Brooke Carlson, brand friend, mama, NASM certified personal trainer, certified TRX instructor and woman behind Carlson Fit, shares her advice on how to soak up the seasonal joys of autumn with her take on fun fall activities for the whole family.
Fall is finally here (even if it comes a little later here in Arizona) — it is one of my favorite times of year with the cooler weather, pumpkin everything, the flavors a new season brings and the excitement my children have for fun fall activities. I’m a mom of two, a 4-year-old boy and 2-year-old girl. By early-September we were talking about some of the fall activities we want to do. We’ve actually crossed a couple of them off our list already because we couldn’t wait!
Here are a few of our favorites fall activities:
1. Visit local pumpkin patches
This is one of my very favorite things to do! I’ve heard Arizona’s pumpkin patches don’t live up to the pumpkin patches in other parts of the country, but we still love them. In fact, we love them so much we usually hit up a different pumpkin patch every week in the month of October. Pro tip, look for discounts on deal sites, at grocery stores and on the pumpkin patch websites. We’ve always had good luck finding them there.
2. Make homemade caramel apples
Did you know you can make a much more nutritious version of caramel sauce using dates?! I was skeptical at first, but it’s really good. Here is a recipe I like: Date Caramel Apple Pops. The best part is having the kids involved and letting them have fun with the toppings — nuts, sprinkles, marshmallows, dark chocolate, peanut butter and definitely a crumbled up Perfect Bar.
3. Paint pumpkins
This is a fun one for little kids! Let them pick out their own miniature pumpkins and then go to town painting them at home. They can add googly eyes, make faces on them, add stickers, or glitter if you’re brave.
4. Make pine cone bird feeders
I LOVED making these bird feeders as a kid and am excited for my kids to make them for the first time this year. To make your pine cone bird feeders collect some pine cones (which is a fun activity on its own!). Tie a string to the top of them, so that you’ll be able to hang them when you are done. Next, spread peanut butter all over the pine cones and roll them in birdseed! Then sit back with your little ones as you watch new birds enjoy them.
5. Go on a nature walk
All I can think about this time of year is being outside! We like to spend as much time outside as possible and this is a simple activity you can do as you walk around and explore: Come up with a list of objects, animals, etc. for your kids to find on your nature walk. Some examples could include a pumpkin on someone’s porch, a fallen leaf, a bird, etc. If your children can’t read yet, you can draw or cut out little pictures for them. Depending on the ages of your kids you can help them cross off the items on the list (or they can do it themselves) as they find them.
I love looking back on the memories my family creates every fall; they are some of the best times. These are just a few simple ideas that my family enjoys, but the options are endless! What are your favorite fall activities?! Tell us below.
Don’t forget to pack snacks on your fall adventure! Perfect Bar Mini is easy to take on-the-go and will keep you and your kiddos fueled as you make your way through this seasonal bucket list.
