Fall is just around the corner, but how are you supposed to enjoy the season if you can’t visit pumpkin patches or go on hayrides?
While you might be missing out on a few of your favorite activities this year, you can find the beauty of fall in your own backyard. We’ve put together this guide to show you a few fall festivities that’ll be exciting for both you and your kids.
So let’s get started!
Table of Contents
- 1 1. Set up a Scavenger Hunt
- 2 2. Turn Your Sandbox into a Corn Box
- 3 3. Make a DIY Scarecrow
- 4 4. Design a Leaf Maze
- 5 5. Skip the Maze and Jump into a Leaf Pile Instead
- 6 6. Play Some “Spooky” Games
- 7 7. Carve Some Pumpkins
- 8 8. Put Together a Scary Egg Hunt
- 9 How to Enjoy Fall Festivities in Your Backyard This Year
1. Set up a Scavenger Hunt
Take a look into your backyard and see how many “fall” items are out there. This could include things like leaves, pinecones, or other types of plants.
If you don’t find a lot of fall in your yard, you can buy a few dried cobs of corn, small pumpkins, squash, bales of hay, and other pumpkin-patch staples. Keep track of what you get and hide them around your yard.
Then take your children outside for a scavenger hunt. Give them a list of what to look for and let them enjoy searching!
2. Turn Your Sandbox into a Corn Box
Cover your sandbox with a tarp and fill it with dried corn (or unpopped popcorn) instead. If you don’t have a sandbox, you can blow up an inflatable pool or use something similar.
Give your kids some sand toys and set them loose!
Corn will give them a new and interesting texture to explore. They’ll spend hours filling up buckets and dumping them out again.
3. Make a DIY Scarecrow
Making a scarecrow doesn’t just keep the kids entertained. It also gets your yard into the Halloween mood.
All you need are a few pieces of wood and some old clothes. You can follow this guide or get creative and put together your own scarecrow design.
Let your kids work together on a single scarecrow or, if you have enough supplies, let them each make their own. Then you can set them up in your garden or put them around the front door for Halloween decorations.
4. Design a Leaf Maze
Not sure what to do with all those leaves falling from the trees? Use them to design a leaf maze in your backyard. While it might not be the same as a corn maze, it can keep your kids entertained for hours.
If your kids are a little too old your mazes (or if they figure them out too fast!), tell them to gather the leaves and “draw” a design on the lawn. You can make pictures of pumpkins, cats, or other Halloween/fall-related items.
Make sure you choose a day that isn’t windy. Otherwise, you’ll be chasing the leaves instead of drawing.
5. Skip the Maze and Jump into a Leaf Pile Instead
Once you rake all those leaves into one place… you may not be able to resist it. If a leaf maze of leaf art seems too complicated, just let your kids jump in the leaf pile instead. You can even put a slide right next to the pile and create a leaf slide!
Give your kids some rakes (or bucks if you don’t have enough rakes) and have them help you gather the leaves into a giant mound. Then let them jump away to their hearts’ content.
And don’t be afraid to join in the fun! Let’s be honest, you might want to jump into those leaves even more than your kids.
6. Play Some “Spooky” Games
get creative with your outdoor space and set up some “spooky” games.
For example, you can set up a few obstacles—such as laying a table on its side, wait until after dark, bring out the flashlights, and play flashlight tag. To get your kids in the fall spirit, you can even have them dress up in costumes or wear fun onesies.
If your kids are too young to stay up after dark, you can set up a fun obstacle course during the day. You can use Halloween decorations or your great outdoor furniture to build it, so you don’t need anything fancy. Give them a piece of candy (or a different prize) if they can finish it in a certain amount of time.
7. Carve Some Pumpkins
It’s not fall if you aren’t carving pumpkins. Pick up some pumpkins at the pumpkin patch (you can leave the kids at home if you want to limit your time away from the house and social distance) and bring them home to carve.
You can spread out a tarp if you don’t want to make a mess in your backyard, and when you’re done, you can pick out the pumpkin seeds and bake them. This will give you a tasty, fall treat you can enjoy over the next few days.
8. Put Together a Scary Egg Hunt
Want to stay inside during Halloween this year? That doesn’t mean you can’t “hand out” candy to your kids.
Instead of trick-or-treating, fill plastic Easter eggs with your kids’ favorite candies and hide them around the backyard. Wait until it gets dark, give your children flashlights, and tell them to start hunting. You can even decorate the backyard with spooky Halloween decorations to complete the feel!
How to Enjoy Fall Festivities in Your Backyard This Year
Just because you’re social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy fall festivities. Use the ideas in this guide (and let yourself get even more creative!) to enjoy the beautiful season of fall this year.
Want to learn some other ideas that’ll keep your kids entertained? Don’t wait to take a look at the rest of our blog today!
