Ahhh…the  leaves are suddenly turning brilliant hues of red, orange, and yellow. The air is decidedly crisper. And the days are getting noticeably shorter. It’s official: Fall has finally arrived. And with the cooler weather comes — you guessed it! — new options for fall activities for kids.

There are  so many fun things to do before the winter weather sets in. So, in honor of my all-time favorite season of the year, I decided to compile a list of 50 (yep, count ‘em, 50!) exciting outdoor fall activities for you to enjoy with your kids. These are things my mom did with me when I was young . . . things I did with my own kids when they were young . . . and things my kids do today with their own little ones. So, here goes!

1. Go apple picking at a local orchard.
2. Bake a treat with the apples you just picked from #1: a pie, galette, applesauce, etc .
3. Rake leaves, make a huge pile, and jump right in!
4. Go on a hay ride.
5. Roast marshmallows over a bonfire.
6. Make yummy s’mores with your roasted marshmallows from #5.
7. Play a neighborhood game of touch football.
8. Attend a local football game, whether it’s college, high school, or pee wee.
9. Enjoy a mini tailgating party before the football game from #8.
10. Plant  fall flower bulbs that will bloom next spring: tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, etc.
11. Tour a scary haunted house.
12. Visit a pumpkin patch.
13. Carve the biggest pumpkin you bought at the patch from #12.
14. Bake a treat with the smallest pumpkin you bought at the patch from #12: pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, etc.
15. Attend a fall festival.
16. Host a weenie roast over an open fire.
17. Go through a corn maze.
18. Iron colorful leaves between two sheets of waxed paper. Display on fridge.
19. Make a fall wreath.
20. Go raspberry picking.
21. Make a treat with your raspberries from #20: a pie, mousse, jam, etc.
22. Start your holiday shopping.
23. Drink hot apple cider.
24. Do a fall craft.
25. Make leaf rubbings.
26. Take a brisk walk in the woods, fields, or city park.
27. Stuff a scarecrow.
28. Enjoy a cup of hot cocoa.
29. Make homemade marshmallows to top off your hot cocoa from #28.
30. Buy or bake old-fashioned cake doughnuts to enjoy with your hot cocoa from #28.
31. Identify leaves by using a good guidebook.
32. Sew your own Halloween costumes.
33. Visit a local candle shop and buy a fragrant, fall-scented one.
34. Make an acorn necklace.
35. Make a pinecone bird feeder covered with peanut butter and birdseeds.
36. Read a fall-themed book (see suggestions below).
37. Make a hearty soup.
38. Host a clambake.
39. Go bike riding, either around the block or on a bike trail.
40. Watch a fall night sky.
41. Take a walk on a beach (which will probably be empty) and build a sandcastle.
42. Play a game of Frisbee.
43. Make a list together of all the things you’re thankful for.
44. Go on a fall picnic.
45. Buy fall vegetables at a farm stand.
46. Make something delicious with the vegetables you bought from #45, such as a carrot smoothie, squash ravioli, spinach salad, etc.
47. Write a fall-themed poem together.
48. Make a scrapbook about all the fun things you did together over the summer.
49. Skim rocks across a pond or stream. Feed the ducks while you’re at it, too.
50. Participate in a charity walk.

In all honesty, fall fun for kids is limited only by your imagination. Think outside the box and enjoy the season!

Suggested children’s books about homework:

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

Why Do Leaves Change Color? By Betsy Maestro

It’s Fall! by Linda Glaser

Clifford’s First Autumn by Norman Bridwell
Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival by Grace Lin