fall activities Archives - Darling Darleen

Pumpkin Patch with Older Kids

Our Fall Family Tradition to the Pumpkin Patch

It’s a tradition! We have been keeping this fall family tradition alive since our babies were babies! Every autumn season, we head to the pumpkin patch for fall activities and pick that perfect pumpkin. Although some of my older children find it boring, I still think heading to the pumpkin patch with older kids can be festive and a fun-filled family activity. They might not be into the hay ride as they once were or feeding the goats, but you can still have happy memories while keeping the pumpkin patch family tradition alive.

1. Find a Corn Maze

Instead of petting zoo, we look for pumpkin patches that have a corn maze. My kids love getting lost in the corn maze and so do my husband and I. We also tell a scary but silly story before we head into the corn maze or we tell the kids to look out for certain markers in the corn maze. Corn mazes are a great activity when at the pumpkin patch with older kids

2. Find the Roundest Pumpkin

Older kids love a challenge. So we always give the challenge to our kids to try and find the roundest, perfectly shaped pumpkin. They love a good hunt and a good argument too!

3. Grab a Wagon

Grab a wagon or wheelbarrow, and make your older kids work while they are having fun at the pumpkin patch. We go around the pumpkin patch picking out our top favorite pumpkins and then at the end of our time at the patch, we put back the ones we don’t want. The kids always have a good time pulling the wagon.

4. Enjoy the Moment

Older kids can be so silly and not the photogenic children they once were. All I can hear from my kids are “no more pictures mom!”. Instead, take pictures of the moment. You know–the raw, non-perfect pictures. You’ll probably love them even more over time!

5. Enjoy the Homemade Goods

At most pumpkin patch fields, there are local homemade goods of either apple cider donuts or local raw honey or baked goods or homemade ice cream. Part of heading to the pumpkin patch is to enjoy these little small moments that are captured by all sense–one being taste! We love to pick up a box of hot apple cider donuts and a pint of apple cider juice. My kids love it and make the pumpkin patch a sweet family tradition!

New England Fall Activities

New England Fall Activities

Well we have kissed our long summer days behind. It’s been a good one, and we will miss it dearly except for the moving part . Fall is right here, except for the random 80 degree weather we’ve been having. I am holding on to those warm days but Fall is the Northeast is one of my favorite seasons. Since we’ve moved back up we have been talking about all of our old favorite fall activities that we had enjoyed during the time we lived up here before. The color of the leaves look like a painting. The smell in the air is truly that yummy cinnamon smell. It’s so festive and beautiful! I am excited to share these Fall moments with my children. So, I had to put together a New England Fall Activities list to get them excited, and to help ease the pain of this move. Yes, they are still adjusting and missing their life in the South. They don’t remember life before Georgia, even though they were all born in Connecticut!

One of the patterns I love to wear in the fall is leopard! Leopard is surprising easy to pair with color and denim. And it a great way to bring fall into your daily outfit. Leopard print is still a strong pattern for fall, so if you don’t have any leopard introduce it into your wardrobe with accessories like shoes or hand bag or pants. I like to wear a little bit of leopard paired with something else. Don’t do a leopard over kill! Wear one leopard print then pair it with a solid.

I may be wearing my leopard when I hit up our New England Fall Activities List. I am excited to make new memories with them and remind them of all the activities they used to enjoy.

New England Fall Activities List

Apple picking up at Lyman Orchard Farm
Make homemade applesauce and apple pies with our picked apples
Visit the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (so much history in one spot and the cemetery is beautiful to explore in the fall)
Go see the Great Jack o’ Lantern Blaze
Learn to make apple cider doughnuts (or pick them up at the local farmer!)
Harvest pumpkins at Jones Family Farm (they are still on the vine and in the field)
Head to Vermont to see Fall Foliage and pick up fresh maple syrup from the maple tree farms
Go whale watching in Cape Cod–October is the best time to see the humpback whales
Go hiking in Mount Washington and take the Cog Railway down the mountain
Get lost in a corn maze
Take a class at Stone Barns Center

Here is our list of Fall Activities that we did last year. It was so much fun! I’m pretty sure we did most of the activities but not all. I always set the bar high but never quite am able to complete it all. What are some of your favorite fall activities?

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Fall To Do List

Fall To Do List

This season’s schedule has probably been the most crazy with our children’s sports, dance and musical activities. Looking at our calendar, you would think we’d never have time to do anything fun! A Fall To Do list is a must. I know. I know. I’m one of those mom’s that over schedules my kids, but it keeps them out of trouble and off the devices! Anyway, I’d say we’ve been pretty good about taking any open timeframe and making the most of what we’ve got and fully enjoy the Fall season. With this change over to a new season and it’s usually a short season, a Fall To Do List is a definite must have! For me, the best way to do this is through the use of Post-It Notes. Once I’ve completed a task, I can just cross it off or remove it from the board completely. There’s so much for me to do this month and I don’t think I would be able to get through it all without writing a list.

Finally down here in the South, the leaves are changing colors and there is that crisp breeze against the warm sun. Just cool enough for jackets and boots, but still warm to spend the entire day outside enjoying the beauty of all the Fall colors. One of the first Fall activities we did on our Fall To Do List was go apple picking. When we lived in Connecticut, we started the apple picking tradition when our babies we so little. The apples are so yummy up in the northeast, and you can even get fresh maple syrup. Luckily, we have found a few apple orchards in North Georgia that have a few different varieties of apple trees. Not the same as Connecticut picking, but good enough to make a fresh homemade apple pie.

Of course, a trip to the pumpkin patch is a must on our Fall To Do List. When the Fall season arrives, I always get a little nostalgic for our time living in Connecticut. New England just simply has the best Fall days. Which bring be back to the pumpkin patch. We have been searching for a true pumpkin patch down here in the South where you can go and pick your own pumpkin off the vine…in a field. From what I hear it’s just too warm to grow good quality of pumpkins. So, instead we just head to the “pumpkin patch” to buy an overpriced pumpkin. The kids still love it. The plus side is we’ve come across some pretty good corn mazes.

So here our Fall To Do List that we have done or still planning to do before this season quickly moves on to winter! What are some of your favorite things on your Fall To Do List?

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