Fall is my favorite time of year for traditions right after Christmastime. The sounds of leaves crunching, pumpkin spice everything and cozy sweaters and boots just make me so happy. This time of year always gets me thinking about things we can do together as a family. We do many of the same things every year but we always love seeing what kinds of activities Wichita has going on in the cooler fall months. These are some of our favorite yearly family traditions!
- Take a trip to the pumpkin patch. Like most other families, the one constant yearly tradition we partake in is making a trip out to a pumpkin patch. We put on our boots and plaid shirts and go! Sometimes we go to the same one each year and sometimes we go to more than one! No matter which one we go to we always have such a good time. Check out WMB’s list of pumpkin patches here.
- Carve/paint pumpkins. This has been one of my kids’ favorite fall activities that we do each year. We started about 8 or 9 years ago with my nephews and they loved it too! This is something that all kids regardless of age can participate in. With my preschooler we use regular nontoxic paint for his pumpkin but with the younger kids we use a safe food dye to add to different bowls of vanilla pudding. Then they get to “paint” their pumpkins with pudding so it’s safe (and yummy!) if they get it in their mouths. This will be the first year that we’ll attempt carving with our five-year old. (Bonus tip: if you carve pumpkins and your kids enjoy playing with sensory bins, then save and wash the pumpkin seeds because they make a great addition to a fall-themed sensory bin!)
- Bake and decorate. September 1st is when we break out all of our fall décor. Both of our kids love to help put up all of our decorations throughout the house. It’s even more special to them when we let them pick out their own little pumpkin or fall decoration to put in their rooms. While we decorate we usually have something baking in the over. Our favorites are pumpkin bread or homemade snickerdoodle cookies that we make into leaf or pumpkin shapes. Fall kicks off baking season here! Check out this darling free printable banner for super-simple decor.
- Family pictures. The changing colors of the trees and a gorgeous autumn sunset is the perfect backdrop for updating those family photos every year. I don’t know if all husbands hate this activity the way that my husband does (seriously, you’d think it causes him physical pain), but it’s worth it! I love hanging memories on the walls. For tips on fall family photos, check out this post!
Nothing brings families together like having some good, fun traditions to count on each year. Traditions are great for kids because it gives them a sense of security when something happens consistently every year. So no matter what your family likes to do in the fall, being together and creating those memories are the best part that they’ll remember forever.
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