3 Family Traditions to Look Forward to Each Fall

By Sue Kirchner

Fall is my family’s favorite time of year. The weather isn’t so hot and the trees look gorgeous so we definitely take advantage of being outdoors. We also spend a lot of time planning and decorating for our spooky Halloween and Day of the Dead celebrations as well as our football parties so we can cheer on the Iowa Hawkeyes and Chicago Bears.

In addition, we have some fun family traditions in the fall that we all look forward to each year. The kids always help me get out the family calendar and mark the dates, so no one double books and missed out on the fun. If your kids are little they will love the surprises. If your kids are older, like mine, get them involved in the planning! It makes it much more fun and easier on Mom and Dad. So, if you need some ideas to have fun with your kids, no matter what their age, here are 3 of our favorite traditions.

1.     Fall Foliage Drive or Bike Ride – Traditionally we have love to grab the map and drive through our local forest preserves or if we are feeling adventurous we take the drive the Fall Foliage routes in Wisconsin to see the most amazing colors on the trees. If we are lucky, we’ll find an orchard or fruit stand to grab apple pie and other tasty fall treats. This year we are totally into biking so we’re going to grab our bikes for our drive up to Wisconsin and bike through the forests for a new experience. Read my tips on how to plan a family bike ride.

2.     Baking together in the kitchen – Whether it’s apples, pumpkins, squash, soups, or Halloween treats, we love to spend time together in the kitchen baking and cooking up our favorite dishes or trying something totally new. When the kids were little it was easy to find tasks where they could help. Now that they are older we each pick a recipe, make it, and then share the results with each other. Last year we were into Halloween cupcakes and Halloween pancakes. Whether we are making the same recipe or not, cooking together allows us to talk and connect over food, which are the warmest memories you can create for your kids or grand kids in my book. Check out my Cooking with the KidsPinterest Board for some inspiration.

3.     Crafting & Decorating for Halloween – We take decorating for Halloween very seriously at our house. We want to have the most festive house on the block. We go crazy decorating both inside and outside the house. I like to spend time with the kids making a new Halloween decoration or treats for our annual Halloween party. Now that they are older, I love their creepy ideas to make the party even better. You can see some of the Halloween decorations that I’ve made with the kids.

For more, check out 15 Fun Ideas to Enjoy the Fall Season with Your Family or my Fall Family Fun Board on Pinterest.

Do you have any Fall Family Traditions? What do you look forward to the most?

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Sue Kirchner is a family fun coach, kids party planner, and weekly contributor to Patch.com. Sue and her family fun ideas have been featured on TV, newspapers, magazines, blogs, as well as her own family fun site ChocolateCakeMoments.com.