With summer over and school a few months in, the time spent together as a family may have begun to dwindle. While family dinners and the occasional movie night may seem to be good enough for your family, spending some quality time with your kiddos and making memories as a family can be very important and special.
Fall is a great time to enjoy some last minute outdoor activities before it becomes snowy and cold. And with Halloween right around the corner, you will be able to enjoy some of the fun and festive activities. Your kids will love spending time outside, enjoying the fall colors, and taking part in activities that are special to fall.
Spending time with your kids and family is important, and with so many fun things to do during autumn, the best time to start is now! At Yellow Brick Road, we know the importance of spending time with your kiddos, and we make sure we become a second home for our students, allowing them to feel comfortable in many environments. But when you have time to spend with your kids, we encourage you to do so!
Fall is full of fun activities for kids and adults, and spending family time together trying to find your way out of a corn maze may become your next family tradition! In this blog, we will give you some ideas for where to take your kids, what to do, and things that can be done at home!
Pumpkin Patches
Taking your kiddos to a pumpkin patch to pick out their very own pumpkins is not only a simple activity, it is one that offers so much more than many people expect. Pumpkin patches generally have more than just pumpkins as their main attraction. Find hay rides, petting zoos, corn mazes, games, and many photo opportunities at your local pumpkin patch. Your kids will love all of the fun fall activities and love spending the day outside, among farm animals, and other children.
There are many pumpkin patches in Minnesota, so no matter where you are in the state at the time, you are sure to find a pumpkin patch or two to keep you children entertained and your family happy. Some pumpkin patches are found at farms, especially farms that are popular for kids. These farms may have trick-or-treat streets, or other fun Halloween events for kids, so be sure to see if there are any fun activities and events going on in your area.
Annual Apple Festival
If you missed it this past weekend, make sure you don’t miss it again this weekend! The Annual Apple Festival is hosted at Fischer’s Croix Farm Orchard in Hastings. This fun festival will be over this weekend so gather the family and get ready for some fall fun! Activities that can be found at this festival include wagon rides, family-friendly corn maze, a straw mountain, and farm animals. This is a great festival to kids of all ages, and is free admission. Bring your kids to enjoy this awesome autumn festival and don’t forget to go apple picking!
Harvest Fests
Harvest festivals are obviously a popular activity during fall. And there are many different harvest fests to attend in Minnesota that you could be at one every weekend! These festivals are perfect for the family and involve activities like pumpkin regattas, giant pumpkin drops, pioneer games, cider pressing, bonfires, and so much more! These festivals are fun and can keep your family busy all day long!
One of these harvest fests is the Stillwater Harvest Fest. While this may be a bit of a drive, it offers a ton of fun and for a good cause! The volunteer-run event will be donating to local non-profits this year, to help give back to the community. This harvest fest will include a chili cook-off, pumpkin regatta, live music, a kids costume parade, kids tractor pull, face painting, and so much more! This family fun event may be worth the drive!
Another harvest fest is the Autumn Harvest in the Village. This harvest festival, in Farmington, creates a unique experience, one that belongs in the 1900s. The festival offers a pumpkin carving contest, the change to build a scarecrow, using old fashioned tools, games, and crafts using items found during the fall. Give your kids a different experience at this harvest fest.
If you have some older children, the Harvest Haunting at LeDuc may be the perfect harvest fest for you and your family! This festival will provide a campfire, fresh apple cider, scary stories, s’mores, and more. This festival offers many fun activities for the family and will provide great autumn entertainment!
These are only a few of the many harvest fests that will be taking place across the state of Minnesota. Make sure you are able to enjoy at least on with your family before it is too late! Your kids will love all of the themed activities and enjoy watching pumpkin smashing, doing crafts, and picking their own pumpkins!
Enjoy Some History
The Oliver Kelley Farm is a great place to bring children of all ages. This farm is a National Historic Landmark and gives you a glimpse into the past. The working 1860s farm offers kids, and adults, a unique learning experience. You and your children can learn about old tools and equipment used on the farm, how farms are different in the present, and so much more. Your kids can pet animals and experience a farm of the past, and experience how farming used to be. This historical adventure may be the coolest place your children have seen!
Not only is this a unique place to visit on the weekends, they are having a few upcoming events that you and your family may just love! This old farm is having a harvest days event that allows you and your kiddos to see what it is like spending time on the farm during the last few days before it gets too cold. You can help finish field work, make corn husk dolls, and more. Some other events that will be coming up in the next few months include A Yankee Thanksgiving Tour and Christmas on the Farm Tour. These events could be fun for you and your family to experience together!
Enjoy Nature
Minnesota is full of trees, meaning that fall is full of beautiful colors and changing trees. Taking a drive through forests or just around your favorite local spots is a great way to enjoy the change of the season and spend time with the family. Take a walk through a park or go on a bike ride. The beauty of fall is only around for a while, so enjoying while you can is important. And your children will love seeing how bright and colorful the world is for a while. Have them collect leaves and help them press them in a book when you get home. Your children may love having the task of finding the prettiest or brightest colored leaf that has fallen from the trees.
Even just walking down your street allows children to see the colors of leaves and enjoy everything that fall has to offer, you could take them apple picking and really help them get into the spirit.
The second half of the year is full of holidays, events, and fun activities for the family. Doing crafts during this time of year is popular for the kiddos and there are many fun and seasonal crafts that you can make with your kids, but we will go over some of those in the next blog. For now, enjoy the time you can spend outside and take in autumn. Your children will love making memories and spending time as a family.
To make sure your children get the best possible care and feel comfortable in their environment while you are at work, check out Yellow Brick Road Early Childhood Development Center. We understand the importance of children feeling confident and comfortable in their surroundings, that is why we create a space that feels like a second home to them. Learn more now and contact us today!