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Backyard Activities

• Build a fire pit. Tell stories around the fire, roast marshmallows and wieners, and make S’mores. Around a fire pit is a great place to make happy fall memories and reconnect with one another.

• Watch an outdoor movie. We usually just move a TV to our back deck, which is a simple way to watch a movie outside. You could also get an inflatable movie screen or even hang a sheet on a wall if you have a movie projector. Lots of places are offering free socially distanced outdoor movies as well, so check locally!

• Pitch a tent in the yard and camp out. Maybe you don’t want to be at the crowded campground this fall, but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy a good camping trip to your backyard! Grab the flashlights and snacks! Bonus: The bathroom is just across the yard!  

• Make homemade hot cocoa to enjoy one crisp fall night. Not a fan? Substitute for hot tea or apple cider. 

• Rake together a giant leaf pile. Do you have an awesome childhood memory of jumping in a huge pile of leaves? I think every kid should have that memory!

• Make leaf and twig people. This post from Fantastic Fun and Learning gives instructions for creating cute leaf people. Aren’t they just adorable?

• Create a corn box. It’s like the corn pit at the festival you usually go to, but without coronavirus. Get a small kiddie pool and fill with bags of dried corn. Throw in a few scoops, bowls, and dump trucks, and your kids will be happy for hours.

• Build a fairy house. Gather twigs, leaves, pinecones, stones, and other natural elements and build a fairy house (or a whole fairy village). This is a really fun and creative activity for kids of all ages.

• Have a cookout. Take advantage of the fall weather by making your meal outdoors. Nothing beats a grilled hotdog on an autumn evening, followed by roasted marshmallows!

• Create a leaf maze. You may not be able to go to the corn maze this year, but you can create your own little backyard labyrinth with leaves!

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Traveling Activities

• Go for a hike. Take in the beauty of the autumn foliage! Consider doing a scavenger hunt for things like acorns, squirrels, and colorful leaves to keep the little kids engaged. The fresh air and exercise will have you all feeling better. 

• Visit a pumpkin patch. Nothing says fall is here quite like picking out pumpkins and gourds. There’s plenty of room in large patches to allow for social distancing, so grab a wagon and load up. 

• Go apple picking. This is another outdoor activity that allows for proper social distancing. 

• Go for a picnic. Pack your sandwiches, veggies, and fruit, and head out for a nice picnic in the park while the weather is still nice!

• Take a fall foliage scenery drive. Back country roads are great to drive on in the late fall. They’re often less traveled and covered in lots of beautiful, colorful leaves. 

• Visit a sunflower farm. There’s just something about walking through a field of sunflowers! It’s a beautiful place to visit that your kids are sure to remember.

• Tour a haunted attraction. Just do a search for ghost tours and haunted houses near you! Your teens will have a blast.

• Take that beach trip now. As the crowds thin out in the fall, it’s the perfect time to take that beach vacation and still maintain proper social distancing. Plus, the weather is still warm enough at most beaches to enjoy before the snow starts flying back home.

• Try kayaking or canoeing. There’s a fun family adventure for you! Maybe it’ll become a new tradition.

• Go horseback riding. Riding along a trail through the changing leaves? Yes, please. 

Rebecca Eanes is the bestselling author of multiple books including Positive Parenting: An Essential Guide, The Positive Parenting Workbook, and The Gift of a Happy Mother. She is the grateful mom of two boys.