Ahh, October, the best time of year!
There's something so magical about autumn - the colours, the leaves, the crisp air and the excitement building as we get closer to Christmas!
If you hadn't guessed, I'm a big autumn fan.
For me, this time of year means cosying up with a good book, eating apple crumble whilst wrapped in a blanket and spending more time with the family. I always wanted my kids to love this time of year as much as I do, so I've started creating these meaningful autumn traditions.
Autumn Tradition 1- Baking Autumn Treats
We love nothing more than a baking session in our house. My kids mostly just love that they get to make a total mess and then eat a sweet treat at the end, but it's all about that quality time together for me.
Mix it up (pun a little-bit intended) by finding new recipes and making new and exciting bakes. We've had loads of fun making rainbow cakes, cinnamon swirls and even pasties. Trust me when I say that baking never gets old.
Plus, it's also a great way to do stealth-maths with the kids- they are so busy having fun that they don't even notice that they're doing weighing, measuring and counting.
Autumn Tradition 2- Cosy Reading Sessions
This is one of my favourite ways to spend time with my family at this time of year, especially if it's wet and miserable outside. Prepare everyone's favourite snacks and drinks, grab blankets, bean bags and get cosy. I love to add twinkly fairy lights and candles for a magical, cosy vibe. We can quite literally sit together for hours on end, all reading our own books, separately but together. It's just the nicest screen-free way to spend an evening.
Autumn Tradition 3- Have a Scary-ish Movie Night for Halloween
This one may not be for everyone. I remember a few years ago, my littlest used to be terrified at everything (including Spongebob) so scary movies were never a good idea. But as they've got a bit older, scary movie night has become an annual event.
It started with some fairly tame but slightly-Halloween-themed movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands and Hocus Pocus. We've worked up from there and my plan the year is to introduce them to something a little scarier this year (please let me know your suggestions for this as I'm not sure where to start!)
Autumn Tradition 4- Woodland Rainbow Walk
Getting outside for an autumnal walk is always made more fun when there's an added element of challenge or competition. The idea is that on your walk, you have to see how many different colours you can see. The winner is the first to spot all the colours of the rainbow.
Another variation of this is to create a list of objects to see and play woodland walk bingo.
Autumn Tradition 5- Send Greetings Cards and Letters to Family and Friends
This is a wonderful way to spend a wet weekend afternoon. Why not send a surprise card or letter to a family member or friend? Everyone loves getting happy post, and there's nothing nicer than receiving a just-because card.
Take a look at our collection of 'Just Because' cards here.
Autumn Tradition 6- Build an Epic Outdoor Blanket Fort
This tradition started as an indoor regular-sized blanket fort a few years ago, but it's grown and grown to the point that we've had to take it out into our garden, and I wouldn't change it for anything now.
Use rope, pegs and blankets to make an epic den big enough for picnic teas and board games. We've even set up a projector and played vintage video games in ours before.
So. Much. Fun.
Autumn Tradition 7- Hot Chocolate Bar
What's the best hot chocolate topping? All of them, of course! Think pick 'n' mix, but with hot chocolate toppings. Spread bowls of various hot chocolate toppings on the kitchen table and let everyone build their own.
Autumn Tradition 8- Go Stargazing
As it's getting darker earlier at this time of year, stargazing suddenly becomes accessible to those of us who aren't great at staying up late!
You can get a phone app that will tell you exactly what you're looking at, and it's also a good time of year to start looking out for aurora (again, get an app that tells you when and where to see it).
Bonus points if you remember a flask of tea, blanket and snacks.
Autumn Tradition 9- Carve (or paint) Pumpkins
This one may feel a bit obvious, but it's popular for a reason! Pumpkin carving is always a winner.
And if carving isn't your thing, try painting pumpkins instead. Pinterest is great for pumpkin decorating ideas and inspiration.
Autumn Tradition 10- Donate to the Foodbank
Think Harvest Festival from back in the days. Autumn is all about abundance and yummy food, so what better way to celebrate autumn than with a Foodbank donation?
We do this with the kids as a way to teach them how to be good humans. We always buy something for the Foodbank when we go to the supermarket, but at this time of year, we like to get extra bits. Sometimes we turn it into a game- see who can get the most bits for £5 (with 4 of us, that makes £20 and we usually end up with loads) or we have a list of things to get (the Foodbank usually has a list online with what they're low on) and see who can find them all first.
Being a good person - check. Having fun in the process- check. It's a win/win.
Autumn Tradition 11- Watch a Box Set
Hands up if you're a Gilmore Girls fan! I have started re-watching it this autumn with my daughter and we are completely loving it. I think Gilmore Girls is particularly perfect at this time of year, but there are so many brilliant box sets you could watch if this isn't your thing.
Plus, Stranger Things is out soon, so now is the perfect time to go back and refresh your memory (maybe not watching this one with the little ones, though!)
Final Thoughts
These are my absolute favourite meaningful autumn family traditions- the perfect way to spend quality time with the kids whilst indulging in those cosy autumn vibes. Which ones will you be trying?
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