Autumn Activities for Kids
Stargazing Under Crisp Autumn SkieS
As the evenings grow longer and cooler, autumn offers some of the clearest skies of the year. Pack blankets, a telescope, and hot chocolate, or book a private astronomer-led evening to learn about constellations and planets together.
Take a Scenic Heritage Train Ride
There's something magical about seeing autumn colors from the window of a vintage steam or heritage railway. Many routes offer seasonal journeys through forests, vineyards, and mountain landscapes, creating an unforgettable family outing.
Volunteer Together
Autumn is a wonderful time to teach children about giving back. Spend a morning harvesting produce for a local food bank, planting trees, or helping prepare community Thanksgiving meals. Shared acts of service often become lasting family traditions.
Learn a Traditional Autumn Craft
Spend an afternoon making seasonal wreaths, pressing leaves, arranging dried flowers, or learning simple woodworking or pottery together. Handmade decorations often become cherished keepsakes that return year after year.
DIY HALLOWEEN HAUNTED HOUSE KIT
Williams Sonoma is the ultimate source for all things Holiday, and with this do-it-yourself Haunted House kit, it's easy to build an edible Halloween mansion that meets your spooky specifications.
Paper Bat Garland
Give their bedroom a holiday makeover by draping this paper garland over their door frame, windows, or shelves. To make, download this bat stencil, then trace the shape onto a piece of black craft paper and cut out the bat with scissors. Place the stencil back atop each critter you create and use a bone folder to make creases along the dotted lines on the stencil. Fold the creases opposite ways on each wing to make the wings 3D. Attach each bat to a long piece of string with tiny black clothespins.
(For other stencil themes, check out this Pinterest board here).
VIRTUAL HALLOWEEN PARTIES
In the UK? Head to Captain Fantastic for Virtual Halloween Parties
HALLOWEEN-THEMED MOVIE NIGHT
Snuggle up with a Halloween-themed movie (check out our Autumn movie list here) with a DIY popcorn and halloween candy buffet
ARTS AND CRAFTS PROJECTS
Baker and Ross has some of the best arts and crafts projects that will keep your children busy for hours (our Creative Director Lily swears by their DIY projects for her children!)
Visit an Outdoor Sculpture Park
Link to earlier Art feature
Create a Seasonal Nature Journal
Head outdoors with sketchbooks, watercolor pencils, or a camera to document changing leaves, mushrooms, birds, and wildlife throughout the season. It's a beautiful way to encourage observation, creativity, and curiosity.
Explore a Botanical Garden
Many of the world's finest botanical gardens come alive in fall with spectacular foliage, seasonal installations, and family discovery trails. Gardens often host nature walks, scavenger hunts, and educational programs throughout the season.
Cook a Seasonal Feast Together
Visit a local farmers' market, choose fresh seasonal ingredients, and prepare a meal as a family. Homemade soups, apple desserts, pumpkin pasta, or fresh bread create opportunities for conversation while teaching children the value of cooking from scratch.
AUTUMN ACTIVITIES
BISCUITEERS DIY SKULL COOKIES
We love Biscuiteers DIY cookie boxes, and with this Halloween’s DIY Día de los Muertos-inspired skulls kit, they once again did not disappoint. Inside the kit you'll find 12 ready-to-ice chocolate skull biscuits, colourful decorations, icing sugar, and piping bags.
PUMPKIN PATCH
Head over to a Pumpkin Patch. As they are outdoors and allow for social distancing, most are open this year, with pumpkin and apple picking aplenty, along with other Halloween-themed fun and treats to buy, like classic spiced donuts, apple cider, and caramel candy apples.
HAUNTED HOUSE
Create a haunted house or trick or treating maze in your own home, with each room decorated with a different theme, and halloween candy hidden throughout (if you’re up for it, you can even make a Halloween-themed candy Treasure Map).
