September 1, 2019

Family Fun Inspiration for September 2019

These are some of our family’s favorite things to make, explore and learn about during the month of September. I hope it inspires your family as well.

Don’t forget Grandparent’s Day is 9/8/2019, Autumn Equinox/First Day of Fall is 9/23/2019, National Public Lands Day is 9/28/2019 (WA state parks are free)

MAKE

Autumn art

watercolors + leaves = endless possibilities of fun — Watercolors + leaves = endless possibilities of fun

The possibilities are endless as the trees begin to let go of their golden canopies. We’ve made countless forms of leaf art — including leaf rubbings and prints, paintings, garland, wreaths and more. We also decorate our nature table for the season with found treasures like pine cones and acorns.

Back to school portraits

Take the kids to a local park during golden hour (the small window of time at sunrise or sunset when sunlight is softer and more golden). It’s the perfect time to capture beautiful photos of your family at a magical time of day.

Apple everything

After a fun afternoon of apple picking, we tend to go apple-crazy for the next week or so. We always make a big batch of apple butter, dried apple rings, apple pie and sometimes even a hard apple cider (for the grownups).

Fall-inspired comfort food

Some of our favorite comforting fall-inspired meals include:

EXPLORE

Fall foliage drive

Towards the end of the month, pack a picnic and head out on the road. Leaves on deciduous trees will be just starting to turn and will provide many picture opportunities. Bring art journals for the kids so they can document the trip with colorful drawings.

We like: Mountain Loop Highway, North Cascades Highway (SR-20) and Stevens Pass (SR-2). More: Best Places to See Fall Foliage in the Pacific Northwest.

Walk through a sunflower field

Sunflowers in a sunflower field — Walk through a field of giant sunflowers

Depending on where you live, sunflowers may be at their peak at the beginning of September. You may even find a sunflower festival near you.

Pumpkin ice cream tasting

Enjoying a cup or cone of a hallmark flavor of the fall season has been a tradition for my family for many years.

Apple picking

Organic apples from Skipley Farm in Snohomish

Apple picking is a newish tradition for our family — walking through orchards and filling up baskets to the brim with shades of green and red. The following days are spent creating apple butter, dried apple slices and other various apple treats.

Nature walks

Tree-lined pathway — Exploring a tree-lined path

Even on a rainy day, kicking through autumn leaves and experiencing the changing season is a relaxing, educational and fun way to spend an afternoon.

LEARN

Moon Festival

Harvest moon hanging above a neighborhood — I love how the harvest moon hangs low and bright in September.

The Mid-Autumn Festival (aka the Moon Festival) happens September 13. We first learned about it on an episode of Luna Let’s Go on PBS KIDS. During this time of year, the moon tends to be more pronounced and if the weather cooperates — it’s a great time to study it.

Visit a local children’s garden

A children's garden — A children’s garden is one of our favorite places to learn.

One of our very favorite outings involves visiting our local children’s garden. We love learning from Master Gardeners about harvest festivals, good bugs vs. bad bugs and seed saving this time of year. It’s also fun to see the fruits of the garden.