Making memories this fall does not have to cost a mortgage. Download this fall bucket list for toddlers and preschoolers (it’s free!) for simple and budge-friendly ideas that are full of fall magic.
What’s on your fall bucket list?
There can be so much pressure to make fall memories, especially expensive or elaborate ones like pumpkin patches and hayrides. Social media is full of picture perfect moments, but frankly, those moments add up.
Not to mention these fall memory moments often take a lot of pre-planning.
And kids don’t always cooperate even when you spend money and put in a lot of effort.
The “Busy Toddler” take on a fall bucket list
The glamorous, high-expense bucket lists of Pinterest didn’t work for my family. And I knew that the second I opened my first link to see what kind of fall bucket lists exists.
So years ago, I made a fall bucket list for my family of cheap, easy, and spur-of-the-moment ideas that fit into our lifestyle a little better.
You can have that bucket list for free.
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No, seriously – you don’t even need to give me your email address. Enjoy this PDF and stick on your fridge.
Then, when you find yourself stuck this fall or in need of an idea for what to do that day – have a peak and hopefully it’ll help.
You can even check off the activities after you do them – but there’s no pressure to finish this list. More activities doesn’t mean better memories.
Full disclosure: These aren’t earth shattering ideas or anything rocket science related, but we all know that sometimes, even the simplest ideas escape us when we are faced with the dreaded “What are we going to do today?” question.
How will you know what to do?
Some of the items on my list are “obvious” (like taking a nature walk and collecting treasures). Others are less obvious so I added links.
The links will take you to blog posts where you can get a specific idea of what I mean by do “nature rubbings” or how you’d ever make “bread in a bag” (oh but seriously, you have to try that one.)
RELATED: Looking for even more fall activities for kids? Try my newest list of easy ideas.
Fall Bucket List for Families
- Give a pumpkin a bath
- Play hide and seek with flashlights
- Go on a nature walk (collect fall treasures)
- Paint rocks for neighbors
- Have a pajama party (and watch a new-to-you movie)
- Bake cookies for a friend (my favorite chocolate chip recipe)
- Make fall holiday cards to mail to friends and family
- Paint leaves, sticks, & pine cones – make a collage
- Visit a farm
- Use pillows and blankets to build a cozy reading nest (try these fall book ideas)
- Make a bird feeder
- Paint a pumpkin with washable paint (then give them a bath)
- Make bread in a bag
- Build a fall-themed sensory bin (pumpkin guts, corn, or orange rice)
- Drive to a construction site, have a car picnic, and water
- Make homemade play dough (bonus points if it’s fall scented)
- Have an indoor picnic on a stormy day
- Do a glow stick bath (turn on some music for a real party)
- Make nature rubbings
- Decorate the window with kid-made pumpkin art
- Visit the library
- Practice cutting and gluing with leaves
- Make a giant, epic fort (eat lunch in it!)
- Host a before Halloween costume party
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually a bucket list is a collection of things you hope to accomplish in a given time frame. That’s not what this bucket list is. This summer bucket list for kids is a collection of ideas that you can do or not do. This list is there when you need it and it’s fine if you don’t.
Nope! Activities are not mandatory. Activities can be a tool to help you break up the day, life moods, and reset things… but only if that works for you. The activities on this bucket list are meant to help restart or give life to a fall day that isn’t going so well.
I ask that if you share this with others, please send them the link to download this bucket list on their own rather than photocopying my work. This list is not intended for resale or redistribution.
Susie Allison, M. Ed
Owner, Creator
Susie Allison is the creator of Busy Toddler and has more than 2 million followers on Instagram. A former teacher and early childhood education advocate, Susie’s parenting book “Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting” is available on Amazon.
Emilie Parry says
I can’t wait to try these fun Fall activities with our Creative Tots preschoolers! The pumpkin bath will be perfect for them! We can sort through the pumpkin guts to make classroom pumpkin seed snacks! Thank you for sharing!!