Fall has so many wonderful opportunities for fun its hard to decide just where to start.
Pumpkins and leaves always come to my mind first.
We grow lots of pumpkins, so plucking bright, orange balls from the field always plays a part in our fall fun. We use them to decorate the inside and outside of our house. Then our sons sell or give away the rest.
And, we love roasted pumpkin seeds. We spread them on a greased pizza pan, sprinkle them with salt and garlic, and bake until they are just lightly brown.
Since we moved to a more rural location, I just let the leaves fall and make colorful yard decorations. But when we lived in town, raking leaves was a must, so we made it part of our fall entertainment. We raked big piles for the kids to jump in and tunnel through. Sometimes they played in them so much we had to rake them again before we could remove them.
We love crunching through leaves on the bike path too. The colorful fall leaves and cooler weather make riding simply delightful. Although I enjoy biking any time, I really savor those last rides in the fall. The paths often have fewer riders so the boys and I can ride side by side and talk more easily.
Much the same can be said for hiking. We love to pick up nuts and use falling leaves to help us practice tree identification. Birds preparing to migrate provide interesting entertainment too. We had a great time recently watching a huge group of red wing black birds.
For even more fall exercise, try getting out to cut, split, and stack firewood. Its a great way to work together. And, curling up in front of a warm fire while the winter wind blows is a great way to celebrate your efforts.
Let the chickens finish off the last bits of the garden. Their antics are endlessly entertaining. When we let ours take over a couple of weeks ago, they were like kids in an amusement park trying to decide what to do first.
Look for local festivals. The fall season seems to abound with a variety of free or cheap local events. We enjoy watching artisans and eating unique treats.
We also like visiting orchards this time of year. We stock up and make apple everything. As well as making pies, crumbles, and such, we dehydrate a number of apples to snack on while we are on the move. Making cider and apple butter is lots of fun too.
The return to routine can open up lots of opportunities during the fall as well. Try taking a class or joining a group. My husband and I spent one fall and winter taking classes on beekeeping.
Fall is a great time to get ready for winter fun too. Start thinking about holiday parties, get-togethers and dinners. How about putting together a list of questions to ask older members of the family? Make arrangements to record their answers. Family stories are too valuable to let them slip away.
How about snuggling in to read a great book or try writing something. Write some of those wonderful family stories or create a story for your kids. Get them involved with a progressive story. Write the first page and let the kids take turns writing sections until the story is finished.
Whether its getting out to enjoy the cooler weather and fall colors or settling in, fall has so many choices for fun, the hardest part may be deciding how to fit it all in before the snow flies.
