From the start of the school year through the coming holidays, stress is a reality. Bringing playfulness into everyday activities is an effective way to feel relief from stress! Special fun fall family activities planned can give the whole family things to look forward to doing together. The cooler temps can be a relief after a long, hot summer and some fun activities can be just the ticket for alleviating stress from school, work or whatever else may be tough these days.
Here are 10 Fun Fall Family Activities to Alleviate Stress
- Meander through a corn maze. This guide provides a number of family-friendly corn mazes in Iowa. Work together to find your way through the maze! This is a really fun activity that helps you to have a sense of togetherness in getting through a challenge together.
- Have an Autumn nature scavenger hunt! Take the family for a walk and collect items along the way. Here is a free printable you can download created by a mom.
- Host a marshmallow roast. With careful adult supervision, having a small fire, long roasting sticks and a bag of marshmallows can be a fun event for your family and friends. A toasty fire on a nippy night can be a fun Fall family activity to help alleviate stress!
- Bring on the apple activities! Fall is apple harvest season. Bake an apple pie together. Simmer some hot apple cider and serve with cinnamon sticks. Create an apple print banner together with real apples to decorate your home for Autumn. Make caramel and candy apples as a family.
- Cook a family meal together served in a pumpkin for the dish! Look at this recipe.
- Create your own Halloween costumes as a family out of items from home. Look here for inspiration.
- Curl up on the couch under a blanket with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn and watch a fun fall movie like Hocus Pocus.
- Create a pinecone bird feeder. Glue a string for hanging onto the top of a pinecone, roll it in peanut butter and sprinkle with bird seed. Hand outside a window so you and your child can see the birds enjoy it!
- Take a family bike ride! Board your bikes and ride together through the neighborhood or a nearby park.
- Create leaf rubbing art. Here’s an easy tutorial.
Stress doesn’t just affect adults. Kids feel stressed too. When stress is left unchecked, emotions usually run high and can be difficult to manage. Play is a proven way for both adults and children to work through stressful thoughts and feelings and when families play together everyone benefits.
If you and your family is under a lot of stress and it feels unmanageable, it can be helpful to see a professional to help you! Please call our offices and we will be more than happy to help you and your family.