Family Fun Inspiration for October 2020

Family Fun Inspiration for October 2020

Pumpkin patches, spooky-cute costumes and autumn treats, oh my! Ideas for the whole family – check out my Family Fun Inspiration List for October – things to Make, Explore, Play and Watch. These are some of our family’s favorite things during the month of October. I hope it inspires your family as well.

I separated it out into a few fun categories: Make (crafts and food), Explore (getting out of the house) and Play/Watch (games and what to check out on TV) to make it easy to choose something to do. Many of these ideas we have done as a family (or are planning to do).

Note: this year we are still in the middle of COVID-19 pandemic and have adjusted some of our traditions here to reflect that.

Holidays and Special Dates in October

  • October is National Pizza Month
  • October is Bullying Prevention and Kindness Month
  • 10/5: Do Something Nice Day
  • 10/12: Canadian Thanksgiving/Columbus Day
  • 10/11-10/17 is Earth Science Week
  • 10/31 is Halloween
  • 10/31-11/2: Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)

MAKE (crafts and food)

Jack-o’-lanterns


Bring your kids’ favorite PBS KIDS characters to life as jack-o’-lanterns

Skip the screams and aim for squeals this Halloween with your favorite PBS KIDS characters. Check out my easy how-to, complete with templates!

  • Food themed days of the week:
    • Pancake Sundays (breakfast)
    • Mac & Cheese Mondays (lunch)
    • Oatmeal Wednesdays (breakfast)
    • Poetry Tea Time Thursdays
    • Pizza Fridays (dinner)
    • Date Night Saturdays
  • Treats for Poetry Tea Time
    • Tea, cookies
  • Treats for Family Fun Night and Date Night
    • caramel apple cider, gingerbread, calzones, pretzels
  • Crafts:
  • Family podcast / video updates

Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner

Our tradition to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving (we’re American) began on a weekend away in nearby British Columbia. We stumbled upon a Thanksgiving buffet at a restaurant and decided we needed to carry on the tradition.

Mud Pies

Mud Pies
Dinner is served. Remembering the days when I loved playing restaurant with backyard finds.

All you need are rocks or dirt, a random container and imagination. Turn the kids loose with this combination and the results are priceless.

EXPLORE (at home/getting out of the house)

Go on a bug scavenger hunt

Print off a couple of copies of this scavenger hunt and go for a walk in the backyard or at a nearby park. Or check out Mac’s Field Guide (Good Bugs and Bad Bugs).

Pick the perfect pumpkin

Pumpkins in a wheel barrow
Visit your favorite place to pick a pumpkin

Get lost in a corn field maze

Go on a misty ferry ride

Ferries in the mist
  • At home:
    • Football games
  • Out of the house:
    • Take Sunday drives (usually within 15 minutes from our home)
    • Picnic at the park
    • Family hikes or bike rides around the neighborhood

PLAY/WATCH (games and what to check out on TV/online)

Other things:

Check out my October 2020 Traceable Weather Calendar

Yes, we’re homeschooling in the month of October! Check out what we’re learning about.