21 Fun Fall Activities for Toddlers

I absolutely LOVE fall! The chilly sweater weather and pumpkin spice everything just makes my heart smile.

The best part about this time of year is all the fun fall activities you can do with little kids.

Personally, I have always loved participating in fall activities for toddlers. I used to drive by the pumpkin patches and want to stop.

Now that I have a child of my own, I don’t have to look like a sad woman missing an appendage.

There are just too many fun ways to get into some trouble with your toddler during this fabulous fall season!

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Fun Fall Activities for Toddlers

1. Learn to build at kids DIY workshops

Home Depot offers kids DIY workshops on the first Saturday of every month at 0900 local time. These workshops are fun, safe environments to build fine motor skills and perhaps even plant the seed for the next big HGTV power couple.

Home Depot advertises this activity for children ages 5-12 but we found that our toddler enjoyed being around the other kids and touching the project kit materials.

This activity is free but you should register ahead of time.

2. Toddler activities at your local Aquarium

Most aquariums have a toddler program. This designated time helps toddlers learn about marine biology, nature, and how to respect the environment.

This experience is fun and educational for parents and toddlers alike. You will most likely learn something new that helps you deeply connect with our beautiful oceans.

It is also a great way for stay at home moms to let their children interact with others their age.

3. Fall Leaves Scavenger Hunt

Sometimes you just need to keep things simple and go on a walk. We love the feeling of crunchy leaves under our feet on our breezy fall walks together. I recently wanted to add some education to our walks so I created a fun printable scavenger hunt.

We walk and pick up neat looking leaves. Once we get home, we glue them to match with the appropriate tree and then color the leaves together. It shaves off a solid hour and a half of the afternoon!

4. Backyard Bonfire

Fall is the time to be outside! Why not switch up dinner plans and roast some hot dogs in the backyard? Even if you don’t have a huge backyard you can still enjoy the lovely flames, teach your little one about fire safety and how to make epic smores with an inexpensive fire pit.

5. Go on a Hayride

You can’t let the fall season go by without taking your little one on a hayride! We live smack dab in the middle of the city, but we love to get out of the city lifestyle for a bit and give our little guy a taste of country life. I think my son enjoyed chewing on the hay more than the actual ride.

6. Pumpkin Patch

Pick the perfect pumpkin with your little one and take some super cute photos along the way!

Instead of carving pumpkins with toddlers, which sounds dangerous, messy, and not worth it, I like using these fun pumpkin decorations.

We still get the same effect of a face on a pumpkin and toddlers can have fun placing the stickers together.

7. Visit an Apple Orchard

Get some exercise and stock up on apple pie ingredients by visiting an apple orchard. I love this fall activity for toddlers because you can get out of the city smog and refresh your lung. The trees create a pleasant outdoor environment to learn new vocabulary words.

8. Collect Acorns

Speaking of learning, why not work on counting by collecting acorns? This is such a fun way to build fine motor skills and enjoy some sensory play.

Grab some muffin tins and a magnifying glass to take a closer look at the details. 

9. Jump in piles of leaves

These cute leaf bags make raking leaves more fun. I am a firm believer that jumping in large piles of leaves is a right of passage for every kid! Make sure to cover your children’s skin before they jump into piles of leaves to avoid getting chiggers. 

10. Head to a Fall Festival

Check your local newspaper for fall festivals in your area. Although this is usually a more expensive fall activity, a fall festival can really make for some lasting memories. 

11. Farmer’s Market

Farmer’s markets usually have all kinds of fall activities for toddlers. There will definitely be plenty of them running around!

The farmers market is also another great way to stimulate vocabulary by naming the different kinds of fresh veggies.

12. Petting Zoo

Go to a petting zoo for a fun to learn about animals. You may be surprised at the variety of animals available for petting. At a farm down the street from our house, they even have a zebra!

13. Hike some Trails

We love hiking in the fall. The colors are spectacular and just because our little guy can’t walk very far, we are still able to get out and hike by putting him in this Osprey backpack.

It is super comfortable for both the adult and child. We find this the easiest way to hike with small children while still carrying supplies and snacks. 

14. Fall crafts

Fall is a perfect time to get creative with your toddler. One of my favorites for this age is this non-toxic, eco finger paint. It is super engaging for a toddler and something they can successfully do on their own. 

15. Library reading hour

I love taking my son to the local library. Every month they come out with a new calendar of activities that are available for kids.

Certain times of the year, local libraries have themed programs available for kids. Check your local library to see what is available in your town. 

16. “Camp” in the backyard

If there are older siblings to help with this, it could be fun for your toddler to camp in the backyard.

I love the simplicity of this suggestion and how it makes for memories that last a lifetime.

I had so much fun camping in the backyard as a kid. It felt like a little bit of freedom I didn’t usually have. 

If you only have one child who is a toddler, I can’t fathom actually staying out there all night.

Although, I do see the fun of setting up a tent and pretending you are camping during the day. It’s one way to let the imagination run wild and enjoy the cool weather. 

I mean, why not pretend to camp? 

17. Go to Boo at the Zoo

Get dressed up for your local Boo at the Zoo. Most local zoo’s have specially themed fall activities for kids. The zoo is so lively with all the cute little people you might forget to look at the animals. 

18. Go for a bike ride

We love getting places by bike. There is nothing better than the wind in your face and a cute little person giggling behind you.

19. Dress up for Halloween together

I start looking on Pinterest for fun Halloween costume ideas in August. That gives me time to get it all together.

It seems like Halloween is the kickoff to the holiday season, but for us, it is usually the main event.

Our family little does Christmas a little differently than most, but Halloween is one that we don’t change traditions and try to make the most of.

20. Plant a winter garden

The hot days of summer are over which means it is time to let little fingers play in the dirt and plant a winter garden.

You can grow a number of veggies over the winter including asparagus, onions, shallots, carrots, and garlic.

21. Create a thankfulness tree

I feel so blessed to be a mom and get to enjoy the simple things with my family.

We did every single one of these fall activities this year. I am so thankful for these little moments with my family.

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Many people find more meaning behind things when they can visualize them.

A thankfulness tree is a perfect way to represent this concept to toddlers.

I hope you have as much fun doing all these fall activities with your kids as we did!