Have A Ball This Fall! Embrace an Autumn State of Mind
Whether you’ve been counting down the days until it’s time for PSLs again or have been itching to wear plaid, it’s officially fall, y’all! To celebrate the coziest time of year finally being here, we’ve rounded up festive ways to usher in the new season.
From a themed kid’s party to pumpkin craft ideas to weekend getaways, here’s an unofficial guide to autumnal family fun — even if it’s not quite sweater weather yet.
Have A Ball This Fall — Oh My Gourd!
Five kid-friendly things to do with a pumpkin other than carve it.
Paint A Portrait
Floridians know you can’t carve a pumpkin and set it out too soon in the October humidity. One longer-lasting alternative is to paint it. While any design works, challenge kids to create a pumpkin person and design it after their favorite storybook character or celebrity.
Rinse and Repeat
If you have a toddler, never underestimate how long a bowl of water, a sponge, and some soap can provide entertainment. Buy a few mini pumpkins small enough to fit in little hands, then set out washable markers or paints. Let the kids color them before sending them to the bath! Kids will love scrubbing and cleaning the pumpkins and then doing it all over again.
Hammer Away
Practice fine motor skills by giving kids a pile of golf tees and a wooden hammer. Have them nail the tees into a pumpkin — bonus points if they can create a cool design or a letter with them. You can also try using Mr. Potato Head pieces!
Hide and Seek
5 little pumpkins … all want to play hide and seek! Start a daily spooky-season tradition by hiding little pumpkins around your house and having the kids go find them. It’s an easy game kids will love.
Bedazzle
Think gem art for gourds! Turn a pumpkin into a disco ball with stick-on gemstones. Challenge children to sparkle-ify them so much you can’t see any orange!
Related: 10 Precious Pumpkin Patches in Orlando for Family Photos
Do You Know Your Pumpkins?
A cheat sheet to all the different kinds before you hit the patch
Jack O’ Lantern: As the name suggests, these tall, stand-up pumpkins are perfect for carving.
Cinderella: Wider and flatter, this variation is more for decoration and looks great on a front doorstep. Plus, they come in a variety of hues like pale white to almost blue.
Connecticut Field Pumpkin: This type is super sturdy, making it a popular choice for carving, and it’s frequently found at local patches.
Sugar Pumpkin: Also known as a pumpkin pie or sweet pumpkin, it’s the best one to use in pies or other baking endeavors.
Baby Boo: With its cute name and petite size, this little white pumpkin is ideal table décor and great for little hands to play with or decorate. Fun fact: The orange variety is called “Jack-Be-Little.”
Baby Bear: Its size falls in between a sugar pumpkin and a Baby Boo, so it’s good for a toddler who wants something a little bigger than a mini one.
Black Futsu: With bumpy and mottled skin that comes in black and green as well as orange, kiddos may think it has witch warts on it, but they’re great for decorating and ideal for someone looking for something a little atypical.
Throw A Seasonal Sleepover!
Next time your child is having friends spend the night, put an autumnal spin on the classic sleepover party with these easy ideas:
Set the Mood
Make the living room into an Instagram-able fall oasis by stringing up fairy lights, draping faux fur and flannel blankets and pillows, and lighting harvest-scented candles.
Play Classic Fall Games
Take a page from 90s fall festivals and bring out some nostalgic games like bobbing for apples or dangling donuts, where you tie a donut to a string and eat it without using your hands.
Have an Apple Cider Bar
While it still may be too warm outside for hot cider, pour the chilled version into mugs and let everyone doctor it to their liking. Fun mix-ins include fruits like orange or apple slices and cranberries, spices like nutmeg or cinnamon, and sweeteners like caramel sauce, honey or maple syrup. Then, stir it all together with a cinnamon stick!
Foliage-Inspired Fingertips
If you’re hosting a gaggle of girls, have a mani moment. Set out a mix of reds, oranges, and gold nail polishes so girls can paint their nails an autumn-inspired hue, or they can do each finger a different shade to mirror the changing fall leaves.
Put On A Throwback Fall Flick
Hocus Pocus, Casper, Halloweentown, and Twitches are just a few of the movies that instantly make you feel as if the leaves are changing. For older girls, try Gilmore Girls since there’s nothing that screams cozy hometown more than Stars Hollow.
Related: Interview: Phil and Lily Rosenthal on Parenting Lessons and Their New Father-Daughter Book
Plan A Leaf Peeping Weekend
Escape the heat and enjoy a real change in the season by booking a trip to one of these fall foliage hubs. The best part? Orlando International Airport flies direct to all of them.
•Burlington, Vermont (Breeze Airways): With peak colors late September to early October, this Northeast town has beautiful biking and walking trails, a boat cruise on Lake Champlain, and lots of picturesque farm stands.
•Knoxville, Tennessee (Allegiant Air and Southwest Airlines): This airport is the closest you can get to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is teeming with photo ops and scenic drives.
•Halifax, Nova Scotia (Porter Airlines and Air Canada): The waterfront Canadian city has crisp weather, gorgeous leaves, and plenty to do, from historic tours to apple picking and wine tasting.
•Quebec City, Quebec (Air Canada): Say Bonjour to this dreamy destination! Visit Plains of Abraham, a 240-acre historic park with bright leaves framing the St. Lawrence River, or ride a cable car at Montmorency Falls.
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Originally published in the September/October 2026 Issue of Orlando Parenting Magazine
