Amanda T. Fox

Fall is upon us, and we are finally ready for a season of change! Already, so many wonderful people in my neighborhood have put out their beautiful fall wreaths, scarecrows, and pumpkins to celebrate, and so have we!

Yet, many people have been wondering how to celebrate the fall and Halloween seasons when Covid-19 seems to block us at every turn. Fear not! Because we’ve compiled a list of ways to celebrate without having to worry about the pandemic ruining the fun!

Count Pumpkins!

This is fun for people of all ages, and it never gets old! We took our kids down the road to the neighborhood there, and the volume of pumpkins on porches has gone from a small 51, to a whopping 223! And what’s more, let’s throw some math in there too to make it a more educational walk!

Find the Leaves!

It’s great to find leaves, but how many of each color can the kids collect? Make a scavenger hunt to find leaves of different types, or even colors! Once they have a bunch, get creative by letting them make a bouquet! There are also leaf crafts online that kids, or even adults, could use the leaves for for some holiday fun!

Make a Leaf Pile

Everyone, no matter where they come from, can remember the feeling of leaves as they jumped into their leaf piles, so share that feeling with your kids! Nothing beats the fun of raking the leaves just for the kids and the dog (and maybe even some of the adults!) to jump into again and again, making memories for everyone!

Decorate Early!

Though it has been frowned upon in the past, there’s certainly no harm in decorating earlier than usual this year! Decorations shared amongst neighbors creates a sense of community, and the knowledge that we aren’t alone in our love of all things fall. Not to mention, your house could become part of the pumpkin game, listed above!

Have a Fall or Halloween Movie Night!

Grab the popcorn, put on the warm, cozy pjs, and enjoy a mug of hot cocoa as we settle down for a movie night! Make it as fun, or scary, as you can for a true escape from the chaos in the world! We tend to take our sectional apart and make a bed by facing the two sides together, but even if you don’t have a sectional, gather up the blankets and pillows in the house, or even the air mattresses, and make it a cozy movie night!

Go Apple Picking!

Most apple orchards are open by the middle of September, and ready for picking! Don’t like to wear a mask? Find an orchard with plenty of room, and go on a weekday if you can! Some of these even have activities for the whole family to do that are safe and fun, like corn mazes and pumpkin picking!

Fall Baking Time!

Whether you prefer the comforting smells of apples or the wondrous seasonal scent of pumpkin spice, there is something for everyone in this activity! Bake some pumpkin muffins, or mix together pumpkin spice ice cream!

Don’t like pumpkin? Just use up those apples from the orchard by making applesauce or apple coffee cake! There’s plenty of new recipes out there to try out, and it can be comforting to have some of these fun fall favorites!

Plan the Season

It’s easy to fall into the trap of depression or anxiety when we’re stuck at home, so make a plan for something to look forward to! Plan themed days, like baking, or plan a trip to the local corn maze! Visit family, or have them visit you! Our best trick is to sit down with the calendar and a list of free days to find things we love to do so that our future still looks bright!

Trick or Treat…With Family and Friends!

This is one more for Halloween, but with the CDC ruining traditions left and right, it’s time to improvise! Get the kids dressed up in their costumes, and load them into the car with their buckets for a fun ride around to visit family and friends! Make up treat bags for the other kiddos, and have a happy Halloween!

Or, if you are particularly crafty, make some doors up from plywood, and set them up in the yard for a trick or treat extravaganza! Admittedly, this was an idea sent to us by a family member, but it sounds like loads of fun!

Do Some Crafts!

Even if you aren’t particularly crafty, find some silly kids crafts that look fun, and have a ball! We’ve found that the worse the craft is, the more laughter we are surrounded by, and with Halloween around the corner, it’s easy to make something spooky cute!

Not only are there crafts for kids to make from home, but there are new and exciting things in stores, too! Our newest tradition is to decorate a haunted gingerbread house with sprinkles, frosting, and some ghosts, too!

Go Halloween Decoration Seeing!

Though we usually reserve this activity for Christmas, this year we plan to add a new activity to the list! Many have begun to add lights to this spooky holiday, and it can be too fun to play some spooky music, and go find some neatly decorated houses!

Fall is a wonderful season, filled with love, change, and beauty, one that brings us together as a community, and makes our lives lovelier when shadows have clouded our lives. It can be hard to imagine going out in the world, but there are plenty of ways to elevate those moods without risking too much! So go pumpkin counting, pick some apples, snuggle in for a movie, and try something new, because we need some holiday fun in our lives!

Happy Fall and Happy Halloween! We would love to hear how you’ve been celebrating this wonderful season, and what you think of the ideas we have in the comments!

Be safe!