With the kids being home nearly all of the time this year due to COVID, it is easy to run out of ideas to keep them active and entertained. In this post, I’ve rounded up some of our favorite fall activities for kids!

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Luckily, all of these activities are done either at home or can be done while social distancing outside.

Check out my list below of some classic fall activities and also some news activities that you might not have thought of yet!

Paint Ghost Leaves

Head outside and collect leaves of various shapes and sizes. Next, get out your paintbrushes and white paint and turn those leaves into ghosts.

Once the white paint has dried, add spooky faces using a black marker!

Apple Picking

Last year, our son had a school field trip to a local orchard and learned all about apples and how to pick them (a gentle twist & pull, choose the bright red!).

Now he loves getting the chance to fill up his own apple tote by picking all of his own apples!

This is one of our favorite fall activities for kids.

If you are looking for some fall fun in Southern California, check out my post – What to Do in Julian, California!

Make Caramel Apples

Once you have picked your own apples at the apple orchard, make them into a delicious treat!

I like to use small apples for this so they don’t go to waste. Clean your apples thoroughly and dry. Insert a popsicle or candy stick. Dip in melted caramel and decorate with candy.

Click here for my post How to Make the Easiest Caramel Apples!

Draw Dinosaur Shadows

Gather up some dinosaur figurines, markers and paper.

Use a window or glass door that is getting direct sunlight for the clearest shadows!

Or, if it’s warm enough outside, bring your supplies out to enjoy some fresh air and draw your favorite dinos.

Create a Fall Snack Board

I like to make one of these with all of our favorite snacks and we have a picnic on the living room floor while watching one of our favorite Halloween movies!

Click here for my post How to Make a Spooky Halloween Dessert Board!

Have a Backyard Scavenger Hunt

I found these explorer bags at Target, but you can easily create your own list.

I have used these bags multiple times and it always seems to be just as exciting as the first time!

Make Pumpkin Spice Playdough

This playdough has only a few ingredients and takes less than 15 minutes to make! It’s kid safe, edible and smells amazing.

Click here for my instructions on How to Make the Easiest Pumpkin Spice Playdough!

Make a Broccoli Tree Painting

Start by drawing a tree trunk and branches on a paper or small canvas.

Next, dip a piece of broccoli in yellow, orange and red paints and then dab the paper or canvas to make fall colored leaves on your tree!

Pumpkin Patch & Petting Zoo

Take a trip to your local pumpkin patch and pick your favorite pumpkin. Large, small, smooth, bumpy, orange, green…so many options!

Who doesn’t love getting to pet some cute animals?

Pumpkin Carving & Science

Now that you have your pumpkins from the patch, let your artistic side flourish and carve or paint your masterpiece.

This is also a great opportunity to teach your kids about all of the parts of a pumpkin and how they grow!

Pumpkin Volcano

This activity is exciting for kids and can be done with things that you typically have in your house! Start by cutting the top off of a small pumpkin and remove the seeds from inside.

Drop in about 10 drops of food coloring, 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of dish soap. Start pouring in vinegar and watch your volcano erupt! Once done, rinse out the pumpkin and carve for your front porch!

Make Pumpkin Seeds

Once you’ve carved your pumpkins, separate all of the seeds from the pulp and rinse with water. Thoroughly dry with paper towels. Toss with melted butter and spread into a thin layer on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle with salt & pepper, ranch powder, cinnamon & sugar, garlic powder or your favorite seasonings. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until light brown and crispy. Enjoy!

Take Your Chances in a Corn Maze

A few local farms by us have corn mazes every fall that our little ones love to do during the day. Most even have a flashlight night time maze if your kids are up for it!

Make Jell-O Creepy Crawlers

Just a package of lime Jell-O and some plastic bugs are all you need! Make the Jell-O according to the instructions on the box.

Pour into baking pan and add your bugs & spiders before putting into the refrigerator to set. Two hours later you will have a great sensory activity ready that is also edible! Let the kids get messy and pull the bugs out of the Jell-O.

I hope this list gave you some new ideas for fun fall activities for kids. Let me know if you tried any of them out and which was your favorite!