Fall in Texas is more of a blink-and-you-miss-it kind of season. It takes forever to get here and then it messes around with whether it’s really here or not, rains for a bit, sometimes will be freezing to tease you, go back up for a week and then BAM… it’s winter.
When we lived in Virginia, it was a little bit more of a season. This was pre-children, so we would take the dog and drive up into the mountains and drive along looking at the trees to change colors. We would get out and hike a bit in the beautiful weather when we weren’t sweating buckets. It was nice. Fall was nice.
In Texas, there aren’t really changing colors except from green to different shades of brown with the occasional red. This past weekend was the first time that it wasn’t so hot that you still needed the A/C to blast in the car. Needless to say, the season is a little different here than in other parts of the country.
Regardless, there are still plenty of traditions that are unique to this time of year. And I’m not just talking about pumpkin spice lattes which, admittedly, are not my cup of tea (pun entirely intended).
I am all about traditions. Something about the consistency, the knowing that we will have certain activities that we do every year, no matter what, brings me peace. It’s probably my Type A personality, but I’m ok with that because my kids love all the things we do. Some are centered around the holidays, but some are just fun things to do in the what-most-consider-to-be fall months.
Traditions are important to a family’s well-being. Traditions create a bond within a family, strengthening relationships. Traditions create a foundation for memories. They create consistency for little ones, consistency that they will depend on.
Many things make up a tradition. The dictionary defines tradition as the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc. Amy Griswold from the University of Illinois even wrote that traditions help reinforce to our children what our family values. Traditions may change as a family changes and grows, but the underlying value will remain. No matter whether the tradition is created based on religion, custom, or culture, the shared family experience will be the most important and memorable part for your children.
Here are some of my favorite fall traditions that your family can do, too!
Pumpkins – Patch, Carving, and More!
There is nothing that quite signals fall more than the sight of pumpkin patches. It typically starts with pumpkins outside the local grocery store, and then pumpkin patches will pop up outside of churches, and then finally you’ll see the massive pumpkin gardens at places like the local arboretum.
One of my favorite things to do ever since I was little was going to the local pumpkin patch and picking out the perfect pumpkin. Everyone has their own preference on pumpkins, too. I like my pumpkins to have at least one flatter side that is easy to carve on. My mom, on the other hand, prefers pumpkins that aren’t perfect and have inconsistencies about them. She says it gives them character.
And nowadays there are so many different kinds of pumpkins! Green pumpkins, white pumpkins, Cinderella pumpkins and more! You can have a whole host of squash in front of your house!
Not only is going to the actual pumpkin patch fun, especially when there are additional activities like corn mazes, hayrides, and more, but then there is the choosing the perfect pattern and carving the pumpkin and then roasting the seeds. Feeling the gooey mess squish between your fingers is such a unique experience. We lay out trash bags on the floor and let the kids go to town on cleaning out the pumpkins. They have such a blast with the sensory experience. Then we let them watch The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, while my husband uses the sharp knives to carve the pattern they’ve chosen.
If you are looking for a truly unique pumpkin experience, make sure to check out places like your local arboretum or gardens for displays they may have as well as other pumpkin festivals. This year a local farm (actually the farm where my husband and I got married) are doing a special festival called Pumpkin Nights that incorporates thousands of pumpkins into a wonderland for the family.
Go to a Haunted House
Haunted houses seem to be a growing trend. I’m not a big fan of haunted houses myself, but I know several people who are and visit them often. When I was little, my dad took me to Six Flags and they had several haunted houses. I thought I would try to be brave and go through one with him. Unfortunately, after immediately entering we made a direct beeline for the emergency exit. The sleeping clown that I thought we could pass without waking did not stay asleep and since that day I have not liked clowns. It’s alright – the carousel ride following made me feel better.
I was told the best way to get through a haunted house is to make it fun. I will never forget the time I was trying to make it through a haunted house and told a wolfman that he looked like a Wookie. He actually broke character and made the haunted house bearable. Needless to say, haunted houses may not be for everyone.
But if you are in the mood for a scare and have the stomach for a haunted house, be sure to check out your local area.
Don’t want the full effect of the haunted house? Check out fall festivals or other special events in your area such as the Pumpkin Nights event that I mentioned above. You never know what fun corn maze or events you might come across!
There’s Nothing like the State Fair
Every year from the end of September to the middle of October, the State Fair of Texas – the largest state fair in the country – opens up its doors and Big Tex welcomes everyone with a deep “Howdy!”
For the past several years, my mom, the kids, and I have gone to the State Fair one weekday, checking out the livestock, tasting the new fair treats, and playing a few of the games. This year will be particularly special as my husband has taken off a day to go with us.
The fair has so many amazing things to see and do. Not only are there the unique food concoctions that are created this year (fried oreos and Dr. Pepper ice cream anyone?), but there are the livestock shows, the arts and crafts, the GIANT BUTTER STATUE, and games and rides.
One of my kids’ favorite activities is a little farm that they get to take part in. They go through different stations, first collecting feed for chickens, then picking fruits or veggies, milking cows, and finding wool from sheep. It’s all fake, but meant to represent the different jobs on the farm. I love the interactive nature, and I feel like it really ties in some of the important parts of the fair.
Last year my mom and I went on a day that was a little rainy. Let me tell you – it was one of the best experiences ever. Most things are indoors, so then you are just waiting for little breaks in the rain to go between buildings. An added bonus – the rain cooled the weather down so it wasn’t blazing hot. Then, as we thought we would start to head out, we began to walk through the game and rides area. The people running the games were so desperate for people to play that they started letting Little Mister play for free, have extra turns, and even gave him upgraded prizes without the required billion games. It was a great experience and the kids had a blast.
No matter what your interest is – whether it’s the animals, unique food, shopping, arts and crafts, or games – you’ll find something at the state fair.
Everything Pigskin
We are, admittedly, a baseball family. We aren’t big football fans. Even though we live in Dallas, we don’t breathe the Cowboys. It’s not that we don’t like them, we just acknowledge that they exist and go about our lives.
Additionally, when we were at Southwestern University, they didn’t have a football team and so we don’t really have a college team to root for.
So our cheering days for the local sports teams really end in September… October if it’s a good year but it’s been a few years since the Rangers had a good year.
Even with all of that, I’m big enough to acknowledge how BIG football is, especially in the state of Texas. From Thursday and Saturday college ball, Friday night lights, to Sunday and Monday night football, half of the week is taken up with games. And even if you don’t have a team that you are a diehard fan for, it’s so much fun to take in a game.
I particularly like the high school games. Watching the kids get so excited for their school, representing themselves with all their colors and regalia, cheering on with their songs, and then watching the marching band at half time. There is a special kind of buzz of excitement on Friday nights that you can never get in a big stadium for a professional team.
Watch Scary Movies Together
I use the term scary movie loosely here. There is a huge range of “scary movies.” You can go old school, older kid scary like The Shining or The Exorcist or, if you have younger kids, there is Hocus Pocus, Casper, or The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Whatever your taste in movie, make it a tradition to sit down and watch themed movies together.
Sure, you can watch scary movies any time of the year (and trust me, we do), but there is something ghoulish about this time of year, when Halloween is just around the corner and ghosts are around every turn that make watching a scary movie just a little more thrilling.
Want to make movie night even a little more fun? Make the whole night – from dinner to the movie – themed! Watching a zombie flick? Dinner could be spaghetti casserole. Maybe it’s a Hocus Pocus kind of night? A beef stew could make for a perfect witch’s stew. It could even be as simple as pumpkin pie for dessert while you watch Linus wait for the Great Pumpkin. Themed dinners are just a fun and easy way to extend the movie watching experience.
Create a Thankful Tree
Fall isn’t just about October and Halloween. There is another holiday between Halloween and Christmas and I don’t mean Veteran’s Day. Thanksgiving is a great time to gather around with family and enjoy some great food. I wrote about in Family Winter Traditions about our Thanksgiving potluck, but there is another fun Thanksgiving tradition that is so easy to do with your kids.
Creating a thankful tree can help remind your kids all of the things for which they are thankful. Create the outline of the trunk with branches and hang somewhere easily accessible for your kids. Then cut out leaves and leave in a bowl or basket nearby with pens and tape. As the month progresses towards Thanksgiving, encourage your kids to write what they are thankful for as they think of it and add a leaf to the tree. By the time the holiday rolls around, your family tree will be filled with leaves stating what they’re thankful for.
What I really love about thankful trees is the reminder that God has filled our lives with such wonderful things. Sometimes it’s easy, especially during that time of year, to get caught down in the muck and mire of family obligations, pending gift shopping frenzy, and stressful cooking. Taking a look at all of the wonderful things God has provided for us, seeing all the things that your children see and value, can be refreshing and enlightening.
Fall may be fleeting, it may only last a month or two if we are lucky, but there are so many wonderful things to do with your family to create lasting memories. What are some of your family’s fall traditions?