A Fall Bucket List for Kids, With a Little Sparkle Along the Way

Fall goes fast. One week it is sandal weather, and the next she is asking where her favorite sweatshirt went. A bucket list helps you slow the season down, and it turns ordinary weekends into the things your kids will still be talking about next year.

Here are 12 ideas, split into the kinds of days you will actually have. Pick a few, skip the rest, and add your own.

Outside

1. Jump in the biggest leaf pile you can build. Rake it together first. The raking is half the fun.

2. Take a leaf color walk. Give each kid a paper bag and a list: something red, something yellow, something crunchy.

3. Visit a pumpkin patch and let them pick their own. Bonus points if they have to carry it back themselves.

4. Have a backyard picnic in a jacket. Hot chocolate in a thermos makes any cold afternoon feel like an occasion.

In the kitchen

1. Bake something with apples. Muffins, a crisp, or just sliced apples with cinnamon sugar.

2. Roast the pumpkin seeds. Let her pick the seasoning, even if the result is questionable.

3. Make a big pot of soup and call it a fall feast. Kids eat more when they helped stir.

Out and about

1. Go to a fall festival or a hayride. Check your local events page, since many run only a few weekends.

2. Visit a corn maze. Start with the kid friendly one.

3. Do a costume or craft night. Paint a pumpkin, make a scarecrow, or put together a Halloween look.

The sparkle moments

A little sparkle goes a long way when the days get shorter and grayer.

1. Pick out a new pair of earrings for the season. Let her choose between the warm colors she is drawn to. Letting kids make the call is a small way to build confidence. 

2. Wear something sparkly to the pumpkin patch. Mud, hay, and glitter can all coexist.

If you do only one thing on this list, make it the leaf pile. If you do two, add the sparkle.

Your turn: What is on your family's fall list? Tell us in the comments, or tag us in your favorite fall moments.