Implementing fall family traditions can be a truly amazing way to embrace this magical season, create memories your kids will be sharing for years to come, and connect as a family.
I’m not going to lie, fall lost a lot of its magic once I hit my teenage years. I mean, you can’t tell me that teenage you didn’t dread the ending of a wonder-filled summer as you prepared to go back to school.
That magic just never seemed to come back as I entered my college years and beyond. However, motherhood has changed how I enter the autumn season. The desire to create memories, wonder, and happiness as each season breezes through has really encouraged me to fall in love with the autumnal season again.
Now, fall is certainly a busy season. We have the beginning of a new school year, a spooky and a gratitude-filled holiday, and dropping temperatures to look forward to. This busy season creates the perfect opportunity to ring it in by implementing some fun and memorable fall family traditions.
Whether you’re looking for some fall crafts to add to your memory book every year, some delicious food traditions to ignite your family’s autumnal palette, or just some fun ideas to add to your fall family bucket list, you’ll likely find just what you are looking for in this memory-making list.
Fall Family Traditions You Can Try This Year
Arts and crafts are a great way to spend some time as a family and create memories that you can look back on for years to come. Here are some ideas for some craft ideas to add to your fall family traditions.
Create a Fall Bucket List
One of my favorite things I have begun to do is writing out a bucket list for every season. I feel that having a list of activities you feel makes each season special can truly help you and your family embrace the beauty of the season.
This season, my daughter is a bit young to necessarily tell me what she would like to add to the bucket list, but just old enough that I have begun to truly understand the activities that bring her joy.
So, to ring in the fall season, I sat myself down with a pumpkin cream cold brew (thank you very much Starbucks) sat my daughter down with her apple juice, turned on some Norah Jones, and got to brainstorming some fun activities to do this fall as my daughter and I enjoyed some quality time together.
Have a Fall Photoshoot
When I say “have a fall photoshoot”, I’m not talking about the professional photoshoots we have all grown to love (although those make some beautiful memories and can certainly be fun, too).
No, I’m talking about creating and setting up your own fall family photoshoot. Create a theme that encapsulates your family’s idea of fall and just have fun with it! A few ideas for your family photoshoot could include:
- Setting up a fall or spooky themed background
- Having your family photos in a pile of leaves
- Taking photos as you and your family walk through the fall foliage
- Capturing some moments from a fall-themed picnic
If we’re being honest, the possibilities are truly endless. You can ask your kids for some ideas, scroll through Pinterest, and allow you and your family’s inner photographer to shine.
Visit an Apple Orchard
While pumpkins will certainly have their time to shine as autumn is in its full glory, apples, in my opinion, are the stars of the early autumnal days. You can make a whole day out of riding out to your closest apple orchard, trying out the farm’s most delicious apple-inspired treats, and enjoying all of the activities the orchard has to offer. Once you get home, you and the family can brainstorm some delicious treats to bake together out of your freshly picked apples.
Say Hello to the First Official Day of Fall with a Full-On Fall Day
It’s no secret that most of us begin celebrating fall the second September rolls around. I mean, my TikTok feed was full of autumn-inspired videos by early August! However, a quick Google search will tell you the exact date in which the autumnal season officially begins. You and your family can make this day special by filling your day with autumnal treats, activities, and movies. A few ways you can celebrate the first day of autumn can include:
- Picking up a pumpkin spiced latte and fall inspired baked good from your favorite coffee shop
- enjoying a fall-themed picnic with the family
- jumping in a pile of leaves
- visiting your local pumpkin patch
- cooking and enjoying a warming autumnal dinner as a family (and your favorite pie to end on a sweet note)
Visit Your Local Farm
Fall season is the time of year in which most local farms are thriving and ready to enjoy. Some may have a pumpkin patch to pick your perfect jack-o-lantern, others may have a corn maze for you and your family to work your way through, and others may have their sunflowers in full bloom. With so many activities to offer, there’s no denying that a day at the local farm can be a memorable experience for the whole family.
Carve a Pumpkin
Carving a pumpkin just screams fall family traditions to me. You can even make your family’s carving night a little more fun with some healthy competition. Who can create the scariest Jack-O-Lantern of all? Who got the most creative with their design? So carve your pumpkins and take your votes- winner gets the candy corn!
Make Spooky Cookies Together
Cookies are the best no matter what time of year it is. To make your spooky cookies, simply find some Halloween themed cookie cutters, spooky colored icing, and some sprinkles and get to decorating! This activity is great for everyone all around. I mean, who wouldn’t want to create boo-tifully spooky cookies this time of year and enjoy them as they watch their favorite Halloween movie?
Have a Halloween Family Movie Night Every Friday in October
Speaking of movies, we can’t forget to have nights dedicated to watching all of the Halloween faves. Gather the family with your favorite movie night snacks, build a fort in the living room, and enjoy all of your favorites, whether they be the easy to watch classics or the newest horror film.
Celebrate Friendsgiving
As spooky season winds down, the season of gratitude begins to work its way into our hearts. What better way to begin this season than to celebrate with the one’s you are the most grateful for? I mean, where would we be without our friends and family? Take this opportunity to gather your closest friends and family, cook up a delicious feast, and take a moment to be truly grateful for the amazing people you get to enjoy in your life.
Volunteer
While giving back throughout all the seasons is important, the season of gratitude is a great opportunity to spread you and your family’s blessings to others. Some people may have found themselves struggling this year and being able to partake in sending blessings their way can be a great way to remember all you have to be grateful for. A few volunteer opportunities you and your family can look into include:
- working with meals on wheels
- volunteering at your local food bank
- helping out at your local animal shelter
- giving your local soup kitchen a helping hand
Start a Gratitude Chain
I remember a fun activity we used to do in my early years of school that always stuck with me- a gratitude chain. Every November, my classmates and I would enter the classroom and write out one thing we were grateful for on a slip of construction paper. We would then fold the construction paper into a ring, connecting each piece as we go. I started implementing this activity last year with my husband and one year old. While my daughter simply scribbled on the construction paper, my husband and I truly felt the benefits of remembering the small things we were grateful for. I can’t wait to start our gratitude chain this November and to continue enjoying this tradition with each year that passes.
Roast Some S’mores Around the Fire
Who doesn’t love s’mores? Fall feels like the perfect time to host a bonfire, break out your spookiest ghost stories, and just enjoy each other’s company in the great outdoors.
Have a Family Scrapbook Night
As the fall season winds down, scrapbooking can offer the perfect opportunity to gather the family and your favorite memories from this fall season. You can grab some hot cocoa and get crafty as you cut and paste your favorite pictures, nature finds, and arts and crafts from the season, telling stories and reliving memories as you go. This is a tradition I hope to begin implementing at the end of each season, looking back on the most beautiful memories I was blessed enough to enjoy with my family.
I hope you have found some wonderful ideas and inspiration for fall family traditions to bring into your own household. Let’s enjoy this autumnal season to the fullest- together.
