Despite the holiday lights and trees that are going up everywhere we are still in the fall season! It is a wonderful time of year, especially if you live in a climate that blesses you with leaves that turn red, yellow and orange. In my opinion, it’s the most beautiful time of year here in western New York. The weather is starting to cool, the air smells like crisp leaves, and all of the fun fall activities are in full force. Check out our list of ABC’s for full fall enjoyment!
A - Apple picking, of course! Who doesn’t love wandering around finding the plumpest, reddest, juiciest looking apples?
B - Bake an apple pie. Bake a pumpkin pie. Bake fall themed cookies from the store. Bake anything - it’s a great way to spend fun, quality time with your loved ones and make your house smell delicious at the same time!
C - Corn Mazes are such fun things to do with a small (or large!) group of people. Navigate your way through your local corn maze and see if you can make it to the end without getting lost. If it’s been wet where you live, make sure you wear some rain boots!
D - Decorate! Your front door, your yard, your house - decorate it all. Get in the spirit and let your kids help you decide what to put where.
E - Eat candy. Because there is no better time to indulge in buckets full of candy than now. This time of year, candy is calorie-free! Well, not really, but we will pretend if you will!
F - Find local fall festivals and attend them. You’ll likely meet many local vendors and farms that you could start to support throughout the year. We love shopping and supporting local!
G - Grab a flashlight, head to the campfire (real or fake), and share some spooky ghost stories! You can make them spooky and scary, or silly and fun! Don’t forget to bring the marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars for s’mores!
H - Host a fall shindig - for kids and adults alike. Think of all the fall activities you could put together for all of your favorite people. The possibilities are endless!
I - Invite your friends over for a cup of coffee or hot chocolate just to catch up - there’s no better reason than no reason at all! If you want to get fancy, you can get pumpkin spice flavored coffee.
J - Jump on over to the closest hayride. They are a fall staple! Find a local farm and hop on the tractor for a hayride. Personally, My husband prefers spooky/scary ones, but me and the kids like the relaxing ones.
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K - Kite flying has never had a better backdrop (well, maybe if it were being done on a beach in the Caribbean somewhere...). Relive your childhood with your own children and fly a kite. It worked for the family in Mary Poppins!
L - Leave your house for the weekend and go camping!
M - Make some Thanksgiving crafts with the kids. They make great gifts for grandparents too.
N - Night star sightings! The leaves are falling off the trees and opening up those views to the skies. See if you can find any major constellations or make up your own story about the stars.
O - Outdoor movies are a great nighttime activity to do in the fall - the air is crisp, the sun sets sooner, and it’s not too cold to be outside!
P - Pumpkin carving! I know that may seem like a Halloween only activity, but you could carve some fun fall themed ones too.
Q - Quiet time! Take advantage of the time you have before the upcoming holidays to enjoy some quiet time - either alone or with your family! Your bodies will long for it come the craziness of the holiday season.
R - Rake up all those fallen leaves into a big pile and have a family jump fest. It’s good exercise and the fresh air is great for the kids - might even result in a quality nap for them and/or you.
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S - Schedule a photoshoot with your favorite local photographer and capture some sweet memories of your family enjoying the beautiful outdoors.
T - Turn up the volume! Play some music outside and have a dance party in the backyard before the snow comes.
U - Unplug for a day. An entire day. No TV, no ipads, no phones, no computers. Devote an entire day to being offline. It’s refreshing for your soul, and you might be surprised at how much your kids enjoy it too!
V - Vote on your favorite dessert and vow to make that for a winter holiday dinner.
W - Walk - alone, with a friend, or with your whole family. Breathe in the cool air. Appreciate the beautiful trees as they are splattered with color. 
X - X marks the spot for a fun treasure hunt with a fall-themed treat at the end, in a treasure chest of course!
Y - Yank out an old Steno pad and create a scavenger hunt for your kids! These make great memories for the kids.
Z - Zip up your jacket and brace yourself for the colder weather that’s sure to come your way!
And there you have it, our fall ABC (DEF’s…..) must-do list! If you ever find yourselves bored, or wondering what to do with yourselves some weekend, refer back to this list. How many do you think you can accomplish this season?
Author: Katie Quataert