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:
- Seasonal table
- Other crafts related to our October Study Guide
- 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
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
Get lost in a corn field maze
Go on a misty ferry ride
- 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)
- Date nights in (kids watch a movie, parents watch a movie)
- Family movie night
- King County Library System online events
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.
