20+ Fall Activities to Add to Your Bucket List
Updated: Sep. 16, 2019Enjoy every minute of the crisp autumn season with these must-do activities.
Pick your own produce
Head over to an apple orchard or pumpkin patch to bring home produce you literally handpick. Not only can you enjoy your tasty takings, but it’s a great bonding activity for kids and grownups alike.
Here are the best apple picking spots in Canada.
Visit a farmers’ market
Heading to a local farmers’ market is one of our all-time favourite fall activities! People often consider this one a summer outing but there are still a few months left to enjoy seasonal, locally grown food from a farmers’ market. Bring your pickings back, and get creative with apples, beets, leeks, parsnips, and mushrooms—all of which are best in the fall.
Check out these ways to get the most out of your farmers’ market.
Make caramel apples
Autumn is apple season, making it the perfect time to enjoy some sweet, sticky caramel apples. Invite some friends over, and set up a dipping bar with crushed peanuts, granola, white chocolate chips, and more.
Play in the leaves
Raking your backyard will seem like much less of a chore when you turn the work into prep for fall activities like barreling full force into a pile of leaves. Even if you don’t have kids, let your inner child out while diving into the soft leaves.
Considering a road trip this fall? Discover the best place to see fall foliage in Canada.
Cozy up your house
Get in the mood of the season by making your home décor cozier as the air outside turns brisk. Drape a fuzzy blanket over your sofa, and add some mustard yellow or sienna throw pillows.
You’ll wish you knew these design tips from Brian Gluckstein sooner!
Make leaf art
Gather the prettiest fallen leaves, then press and varnish them to make them last. Mount your pressed leaves in frames for a pretty, autumn-inspired artwork that you’ll want to keep up all year.
Watch a scary movie
Fright night gives you an excuse to turn off all the lights while you huddle under a blanket for a scary movie date. We bet your partner won’t mind you cuddling close during the most suspenseful parts.
Learn the real reason you hate scary movies.
Nosh on Halloween candy
You might be too old to trick or treat, but you’re definitely not too old to enjoy sweets. Steal (just a few!) pieces from your kid’s stash, or stock up with a big bag during the post-Halloween markdowns.
Make sure you follow these Halloween etiquette rules.
Carve a pumpkin
Get your creative juices flowing by decorating a pumpkin. Stick with the traditional jack-o’-lantern, or carve a unique picture into your squash with pumpkin carving stencils.
Roast pumpkin seeds
Don’t throw out the seeds from your jack-o’-lantern. Clean off the major chunks of pulp, toss them with oil or butter and seasonings, then bake them at 150 degrees celsius (300°F) for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. You’ll end up with a tasty, fiber-rich snack that you can enjoy alone or throw into soups and salads for a bit of crunch.
Make a creative Halloween costume
Store-bought costumes are stress-free, but making your own lets you get creative. Find a silly pun (a holy cow, perhaps?) or dress up as a random household object that’s sure to get a few giggles.
Get inspired with these last-minute DIY Halloween costumes.
Enjoy a bonfire
When the weather is chilly but not frigid, a cozy bonfire can give your night a warm glow. Grab a few friends and some s’mores fixings, and share stories while you gather around the flames.
Visit a haunted house
Craving an adrenaline rush? Take a ghost tour through your town’s most haunted spaces, or set yourself up for a frightful night at a haunted house set up by your community. Reward your bravery afterward with a comforting cup of cocoa.
Read on for the creepy haunted house mysteries no one can explain.
Start a gratitude journal
Thanksgiving is a natural time to appreciate everything you have to be thankful for, but don’t limit it to late November. Make a habit of acknowledging something you’re grateful for every day, and record it in a journal. Flip through whenever you’re feeling down.
Discover Albert Einstein’s secret to happiness.
Take a stab at an old family recipe
Do you miss your grandma’s apple pie recipe or biscuits just the way your uncle made them? If you have the recipe written down, try your own hand at a classic family recipe during Thanksgiving to keep the tradition alive.
Consider trying these fabulous fall recipes with your family!
Host a chili cook-off
This is one of the tastier fall activities. Gather your friends and your best cooking skills, and compete for who can make the best chili. Reward the winner with a home-baked pie to take home, and have another on hand so everyone can satisfy their sweet tooth.
Volunteer as a family
Instead of (or before) sitting down for your own Thanksgiving feast, lend a hand at a local food pantry. Soup kitchens tend to see more volunteers and donations around the holidays, so make a commitment to volunteer once a week or once a month if you can.
Go beyond apple picking with these out-of-the-box fall activities.
Perfect your stew recipe
Stew is great comfort food on a chilly fall day, and it couldn’t be easier to make. Throw your ingredients in a slow cooker before work, and come home to a hearty dinner.
Attend a fall fair
Enjoy the last weeks of good weather before winter hits by hitting the end of festival season. Find a fair for the family, or see if your community is holding a craft beer festival for some kid-free entertainment.
Make your home smell like autumn
Buy a candle that smells like apple cider or maple, or make your own potpourri. Just break up spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, then combine with dried orange peels. Display in a bowl with items from a nature walk, like acorns and pinecones.
Take a nature drive
If you’re lucky enough to live near a forested area, go for a spin one afternoon so you can appreciate the beautiful golden yellows and bright crimsons of the changing leaves.
Don’t leave your driveway until you’re sure these road trip essentials are on board.
Play touch football
Don’t let the NFL have all the fun. Gather your family for an impromptu game of touch or flag football, or toss a pigskin around with your kids.
Hang a festive wreath
Invite the season in by hanging a fall-inspired wreath on your front door. Buy one with a foliage theme, or make your own with the help of your kids.
Next, learn about the superfoods nutritionists eat in fall.
