Autumn Traditions for the whole family

Autumn is the perfect time to try new activities or start some family traditions.

One of our favourite Autumn traditions year is to visit the local pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins for display and baking. So far, so simple.

Whilst a lot of Autumn traditions are derided as ‘basic’, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with apple picking, eating pumpkin pie and carving pumpkins! The simpler the tradition, the easier it is to maintain year after year.

Remember, annual traditions are where the memories are made. The activities you do now – no matter how ‘traditional’ or simple – are the ones that will be remembered (and even passed down) in the years to come.

Autumn Traditions (old and new)

Do you have any special family Autumn traditions?

Simply put, a tradition is something that you do every single year. Traditions tend to be passed down through the generations but there’s no reason why you can’t adopt or create your own traditions too.

Typically, these are activities that the whole family can be involved in, as opposed to age-specific activities which we’ll talk about below.

Perhaps the whole family go to Grandma’s every Thanksgiving or you visit a pumpkin patch every October to select a pumpkin to carve.

Whether large or small, it’s worth adding family traditions to your Autumn Family Rhythm.

Here are some other ideas for you:

• A long family hike or bike ride
• A weekend away in the countryside
• Choose Autumn themed books to read (links) from the local library (you can always order them in if they aren’t immediately available) or rotate your home collection.
• Pick a pumpkin from a pumpkin patch
• Visit a corn maze
• Watch specific Autumn or Halloween themed movies
• Make homemade pumpkin spice
• Make Seasonal recipes – e.g. pumpkin soup or apple pie
• Carve a pumpkin to make a jack-o-lantern
• Sing seasonal songs
• Create an Autumn table setting
• Pickle Autumn vegetables

Tip: if you’re starting traditions from scratch, it’s really tempting to add lots of activities to your plate. However, you’re more likely to maintain a tradition if you keep it simple. You might wish to start out with one to two family outings and one to two family activities you can do at home, then build up from there.

Seasonal Activities

Each new season brings opportunities to do new activities and Autumn is no different. This could mean long walks in the countryside, spooky Halloween events or watching your favourite rugby team play every weekend.

Whatever you decide, try to make the most of Autumn by spending plenty of time outdoors. The cooler weather means there are plenty of opportunities to get out and embrace nature.

Seasonal activities are different from traditions because the activities will adapt and change as your child grows.

Here are some other ideas to get you started:

• Make a special lantern
• Create a leaf wreath or pinecone mobile
• Go on a Autumn or Halloween Scavenger Hunt
• Go trick or treating

Autumn Traditions to try

Here is a list of just some of the Autumn traditions that you can try with your family. This was originally published as part of my subscription membership, ‘How I Drink my Coffee Hot’. You can access a printable version and family rhythms workbook here.

At Home Autumn Art & Sensory Camp

If you enjoyed these sensory play ideas for Autumn and wanted to find more fun Autumn themed activities, check out the At Home Autumn Art & Sensory Camp in my membership group. If you would like to access the content, you can check it out here.