Fall… my favorite time of year. That’s when everything pumpkin makes an appearance. All my boots and scarves can be dusted off and worn again, and the leaves change color and cool air seeps in. I love everything about Fall. How about you?
I’ve rounded up a few places and ideas of some of the things you can do on a beautiful Fall day. They are family friendly, so if you have little ones or even older kiddos you can do this. In all honesty these activities are fun for every age.
I have three specific places I’m going to talk about, that are right here close to me, around Dayton, Ohio. So if you live around the area, I hope you check them out. If you don’t live close by, I’m sure there are similar places near you. Just get out and do some exploring, or get your phone out and do some googling. 🙂
Find a Local Farm
The first thing we always do in the Fall is find a farm and go pumpkin picking. The past two years we have gone to Fulton Farms (which you can check out here) and they are great! It’s not too big and has been perfect for Logan. However, I was introduced to Young’s Dairy Farm this summer and I think it might be our new favorite go-to farm.
This is one of those places that literally offers something for everyone. They are known for their ice cream and cheese curds and there is a family restaurant on site. Also, there are lots of activities like an animal petting/feeding area (which is mostly goats that Logan call sheep), wagon rides, corn maze, pumpkin picking, and an area just for young children. I’m sure I’m leaving some things out, so you can check them out here.
This past Labor Day, we made a quick stop in, but with the holiday it was a little packed. We didn’t do many of the activities but we did take a wagon ride and pet the animals. It is definitely on our list of places visit again once it cools off a bit. My biggest recommendation is that you should go during the week, if possible because the weekends seem to be a bit busy.
If you don’t live near Dayton,Ohio, look up local farms and see if there are any that offer pumpkin picking and Fall activities.
Apple Orchards and Sunflower Fields
On Monday, during our Labor Day outing, we made a quick stop into Peifer Orchards. I was hoping we would be able to pick apples but they didn’t offer it. 🙁
There is, however, a great little farmers market type store. They offer all sorts of fresh produce, local honey, a gift shop, gourds, and Mums (you can check them out here). It was a bummer that they didn’t offer apple picking, so I will be on the hunt for a pick-your-own apple orchard. However, this stop wasn’t a complete bust.
The one thing that Peifer Orchards has, that is unique, is a huge field of sunflowers! This was such a cool thing to see and worth the trip. If you are local, you should definitely check out the sunflower field. I recommend also seeing this during the week, if possible.
If you don’t live locally, check your area to see if you can find an apple orchard (that offers apple picking) or even a sunflower field. Trust me, the memories you make and the pictures you’ll get will be worth the effort!
Hiking and State Parks
Shadrach and I have always enjoyed hiking but we haven’t done a lot of it since we’ve had Logan. He’s starting to get to the age where I think he can handle short hikes. John Bryan State Park turned out to be a good place to start. We only did a short hike here but they offer all sorts of things like camping, mountain biking, and picnicking.
Ohio has a lot of state parks to offer, so if you live close to one, go hike and enjoy the beautiful Fall weather. If you don’t live in Ohio, you can look up parks with hiking trails. It’s free and a great way to make those family memories. We will be heading back to John Bryan or another park, once the leaves start changing colors.
These are just three local places that we have recently discovered and hope to make part of our Fall traditions. If you haven’t already, get out and go on some adventures. Get to know the area you live in and find those hidden gems that make Fall magical and create memories with your kids!
What are some of your favorite things to do during the Fall? I’d love some suggestions of activities we could add to our Fall traditions!
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