids at home or at a Halloween party. Kids will reach into the sensory box that’s filled with surprise items to make the kids squeal.

Let the kids guess if it’s Witches’ teeth or candy corn, a warlock’s brain, or spaghetti. They are super easy to make with a tissue box, construction paper, and some spooky items.

Get directions to make your own Halloween Mystery Boxes.

Halloween Obstacle Course

Create an indoor or backyard obstacle course for your kids to run. Have them run around plastic pumpkins, walk over a broomstick, and crawl under spider webs.

Hot Lava Game

This classic kids’ game is the perfect indoor game on cool fall days. Kids pretend that the floor is hot lava and they can’t step in it.

To play lay pillows on the floor and have the kids jump from pillow to pillow without falling off and touching the hot lava on the ground.

Decorate Your House for Fall

Get into the fall spirit by decorating your house for the autumn season together. Above is a cute Fall wreath I made with Dollar Tree items. It looked so cute on my front door!

Get ideas and save money in our How to Make Cheap Fall Decorations from Dollar Tree that Look Expensive.

If you don’t have time to shop try Decocrated a cool home decor subscription box I found and love. You’ll get 6-8 cute home decorations 4 times a year so you’re ready for every season.

You’ll be so excited about what Decocrated sends and you won’t have to shop or make it!

Make a Sensory Table

Enjoy some sensory play at home by making a sensory table or bowl with dried corn, leaves, and measuring cups. You could also add construction trucks to push and dump the corn and leaves.

Left Center Right Game

Play the Game Left Center Right with Halloween Candy or candy corn. An easy dice game kids of all ages will love. Great way to use up leftover candy after trick or treating too.

Visit a Children’s Museum

Explore a children’s museum in the area and check out their fall and Halloween exhibits. We love the Kohl Children’s Museum in the Chicago suburbs.

Apple Tasting

Have an apple tasting with different types of apples that are available in the fall. Visit your local orchard or just pick up a variety of apples at the grocery store.

Then cut up a slice or two of each and see which apple everyone likes the best. You could also dip them in caramel dip for a really fun fall treat.

Find even more fun ways to keep your kids busy on cool or rainy fall days in our Energy Busting Rainy Day Activities & Games. Have them ready so that when it rains out your set.

Save some money while having a great time with your kids in our 60 Fun & Free Things to Do with Kids Screen Free.

Fall Crafts for Kids

Keep the kids busy with these fun fall crafts for kids. All are easy to put together, and the kids will love creating the fall memories to keep.

Leaf Rubbing – Have the kids go out and collect leaves from the yard. then place the leaf under a sheet of paper and rub a crayon over the leaf. Kids will love seeing their leaf come to life on the page

Leaf Handprint – Trace your child’s handprint and then have them decorate the handprint with leaves. The leaves can be the children’s nails or any creative way they want to decorate.

Apple Stamping – Cut an Apple in Half and dip it in the paint. Then use the apple as a stamp on a piece of construction paper.

Free Printable Fall Bucket List

A free checklist of all the Family-Friendly Fall ideas you can do this autumn. Grab our Free Printable Fall Bucket List and see how many activities you can do this fall.

Click here to print

Fall Weekend Getaways

Take a fun family weekend getaway this fall with the kids and experience the changing of the leaves and the autumn season. Often schools will have a fall break so take advantage of the long weekends and make some memories with the kids.

Here are a few of our favorite Weekend Getaways.

Door County, WI – Head up to northern Wisconsin to see the leaves change. We love visiting Door County. They have great state parks to hike, fun fish boils, shops, and beautiful beaches to skip rocks. Door County, WI

Lake Geneva, WI – If you live close to Chicago, Lake Geneva, WI is a fun place to visit in the Fall. Columbus Day weekend they have a great fall festival in their downtown the whole family will love. Lake Geneva, WI

Midwest Getaways – There are tons of places to explore in the Midwest to see the changing of the leaves while also keeping your kids entertained with great Children’s Museums, Zoos, and more. Get Inspired with these 10 Awesome Weekend Getaways in the Midwest

National Parks – Visiting a National Park in the Fall is the ultimate place to watch the leaves change color. Drive, hike, and walk through the parks to see the vivid color changes all around you. Your whole family will be in Awe. Here are our favorite National Parks with Kids.

Staycation – Or just plan a fun staycation with the kids on their fall break. Here are 40 Fun Things to Do on a Family Staycation. Be inspired to have more fun in your own hometown with the kiddos.

Don’t Forget to Get Ready for Christmas too! 40 Fun Christmas Activities for Families and get yourself organized for a stress-free holiday with the Ultimate Printable Christmas Planner.

Are You Ready for Fall Now?

Are you ready now for a fun-filled fall with memorable things to do with your kids? Use these 40 indoor and outdoor Fall activities for kids and start your own autumn family traditions.

Is there a fall tradition your family loves to do? Share it in the comments so we can all try it too!

If you enjoyed these fall activity ideas get more family fun activities, easy weeknight meals, family travel ideas, and household hacks by joining the Happy Mom Hacks community weekly newsletter.

Bonus, you’ll get a free printable Would You Rather Game to play at Family Game Nights or Halloween parties.

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for kid’s activities, household hacks, family travel, and fun parenting humor to give you a laugh on your tough days.

Don’t Forget to Pin This

More From Happy Mom Hacks

Holiday Fun

Quick and Easy Family Meal Ideas

• Easy No-Bake Energy Balls – A Perfect Quick Snack
• 25 Easy Family Dinner Ideas for Quick Weeknight Meals
• 10 Easy Rotisserie Chicken Recipes Your Family Will Love
• Sheet Pan Recipe Perfect for Weeknight Meals
• How to Make Delicious Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken
• Slow Cooker Healthy Italian Meatballs
• Quick Creamy Pesto Pasta Recipe with Sausage