This post was requested by a number of my followers on Instagram when I did my beauty giveaway a few months ago. As you can see I am slowly making my way through those requests. If you commented with your request and haven’t seen me post about it yet, don’t worry I’ve got a list with all of your requests and I’m adding into my regular and seasonal content.
Since it is now officially fall I thought I better get this post out ASAP. I’ve been compiling a list of things I want to do with Mason, who is by definition a toddler. I want to share with you my ideas for toddler friendly fall activities but I’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments below if you have other activities that are toddler friendly not on the list. I’m definitely down for more fall activity suggestions because lately the energy level is non-stop to the max!
20 Toddler Friendly Fall Activities:
1. Put on your rain boots and rain coat and go puddle jumping. I don’t know many toddlers who don’t like jumping in puddles. Even last year when Mason was not yet a toddler he sure loved stomping around in puddles as well as sticking his hands in to see what the water and mud felt like.
2. Collect fall leaves and create art. Mason is super creative and absolutely loves art projects so this one I have been highly anticipating. Since we don’t experience seasons like other areas of the country I am going to do my best to find a tree with changing leaves that we can pick and make leaf art.
3. Go apple picking. My son absolutely loves apples and eats one a day. I think this would be so fun to take him to a nearby apple orchard and let him see where apples comes from and pick some to eat. Getting a lesson and fun time in one, thats a major win in my book!
4. Go to a pumpkin patch. We have a pumpkin patch right down the hill from us so we’ve already gone there twice. I plan on taking Mason to a big pumpkin patch with lots of toddler friendly activities at least once this year, maybe twice. Last year, Justin and I took Mason to the pumpkin patch and he was a bit overwhelmed by all the people. I’m guessing this year will be more fun for him.
5. Decorate pumpkins. So far we’ve picked up five pumpkins for our front porch. I’m thinking we still need to get a couple big ones but I also want to let Mason decorate some smaller pumpkins. I’m thinking of letting him paint a couple since he’s not old enough to carve one.
6. Build a fort. Since playing indoors in the fall and winter is inevitable I really want to build a fort for Mason to play in. The old fashioned kind of fort with pillows and bed sheets.
7. Have a no TV day. I feel often I rely on the TV to help me when I need to get stuff done around the house. I’m looking forward to some mellow days this fall where we don’t even go in the living room but instead sing, play, and read all day.
8. Go on a nature walk. Luckily for us, living in Santa Cruz there are lots of places to go on nature walks nearby our house. This is such a great activity to get outdoors (not on rainy days), breathe in the fresh air, feel the breeze on your face and in your hair, and check out nature. I don’t think I can describe it, but when we walk down the hill to preschool in the mornings Mason will tilt his head back a bit to really feel the crisp air and look up at the sky. Remember for your toddler, they take joy in the everyday little things. Embrace them this fall and let them explore the outdoors.
9. Decorate for Halloween. This is something to get your toddlers involved with. It’s a great activity to spark their creativity and let their imagination run free.
10. Take a trip to the aquarium. The aquarium is a fun indoors activity for toddlers. Sea life is so interesting and being able to handle some of the sea life is cool for them. Another great fun activity that is filled with learning. Our aquarium also has an entire section for kids which is so cute and fun to watch the toddlers run around and interact with everything.
11. Make pumpkin pancakes. I found pumpkin pancake mix at Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago and had to buy it. I’ve already made pumpkin pancakes for us but want to get Mason involved in the fun. Cooking and baking can be such a fun activity to do with toddlers. Just be ready for the mess to be a bit bigger than if you were doing it by yourself.
12. Go on a hunt for pinecones. I think pinecones look so cool especially to toddlers. It can be fun to search for pinecones then bring your favorites home to paint them. I actually painted pinecones a few years ago for a holiday party I threw at our house. I painted them silver and blue to fit in with the decor and loved how they turned out. I think it would be fun to do this activity with Mason.
13. Pumpkin rice crispy treats. I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought how cute! Rice crispy treats are fun to make with toddlers and are yummy to eat. I love the idea of shaping them into small pumpkins and dying them orange and green for the stems. Hands on activities are super fun with toddlers and helps with their fine motor skills.
14. Go camping in the backyard. I remember doing this as a kid with my family. It’s such a fun idea and so much easier than packing up your toddler and all their things to bring them to a campground somewhere. This way you can have the comforts of home with the adventure of camping outdoors and looking at the stars. If they end up hating it, you can always put them to bed in their room and have the tent for daytime activities.
15. Attend a Halloween parade. We did this last year in Capitola Village. It was a lot of fun to see all the kids dressed up. Mason was too little for the trick or treating but we went with friends who have older kids and they really enjoyed it. For the parents, we stopped for a late lunch/early dinner at Margaritaville. The kiddos were all happy coloring and enjoying their rice and bean burritos and we all got to enjoy some margaritas with our food. Such a fun afternoon.
16. Make s’mores in your backyard. Light up the fire pit and enjoy s’mores with the whole family. Maybe even invite the neighbors over for a casual but fun backyard BBQ.
17. Set up a movie outside. This is something I’ve been excited to do with Mason. I’ve seen so many cute ideas for making your backyard a movie theater on Pinterest and can’t wait to create our own outdoor movie space once my husband’s shed project is done and our backyard is cleaned up again.
18. Visit a discovery museum. This is another fun interactive thing to do with your toddler on rainy days. They might not like being cooped up inside the house but take them to a discovery museum and they’ll forget about the rainy weather and enjoy getting to explore and learn new things.
19. DIY family Halloween costumes. I have been following Studio DIY for a while and am always inspired by their Halloween costumes. Now that they have their son, Arlo, they’ve started to highlight family DIY costumes and I think if I get my act together early I will try and recreate one of them this year.
20. Make finger print and hand print art. You can let your toddlers imagination run wild or you could help show them how to make a turkey out of their hand print. Or maybe draw bat wings off of their thumb print. Lot’s of cool ideas for hand and finger print art on Pinterest in case you’re interested.
I’m sure I could make this list super long with slight iterations on some of the above but I don’t think I need to get that dense with you all, amiright! Anyway, I hope you and your kiddos get to enjoy some of the toddler friendly fall activities this season. If you do end up doing one off the list I’d love to hear about it! So let’s create a fun hashtag to use { #HNWFallFamilyFun } so you can tag your social posts and that way I can see them. I’ll even share some on my instastories!
Now onto the mom friendly giveaway! I’ve partnered up with Moms Meet for their WOW Summit that’s happening in Orange County November 2nd-3rd. I posted about the conference in one of my latest Instagram posts (check it here). They were nice enough to provide my audience with a 50% discount off your ticket with code LAURAADNEY. This works for either the blogger/influencer ticket or the general admission ticket. You can register here and use the code if you’re in the area or willing to travel to Anaheim for the conference. Let me know if you’re planning on attending. I’d love to meet you there!
Or, you can hold off on getting your ticket and enter to win two tickets below (travel and accommodations are not included).
As always, thank you so much for stopping by the blog today!
