Fall is in the air! Well, if you live in Southern California, it is in the air only in the crisp mornings and as the day goes on, it suddenly reverts back to summer weather. But hey, I can pretend that we actually live in a place that experiences the magic of autumn. Even though the weather is not quite allowing for me to pull out all my scarves and sweaters, all the pumpkins in our house and the smell of Trader Joe’s pumpkin bread baking in our oven are definitely helping me feel like it is in fact October, not July.
Along with pumpkins everywhere, it feels more like fall when we fill our calendar with fun, fall activities and events! From visiting pumpkin patches to costume parties to art projects, there are so many fun ways you can spend your fall days with little ones to help get you in the mood of the fall season, even when you are still sweating in a tank top.
There are a lot of lists out there in the Pinterest world of round-ups full of fall crafts and activities for toddlers. Those are great, but this is not that type of list. I am just not that type of mom, maybe one day, but I just can’t seem to find the time to create those elaborate sensory bins and messy craft projects. This is more of a simple, everyday list that is budget-friendly and accessible to the everyday mama, like me!
1. Decorate Your Home
Our pumpkin collection throughout our home is growing, largely thanks to my mother-in-law, whose love for pumpkins is contagious. Our friends were over Sunday evening and they counted 27 pumpkins! I took some pictures just to prove it. We love pumpkins over here at the Capel home.
I know some people don’t even bother with putting out the pumpkins and scarecrows because it feels like a lot of extra effort and work for a season that often feels very fleeting. And let’s just be honest, it does not quite compare to the magic of Christmas, but I am here to tell you that I think you should put up a few fall decorations to help make your home reflect the change of season. It does not need to be super expensive or extravagant, you can keep it real simple. You can make it into one of the first fall activities you do with your toddler to help expose them to the colors and shapes of this fun season.
Fall-themed window stickers is a great and easy way to make the home feel more autumn-like, while giving your toddler a fun activity. Especially if you have large windows, this is a great way to easily make a room feel transformed for fall.
As I mentioned, we have pumpkins everywhere. Some really nice and fragile ones that are high up, but we also have little ones that I don’t care much about. These have become the perfect toys for Hudson to play with. His pumpkin obsession is real, wonder where he gets that from? These fake foam pumpkins are the perfect decor to put out that you won’t need to worry about if your toddler decides to throw them across the room or chew on them. Just speaking from experience.
2. Take Fall Porch Pictures
You don’t need a crazy porch set-up to make this one happen. All you really need is just a couple pumpkins and maybe a fun fall-themed sign. A wreath might also be a nice touch. I love the one I bought at HomeGoods this season! Wreaths are one of those things that can be a bit expensive, but I think of wreaths as good home investments. I plan to use this wreath every year for a long, long time. Like we are talking great-grandchildren long, if I am so blessed to be around that long. Anyways, a wreath goes a long way and I think it really pulls a porch together.
We had our little photoshoot last week. It was one of the first colder mornings so I took full advantage of it. I was actually able to dress Hudson in pants and a vest! This is a big deal if you live in Southern California. These photos are a great way to capture the amount of changes that happen in a year. Try to make it a tradition to have these fall porch photoshoots. It will be a great collection to look back on as you see how your kiddos and home-decor style changes over the years! Hopefully that expensive wreath you bought will be that one unchanging element.
3. Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Well of course. Yes I know this is an obvious thing to do in the fall season, but this is such a fun tradition, I can’t just not include it. I briefly told this story on Instagram a couple weeks on my pumpkin patch post, but I am going to tell it again here.
We have gone to the same pumpkin patch for the past three years. It is a farm in Irvine, CA called Tanaka Farms. Two years ago, we found out we were pregnant the very same day we visited the pumpkin patch with my mother-in-law. I got the positive test result the morning before we left. We kept it a secret that day just between the two of us, but I can still remember that giddy feeling I had in my heart as we rode the wagon ride.
Last year, we were again at Tanaka. This time with a little, 4-month old baby in a pumpkin hat and overalls. It was so fun to pose him by the pumpkins and place him in the wheelbarrow. We got some really precious pictures from that trip.
This year, we went again at the same early October time. We had a blast and it was such a different experience from even a year ago. He was running all about, pointing out things that looked interesting, and laughing and enjoying the time with his cousins. The point in all of this, is to encourage you to find a pumpkin patch that is either local or a bit of a drive and stick with it. Go there each year. Make special memories. Before you know it, that very pumpkin patch will be a place that is extra close to your heart because it is a beautiful reminder of the amazing changes a year brings.
4. Attend Local & Free Halloween Events
I am all about free events in the community! It is even more fun when they are themed for the fall season or for Halloween. One of the best ways to be in the know of some fun, family-friendly events happening in your city, is to notice the flyers when you are out and about. I try to be really observant over these types of things and then jot it down in my calendar, so I don’t forget. You can also visit your city’s website and check out their calendar of events. Mommy Poppins is also a great resource for events and things happening in your local city. Facebook can also be super helpful in suggesting events near me and also showing me what some of my other mommy friends are planning on doing!
This week, Hudson and I are excited to attend an event called “Mummy” and Me that is held in El Segundo at The Point shopping center. Do some research, find some free events in your area, and actually go to them (and plan ahead because often times free events like these get SUPER crowded).
5. Attend a Trunk-Or-Treat
Is your church hosting a trunk-or-treat? Get involved and have your kiddos help you decorate your trunk. We are planning on doing a Toy Story-themed trunk to match our little Buzz Lightyear. If you are in the South Bay area, you should attend our church’s Falloween Fest! Lots of churches host these free and fun events, so you should research and find out if a local church to you is having a trunk-or-treat. There might even be a free dinner served and games and even a movie shown (ours will!).
6. Go to the Library and Check Out Fall-Themed Books
If you are already part of the tmng community, you know I am a fan of the library. Go to your local library and check out a few books that are fall or Halloween-themed. Most libraries will have a seasonal section displaying some of the librarians favorite books of fall! At the library we go to, their display is behind the counter, so if this is the case, just ask the librarian and they likely will be happy to check them out for you! If for some reason you do not see a lot of seasonal-themed books out, ask your librarian! Our sweet librarian brought us out out about 20 books that they had in the back room. So just because you don’t see a large selection does not mean they don’t have ample supply of pumpkin books!
- EEK! Halloween
- “Hallo-What?”
- Spookie Pookie
- Trick or Treat, Marley!
- It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse! THIS IS Hudson’s FAV! He literally gets spooked and laughs out loud all at the same time! Now that is a good story. I am all about the library, but this is such a hit for Hudson, I might just need to buy it to have a copy for our at-home library!
- Ollie’s Halloween
- You Are My Pumpkin
- Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round
- Penguin and Pumpkin
- Boo! Haiku
- Stumpkin
- In the Middle of Fall
7. Pick 1 or 2 SIMPLE Pinterest Fall Crafts
Pinterest and blog posts about a bunch of fall crafts to do with your toddler REALLY stresses me out. For one, I am not very creative and also, it just feels very overwhelming and messy. Hudson is still not quite at the age where he is fully into arts and crafts, but I still think it is fun to plan ahead and choose one or two fall-themed crafts to do with your little ones at home. Why do I think this is a good idea? It is an activity that fills time, it feels festive, it acts as unique decoration to put on your walls, and it is a great memory keeper. For the really special crafts, I would even recommend laminating it to help preserve it throughout the years.
Especially at the baby and toddler age, it is always fun to find a craft that uses hand or foot prints to help remind you how little they used to be! We did this REALLY simple, “itsy bitsy spider” handprint craft with some ladies from my MOMS Club. All you really need is orange paper, googly eyes, black paint, and a marker to draw the web. You also should try to do a pumpkin-type craft, whether that is with actual physical pumpkins or paper pumpkins. Here are some fun pumpkin craft ideas.
8. Bake Fall Recipes
This is a fun one to get your toddler more involved in the kitchen with you. Not only will they love “helping” out, they will most definitely love being a taste tester. I started to let Hudson help a bit more in the kitchen as he started showing interest. I am thinking about getting a kitchen step stool to help make our kitchen time a bit safer! Anyways, choose a simple fall recipe that your toddler can help get involved in on.
I keep it real simple and usually get the boxed pumpkin bread from Trader Joe’s, which I linked to at the very beginning of this post. Try to choose something like this that takes only 10-minutes to whip up together. His attention span is very short these days! Allow them to hold the spoon and mix batter. Talk through the different ingredients you are pouring in. Show them how you crack the egg. The egg crack is always the most fascinating to Hudson. I have a pumpkin bread pan that I love. This is a fun way to visually make the outcome even more fun for your toddler. Give them a slice of the bread as their reward for helping out! Hudson literally gobbles this stuff up.
9. Walk Through a Neighborhood that is Well-Decorated
Find a neighborhood that is especially well-decorated with fall and Halloween decor and take a walk through it. This is one of Hudson’s favorite fall activities. He literally points out every single pumpkin. He is also a fan of scarecrows and spiders. You can even use the walk as a way to help expand vocabulary and make a game out of it. “Can you show me where the big, purple spider is?” “How many pumpkins are outside of their house? Let’s count together. 1, 2, 3…” And so on. This is a totally free activity and if your toddler is anything like mine, they will LOVE it.
10. Organize a Costume Parade with Friends
This fall we are in a couple Mommy and Me class that will have costume parades the week of Halloween. If you are not enrolled in any classes that are doing something similar, create your own costume parade! You could make it super simple. Reach out to a few close friends with little ones. If you are in a mom’s group, maybe host a whole event for your group. Either meet at a home or a park and bring Halloween-themed music, treats for the little ones, and be sure to take lots of pictures as they march around in their costumes!
I hope you liked some of my toddler fall/Halloween ideas! I tried to keep them really simple and manageable. Do not get overwhelmed with Pinterest! There are so many fun, fall-themed things you can do to keep your little ones entertained that are budget and time friendly! I would love to hear what you are doing with your kiddos this fall season! Leave a comment below.
This Mama Needs Grace 
