This week, first time mom Melissa joins me on the blog to share some of her favorite fall activities for babies & toddlers!
Having a new baby or young toddler is an exciting time for families. Experiencing the holidays with your children can feel like being a child yourself again. Sometimes it can be difficult to find age-appropriate activities for your child.
The fall is my favorite time of the year!
Most of my memories come from the fall. When I see the leaves begin to turn and feel the crisp in the air, I always get excited!
This year I am even more excited because it will be my first fall as a mom.
Here are my top five (family friendly) fall activities:
Go on a hayride
Most local farms have hayrides & they are a great option for the whole family.
The rides aren’t terribly long and are usually a bit bumpy which is great for (fussy or sleepy) babies.
The scenery on the ride usually keeps older babies and toddlers entertained. When I was young my elementary school offered a hay ride in the evenings. It was something I always looked forward to and it was so much fun!
Apple/pumpkin picking
There is nothing better than apple and pumpkin picking in late September or early October. This could actually be split in two different days. Apple and pumpkin picking are such good ways to enjoy the weather (and tire out babies and toddlers).
You can put a young baby in a carrier so that you can enjoy apple or pumpkin picking hands free.
Walking around trying to find the best produce while lugging those apples and pumpkins will give you a bonus workout (that doesn’t feel like a workout—until the next day).
Bake a pie
My baby might be a bit young for this one still, but I plan to do it anyway! Baking is a wonderful activity for young children that can turn into lifelong memories. How many of you remember baking with your parents or grandparents?
It teaches them patience and responsibility with a built-in reward at the end. You can even use the apples you picked to make the pie.
Carve a jack-o-lantern
My husband used to make fun of me when we were dating because every Halloween I insisted upon carving a pumpkin to make a jack-o-lantern. Needless to say, I am very excited to share this tradition with my son!
My go to is the traditional face, but if you look on Pinterest there are tons of creative options.
Since it is my son’s first Halloween, we are going to try to carve an outline of his hands and feet onto a pumpkin.
Jump in a pile of leaves
Do you remember how fun it was to jump in a pile of fall leaves? I do!
This is a great activity to enjoy with your kids. It’s also a great opportunity to take fall pictures!
Babies will enjoy this activity too even if they can’t be put to work quite yet.
If you are crafty, have your toddler choose his or her favorite leaves and press those in some wax paper to create a toddler-friendly craft.
There you have it, my top five family friendly activities for the fall! What’s on your fall bucket list?
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Really great tips and ideas! We went apple picking last week and I’m making a pie this week! Thanks for the ideas!
Thanks Jehava! I need to add apple picking to our list of fall activities. I haven’t done that with my kids yet.