Fall has arrived in the country and I, for one, could not be happier. Living in Florida normally means hot weather, bugs and steam. But when fall rolls around, everything changes.
It’s like someone flips a switch.
Fall means spending lots of time outside soaking in the beauty surrounding you. There is the changing color of the leaves, the warm and fuzzy feeling that you get from the cooler temperatures and my favorite: jeans and boots. Fall is also about picnics on comfy blankets, pumpkin infused foods and the sweet smell of the air.
It’s also about playing. Lots and lots of playing!
Cooler air really puts energy into a kid. Lots and lots of energy!
My daughters adore being outside and outdoor toys can still be utilized. I make it my mission to wear them thoroughly out so they crash at the end of the day, happy.
There’s tons of activities to enjoy in the crisp air of fall, one of our favorites (and a classic) is building huge leaf piles and, of course, jumping right in them.
Another classic is utilizing the fallen leaves to make leaf rubbings.
We also are crazy about hunting for the perfect stick to make the first letters of our names. We use twine to wrap around the junctures (and I always add some glue to make sure they are nice and tight) and put them in shadow boxes to display for our family.
Another family favorite is to collect leaves and sticks to make a habitat for any lizards we happen to stumble upon in our fun. I’ll save old shoeboxes just for occasions like this and my girls will take their time to make their habitats just right for their lizards.
Of course, you don’t have to do any of these activities to thoroughly enjoy your time outside in the fall air. You can just sit on a blanket and watch the clouds go by! All that matters is that you are with family and you are enjoying one another’s company.
Sometimes the best days spent outside are spent doing absolutely nothing.
Just relax, be together and don’t stress about anything and always remember that there’s always time to play.