FALL - FAMILY - FUN
Make Thanksgiving and fall memorable with these fun family-friendly activities!
"The thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us" ~ James E. Faust.
These family-friendly activities will ensure for memorable moments spent with loved ones this fall and Thanksgiving. May they instill a thankful heart when discovering the beauty in everyday life!
Forage For Natural Decorations
Need to decorate the table for an upcoming Thanksgiving dinner? Or maybe change up the decor around the home to suit the holidays? Turn to nature!
When we start looking at things around us with a fresh pair of eyes, we realize how many things we often overlook that are beautiful in their own way.
By using natural decor, we learn to appreciate the smallest, simple things and reduce our footprint on this earth.
Some fun natural decor examples:
- Bowls of freshly picked pears and apples add just a small pop of color!
- Multi-colored dried corncob
- Leaves and branches, berries
- Pine cones
- Pompous grass
- Dried herbs for a lovely scent
- Mushrooms
- Dried seed pods
- Feathers

kids fall scavenger hunt
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This fall scavenger hunt printable by Azure Farm is perfect for downloading, laminating, and reusing repeatedly!
Send the kids outside and let them check things off as they find them.
This scavenger hunt is not just for fun! Along the way, the kids will be exploring their senses, discovering textures, experiencing how change happens in nature (and life), and learn to appreciate the value of spending time outside.
After the scavenger hunt, use the items to make fun projects, I.e., making a beautiful collage on paper with the leaves, tying the feather to a pencil, decorating the pinecones, or painting the rocks to look like pumpkins.
decorate pine cones for the upcoming holidays
This is another fun activity for kids! Decorate pine cones you have foraged or collected on the fall scavenger hunt and use them for holiday decorations.
You will need:
- Pinecones
- Foil and a shallow baking pan
- Adhesive spray
- Some gold or silver spray paint if you wish to add a touch of glam
- Ground cinnamon
Steps:
- Send the kids to go collect as many pinecones as they can.
- Clean them from any debris.
- Space the pinecones on a baking tray lined with foil.
- Place in a 200 degrees pre-heated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Pinecones have open pores, and by baking them, they will seal and crisp up.
- Let them cool.
- Optional step: Spray with gold or silver spray paint and let it dry
- Spray the pinecones with adhesive spray and immediately roll in or sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Place back on tray to completely dry.
- Don't be afraid to go wild with the decorating!

Make diy ornaments
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Make salt-dough ornaments with this easy recipe! This is an inexpensive way to always have new ornaments for any occasion or theme. Hang your handmade ornaments on your Christmas tree, add them as part of table decorations, make name place settings, or use them as cute thank-you gifts for your guests.
What you need:
- 1 cup of plain flour
- 1 cup of salt
- Up to 1 cup of warm water
- Twine or string
Directions:
- Add the flour to a bowl and slowly add the water.
- Stir until the dough is mostly together and is hard to stir any longer.
- Knead a few times with your hands to bring the dough together.
- If it is very sticky, add a few drops of water.
- Place dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll until about 1/4-inch thick.
- Cut out your desired shapes with cookie cutters.
- Remove the dough around the shapes and carefully transfer the shapes to a parchment-lined cookie sheet with a spatula.
- Poke holes with a straw before baking, so you have a place for a string to hang ornaments.
- Bake at a very low temperature (between 100 degrees C and 140 degrees C) for around 4 hours.
- If they are still doughy or soft after this time, turn them over and heat them again.
Make 'Cookies in a Jar' Gifts
Gift sustainably this holiday season with 'Cookies in A jar' gifts.
You will need:
- Wide Mouth Quart Jar for ingredients
- 1.25 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 4 tbsp room temp plant-based butter ( or desired butter)
- 2 tbsp almond milk ( or desired milk)
- Egg replacer equivalent of 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Note* The above ingredients is for one cookie jar
Directions:
- Layer the dry cookie ingredients in the jar with a funnel in the following order: Flour mixed with baking powder, baking soda and salt, brown sugar, cranberries, chocolate chips, walnuts, and white sugar.
- When making the cookies, it’s best to cream the sugar and butter, so add a layer of cling wrap first to the jar and pour the sugar into it, push it down and to the sides, then twist the cling wrap before putting the lid on.
- Decorate the jar and add a note with the cookie recipe below.
Cookie Recipe:
- Pour the cookie mixture into a mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and white sugar until very fluffy.
- Next, add the milk, vanilla, and egg replacer and combine with a mixer.
- Thoroughly mix into dry ingredients until fully mixed.
- Drop or roll large teaspoons of dough onto a greased (or parchment paper) baking sheet. Flatten the cookies a little bit.
- Bake at 375* for 12-16 minutes, or until the color has tanned a bit on top and browned around the edges.
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other family activities
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Enjoy a fall picnic
Enjoy the last of the lovely fall weather before it gets too cold to spend time outside. Pack a basket full of your favorite fall snacks and have a picnic under beautiful fall trees with all the gorgeous colored leaves. Enjoy the warmth of the mellow sun and take some memorable family photos.
Relax with a bonfire night
A crackling fire capturing your thoughts, a beautiful star-ridden sky, the sound of crickets and loved ones laughing, and oozy roasted marshmallows is the perfect recipe for a fall bonfire night.
Hot chocolate bar and games night
Invite a group of friends or family and host a game night! Offer a hot chocolate bar with various tasty ingredients to choose from for a fun experience.
Help out at a soup kitchen
Give back and show thanks and gratitude by helping out at your local soup kitchen or community center. Thanksgiving and fall is the perfect time to reflect on what to be thankful for and show gratitude by helping others in need.