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September, 28 2018 Play

Fall Bucket List for the Family!

  1. Paint a pumpkin! No knife required.
  2. Read The Apple Orchard Riddle by Margaret McNamara
  3. Take a real-life TRIP to the apple orchard. Many places offer weekday discounts for young families.
  4. Take a drive or walk to look at the changing leaves. Start a new family tradition and enjoy the scenery – the beautiful colors are gone too quickly!
  5. Elsa, do you wanna build a scarecrow?” Use some old dress-up items as a base and fill your new friend with straw or other old clothes! Pro-tip: fill the foot of old pantyhose for a pillowcase the head and face! You can draw on eyes, a nose, and mouth with a sharpie.
  6. Sing “Little Pumpkins” as a finger play game! Count together “One little, two little, three little pumpkins, four little, five little, six little pumpkins, seven little, eight little, nine little pumpkins, all on Halloween night.” As November gets closer, try ending the song with “in my pumpkin pie” instead!
  7. Dress Up: keep the costume fun going all month long, not just on the 31st! Dress up allows young children a chance to use their imagination, encourage self expression, and even fine and gross motor skills (hello, buttons and zippers!). Clean out your closet (and dad’s, grandma’s, aunt Sophie’s) and create your own dress-up trunk!
  8. Read Just Say Boo! By Susan Hood
  9. Face painting – just cause! Face paint is a fun way to transform yourself into a new character – no costume required! Your local craft store should have some great, kid-safe face-paint, or try your own homemade version.
  10. Leaf rubbings. Collect your own leaves (make sure to find lots of different leaf species & textures), lay them under paper and tape the paper down to your table. Then turn a crayon on its side to reveal the beautiful veins and outline of each leaf.
  11. Create your own Fun House in YOUR house. Blind fold your kiddoes and have them touch and feel your creepy creations: eyeballs (peeled grapes), hearts (canned tomatoes), teeth (corn), goblin skin (cut up balloons), or witch’s hair (cooked spaghetti). You could also incorporate spooky sounds, distorted mirrors, and more sensory play!
  12. Rake leaves together! Work on responsibility and then have a blast jumping into the piles.
  13. Roast pumpkin seeds. Cooking together is not only a great bonding activity, but it will help with reading skills, science concepts, math skills, and life skills! Try letting your kids season your pumpkin seeds with their favorite spices: lemon pepper, chai, cayenne, curry, or cocoa!
  14. Tell spooky stories by candlelight, flashlight, or fireplace light.
  15. Make cider. Kids love cooking and nothing smells and feels like fall more than apple cider! Your local spice shop should have mulling spices on hand. Pick up apple juice at the grocery store and have your kids help you add the spices and a cinnamon stick as you heat it gently on the stove. Your house is going to smell fantastic 🙂
  16. Collect some pine cones or corn cobs. Pro tip: turn them into great art like this or this afterwards.
  17. Won’t you be my neighbor? If your kiddoes are trick-or-treating age this year, try doing a test run of your route and introduce yourself to your neighbors! You’ll learn who on your block has kids, who’s giving out great treats, and it will ease your anxiety on Halloween night as you ring doorbells to see familiar faces.
  18. It’s never too early to start making a list of what you’re thankful for. As fall gets underway and gone too quickly, start generating a family list of all the things you’re grateful for! If you have a family grocery list or chore chart, try adding the thankfulness list side-by-side so you can read the items all season long.

Let us know your favorites! What else is on your family bucket list? Comment below!