50 must-do fall activities for families

Nothing beats jumping into a huge pile of freshly-raked leaves.

Visit any of these awesome apple orchards across Canada with your family—it’s the perfect autumn activity! 

Throw a woodland party or a monster party! There’s no better way to celebrate fall than with a backyard celebration—you gotta enjoy the warm-ish weather while it lasts. 

Do your little ones want to dress up as a piñata, jellyfish or even a cupcake? Get a head start on your kids’ homemade Halloween costume with any of these super cute DIY ideas. If DIY isn’t your thing, check out your local costume shop.

Find the nearest pumpkin patch and spend the day enjoying outdoor activities, like hay rides, corn mazes, farmer’s markets and petting zoos. The best part is, you and your bunch can pick the biggest pumpkin to take home and carve for Halloween.

Carving not your thing? Trade in the knife for a glue gun and some paint, and you can make a tiger, sugar skull or fang-tastic Dracula. Here are some spooky, but super cute, no-carve pumpkins ideas.

It’s time for a little make-believe! Try out one of these 12 face painting tutorials and transform your kid into a zombie doll, a butterfly or even a cute, little lion. Roar!

Curl up with a big mug of maple hot chocolate. Or if you really want to get into the spirit of the season, try our recipe for these cute hot-chocolate pudding ghosts.

It might be too chilly to play outside, so here are some fun indoor games that you can play together. We highly recommend you try Magical Mama (or Papa). 

Get cozy on the couch and read a new book together.

Visit a haunted house in your local neighbourhood. Or better yet, get your family into the Halloween spirit and turn your house into one.

Go on a local nature walk, or visit any of these beautiful spots to take in the leaves changing colour on all of the trees.

Head out to the mall to get your little one ready for the cold weather ahead. Besides buying fall essentials like jackets and scarves, now is the time to get that snowsuit and those winter boots. Happy shopping. 

Whether you’re hosting a themed party or just want to impress trick-or-treaters, it’s fun to get into the Halloween spirit and decorate your house. And you don’t have to make your house spooky—silly is just as fun.

Seriously, it’s fun. You might think there may not be much to a bucket of water with floating apples, but it makes for a great party game or just a fun activity for the family. 

Prevent the battle of who got the bigger piece with these individual mini pumpkin pie tarts. They’re as delicious as they are adorable. If you’re serving a bigger crowd, try this yummy cheater pumpkin pie. It’s OK to cheat sometimes. 

Try making any of these adorably festive crafts using odds and ends, just in time for Thanksgiving. It will keep the kids busy while you’re making the feast. 

Watch kid-friendly Halloween classics, like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Halloweentown or Casper.

Make fall trail mix with candy corn and roasted nuts, or get in the spirit of Halloween with these monster doughnuts and skeleton cupcakes.

Invite some friends over, sit around a table and play some spooky games, like Boo Bingo. Or take it outside and play some ghost bowling.

Nothing says autumn like a belly full of chili. Try this make-ahead lentil chili  or put a new spin on the classic with tasty chili mac recipe that the entire family will love.

After walking around in a corn maze, you’ll start dreaming of corn. Whip up any of these delicious corn recipes, or throw a few stalks on the BBQ for some good ol’ corn on the cob.

Add pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice to your smoothies, pancake and waffle mix. Or try making your very own maple pumpkin butter.

Enjoy those crisp fall days and the gorgeous colours with a picnic! Keep warm food at the ready with insulated thermoses, or try any of these kid-friendly picnic recipes.

Whether it’s a colourful turkey made from a toilet paper roll or a simple harvest crown, these fall crafts are perfectly festive.

Get your family moving and plan a nature scavenger hunt by collecting colourful leaves, pinecones, and other fall-like objects. Bonus: you’ll have a beautiful backdrop. Tip: Use some of the things you find outdoors to make nature crafts.

After you go apple picking, you have to make apple treats. But baking apple pie isn’t super fun for kids. But they will love making monkey bread!

These candy-corn apples are perfect for October 30th, which is National Candy Corn Day. 

This is two activities in one! Send the kids out to find the best pinecones and then decorate them anyway you’d like—with paint, sequins, glitter or beads (fluorescent pink, anyone?) This is also a great opportunity to make the perfect Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Go outside, collect some colourful leaves, and use them to make some festive crafts. Make a gorgeous garland, a leaf crown or do a leaf press with crayons.

For some classic family fun, visit a fall fair in your area. Eat some tasty treats, ride the ferris wheel and hey, maybe even participate in a pie-eating contest.

Once you figure out the easy way to dig them out, try cinnamon-maple roasted pumpkin seeds for a tasty snack.

Don’t let cabin fever set in on those rainy days; get your family suited up in their most fashionable raingear and jump on in.

Make a fall bouquet of sunflowers and pussywillows. Use them in a wreath for your front door, or gather them for a festive Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Plant a windowsill garden so you’ll have fresh herbs throughout the winter, or make this easy terrarium that the kids will love.

The cooler weather means it’s time for a big bowl of comforting soup. Slurp on! 

Amp up the spook factor in your house with this super adorable cheesecloth ghosts.

Nothing says fall like pumpkins! And these fun puffed-rice pumpkin treats are perfect for making with the kids.

Gather ’round a cozy campfire (or your fireplace) and tell the scariest ghost stories you can think up. To add to the authenticity, roast some marshmallows and make some tasty s’mores.

Go to a football game, or gather your mini team and play one as a family.

Test each other with these fun fall facts, or to keep it all-things pumpkin, wow the kids with these interesting facts about pumpkins.

Gather the troops and some potato sacks and have an epic sack race outside.

While the weather is still warm, pack the kids up, along with your gear, and go to a popular campground, or keep it easy and pitch a tent in the backyard. Enjoy fun camping games, crafts and stargazing to keep the little ones entertained.

If you’d prefer to keep things indoors, make the coolest indoor fort ever. Grab your sleeping bag, some blankets and pillows and camp out in your living room. Who says you can only camp in the summer?

Can’t decide on pizza or grilled cheese for dinner? Mash them together in a fun way with this tasty mummy pizza grilled cheese. 

Make your very own scarecrow for your backyard or front lawn. Take inspiration from The Wizard of Oz. 

Make popcorn on the stove and smother it with the craziest toppings you can think of. Or, try this tasty Kettle Corn Snack Mix for movie night.

Apples and pumpkins are everywhere in the fall, but have your kids try something new by slicing up some sweet and juicy persimmons. 

You might think it’s a little early considering you’re still buried in candy and costumes, but this is a perfect time to check that family Christmas card off your to-do list. 

If you and the family are in the mood to be scared or creeped out, then look no further. Check out one of these thrilling Halloween events across the country.