Search Results for: blog hands on fall fun for families

Fall Science: Of Wood and Cones and Mushy Things

It’s getting colder out there. That means that everyone is creeping into holes to stay warm. They might live in big holes, like our warm house with its nice warm blankets. They might live in small holes, like the holes in cones and logs. This is the season to peek into little cracks and holes in the forest and see who’s living there. Cones are like animal apartment buildings. In the winter and late fall, small animals creep into the cracks between the scales of the cones. When you bring them indoors, they creep out again to see what is … Continue reading →

The High Price of Fall Family Fun

(U-pick pumpkin poster child.) Imagine paying $50 for five pumpkins. Five mid-sized pumpkins… that are not filled with gold and didn’t come served on a silver platter. Not these bad boys. These $50 pumpkins were picked in a sandy, dirt-filled patch on an unseasonably warm day by bloody hands that were pierced by the heavy, gourd-like squash’s prickly stem… all in the name of fall family fun. Clearly, I’ve forgotten how much good ol’ fashion family fun can set a clan back these days. My family’s annual trip to the u-pick farm cost 50 bucks, but the memories–oh, the memories–well, … Continue reading →

A Festive Fall Entryway

Ah, fall. I love fall, although here the crisp scent of fallen leaves is often replaced by the pounding sedative sound of the rain. But I enjoy both the leaves and the rain, and I like to celebrate fall with seasonal decorations. Although Halloween is quite far away, we’ve pulled out our fall decorations with abandon. It was the fall equinox last Friday, so this gives us a free pass, right? One of my favorite seasonal decoration is a wooden wreath. I purchased the wreath at a craft store some time ago, and I wound strands of artificial fall leaves … Continue reading →

Hands-On Fall Travel Fun

School is back in session across the country, including for kids who don’t have to travel very far to get lessons in reading, writing and arithmetic. Yes, homeschool students are also back hitting the books this fall, though most enjoy way more field trips than students at traditional schools. In fact, the months of September and October are some of the best times for homeschool parents to take their kids to visit educational destinations. While most clans are staying put because the new academic year has just begun, homeschool students are free to tour some of the best hands-on learning … Continue reading →

Unique Fall Foliage Travel Adventures

Tis the season for Cheetos trees. That’s what my daughter calls the blaze orange foliage that lights up the landscape near our home. The trees around here really do look like they’ve been sprinkled with the dust and crumbs you’d find at the bottom of a bag of cheese doodles. It’s like the Jolly Green Giant downed an entire bowl of cheese puffs, and then wiped his hands on the trees’ leaves. Makes me hungry just looking at them. But sitting in my home looking is so boring. It’s time to turn over a new leaf this fall by taking … Continue reading →

End-of-Summer Fun in the Sunshine State

Florida’s pushing hard for you to spend your travel dollar in its neck of the woods. And who can really blame the state given the recent oil spill and the impending storms? Frankly, I find it hard to believe that the state is actively seeking out visitors, given that it is home to some of the largest and most popular tourist attractions on Earth. Some rodent named Mickey… ahem… Mouse. Still, in a previous blog I promised that I would spotlight some of the state’s non-over-commercialized hot spots, so here we go: MIAMI Not the Kardashian sisters’ Miami; rather, the … Continue reading →

Family Fun: Apple Picking

She can’t stand broccoli, but my daughter will eat a bushel of apples without blinking an eye. My fruit loving five-year-old is in heaven this time of year. It’s all about apples and she loves every crunchy, juicy bite of her favorite fruit. Eating fresh apples is a treat for my daughter, but even more thrilling is getting the chance to pick them from the orchard–all by herself. Our annual family apple picking tradition started shortly after little Jilly Appleseed was born (actually it started while I was pregnant with her), and each year—-without fail-—we head out to our local … Continue reading →

Ten Outdoor Activities You Can Do With Your Baby This Fall

Do you need to get out of the house? Need more ways to entertain you and your baby this fall? Make a cool or rainy fall walk into a fun walk – it doesn’t take much! 1. Go outside in the rain or just after a rain. Where I live, it rains a lot in the fall and winter. In fact, the year that my daughter was born, we broke the winter rain record and had rain for more than 30 days in a row. Needless to say, we went outside in the rain. Invest in a good pair of … Continue reading →

Having Fun at a Farmer’s Market

Now that the weather is warming up, farmers markets are springing up around the country. In warmer climates these massive markets are open year round, but here in the chilly Upper Midwest, outdoor farmers markets are seasonal (and the indoor ones are only held bi-weekly). Their fleeting appearance from May until October is one of the reasons they are so popular in my neck of the woods. Another reason produce-loving residents flock to farmers markets here is that they are just plain fun. When was the last time you took your children to a farmers market? My preschooler loves visiting … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Family Fun Indoors and Out

For some people Thanksgiving is one of the few chances they get to visit with out-of-town relatives. If you are reuniting with your favorite cousin, a nomadic uncle or just welcoming home your college-coed son this Thanksgiving, consider doing more than just sitting around the house gorging on goodies. The long holiday weekend is the official kick-off to a number of seasonal activities, including ice-skating. Several outdoor rinks open to the public on Thanksgiving. In San Diego, where November temperatures often top 60 degrees, the outdoor Ice Arena is already open for business. If you prefer snow to ice, then … Continue reading →