Your Fall Guide to Exploring Nature

Around these parts, fall is all about The Big Explorer’s birthday (he turns 8 next week – gasp!), Halloween, Thanksgiving and getting ready for the biggest holiday of them all in December. It’s a time full of crisp evenings, yummy foods and general mass excitement.

The catch for us during all this fun is finding time to slow down, head outside, connect with each other and with nature.

If you need a few ideas for exploring nature this fall, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve been collecting ideas for a while now (and have a few of my own, of course!).

Here are just a few great ways to get outside and connected with nature this fall:

1. Create a fall fun list & turn your “want tos” into “to dos”
2. Go on a fall nature photo scavenger hunt 
3. Gather leaves on a nature walk, then make a fall leaf crown, leaf necklace or leaf people 
4. Jump in a pile of leaves
5. Go apple picking (then polish them, bake them, bob for them – anything that sounds fun to your family)
6. Visit a pumpkin patch
7. Hunt for spider webs (bonus if you see spiders, too)
8. Get into the garden with 10 fall garden activities for kids  
9. Play a game of I Spy Crows
10. Try one of 10 ideas for Halloween nature fun 
11. Go on a Halloween scavenger hunt 
12. Treat your backyard wildlife to a snack-o-lantern 
13. Head outdoors & play on rainy days 
14. Plan a fall camping trip 
15. Take a hike
16. Go on a thankfulness walk 
17. Jump in puddles after a rain (or during!)
18. Take a flashlight walk 
19. Make a thankfulness tree 
20. Design your own rain art  
21. Create autumn brushes 
22. Visit a local state or national park
23. Adorn your front door with a leafy door hanger
24. Enjoy a Thanksgiving Day scavenger hunt
25. Fly a leaf kite

PLUS even more ideas for fall nature fun!

• 10 fun fall activities with kids from Appalachain Mountain Club
• 40 pumpkin activities for kids from hands on: as we grow
• Best fall hikes for families in Los Angeles 
• Fall activity guide from ActiveKidsClub.com
• Fall Activity Guide (pdf) from Nature Rocks
• My Fall Outdoor Fun ideas on Pinterest

This is a work in progress! Please add your own ideas (and links) for ways to connect with nature this fall in the comments below.