5 Exciting Fall Activities that will make you feel alive

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5 Exciting Fall Activities that will make you feel ALIVE

Looking for some great fall activities that will make you feel alive? Nothing like some crisp air to do that!  These are five of my favorite fall activities.  Included are specific options in Southwest Ohio that will fit the bill.

But you’re not planning a trip to Ohio in the fall. And wouldn’t want to even if you could? Because Ohio doesn’t have anything fun?  All they have are cornfields you say?…well… 🙂 yes, that’s one thing they have and that one thing creates two items on my list!

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But first, let’s talk about some items you might want to have for your trip. Most of these are for families traveling with little ones but the first one is for us adults 🙂

• A  wrist wallet– it’s an awesome way to carry around your personal items (keys, cash, credit cards, cell phone) especially when you can’t have have a purse or bag on you.
• A baby carrier – sometimes a stroller isn’t the best option. I’ve found this great Moby wrap to be wonderful! Not only will it keep baby or toddler close to you (they can face in or out) but it’s extremely comfortable and if they aren’t in the wrap it can still be worn as sort of a cover up.
• A pacifier holder –  the last thing you need is to have your little one misplace their favorite paci during your outing.
• A backpack  harness – I know some people don’t agree with these but I always said I’d have one if I ever had a little one and for his 1st Christmas I got him one. I love it! It allows your little one to run around and get out some energy but allows you to still be in ‘control’, know where your child is and reel him in when needed. This one even has a great little zipper pocket so they can bring their favorite toy with them without you having to carry it!

And last but not least-

• A stroller – Always a plus to have when you know you’ll be walking around a lot. This Graco model is a little hefty but it does have a one-handed folding mechanism plus it has a nifty little feature that will lock the front wheels when you know you’ll be on dirt or gravel to help with steering. Now they do have a lightweight stroller option which folds easily  and still has all the great little features of cup holders, under seat holder, comfortable handles  but no front wheel lock.

O.k., so enough with the things you should bring.

On to the list!

Corn maze

This has to be one of my most favorite things to do during the fall. And one of my favorite’s is Tom’s Maze located in Germantown, OH. It feels a bit out of the way but then what better place to have a corn maze! It’s a 3-mile maze within 8 acres. They have pumpkins to purchase, snacks, a maze for the little ones, other mini maze variations – a no left/right turn maze and  a pumpkin cannon, just to name a few things.

The idea of the main maze…nope, is not to just walk through it aimlessly until you find your way out. First you get a map, that’s blank! Yup, you heard me right, blank. Well, it does have a grid on it with a key to get you started but otherwise blank. The purpose then is to venture around each ‘section’ until you find a mailbox. Inside the mailbox you’ll find a little piece of paper and some tape. You tape the piece of paper to your blank map into the correct grid spot and whala, now you know at least now how to get out of that section of the maze and into the next. (Each section is marked with different colored tape so you know which section you’re in) Once you’ve collected all the pieces you’ll have your full maze and will easily be able to get yourself out. They also have a bridge to see the whole field just in case.

Checkout their website – http://www.tomsmaze.com/ for dates, times, prices and more information.

Apple picking

Ah, apple picking. Such a great fall activities. Have you ever gone? I’m not sure I ever did growing up but was super excited to start doing this when my little guy got old enough.  We were lucky enough to visit an orchard his first fall but missed it last year.So, needless to say, this year I’m going to do what I can to make sure we go again. The orchard we visited was A&M Orchard. They are a small run orchard. The best time to visit for apples is September through October but they also have blueberries and other fruits to pick during the summer? It’s free to go in and you can pick as many apples, from as many different types of trees as you’d like. Then you just lug, tote, wheel all your delicious pickin’s to the check-out barn. You’ll find even more great stuff there: alraeady bagged apples, honey, candies and more.

Checkout their facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/AM-Farm-Orchard-151103401573670/ for dates, times and more information.

Amusement Parks

Yes, there are some amusement parks open in the fall. Kings Island, in Mason, Ohio is one of those.

A favorite for young and old. Although I will forewarn you now that only the day activities are family oriented, and the night activities are not for the faint of heart. During the day and night the rides are all in operation, theoretically so are the food vendors. During the day they even have activities specifically geared towards little ones:  games, their own little mazes to go through, trick-or-treating, etc..  At night they have what they call ‘scare characters’ out and about who’s sole job is to scare you. And if you’re not interested in being scared? In the past, they have had necklaces of a sort that are suppose to help keep them away. Now, if you love to be scared, hint – go on Friday night when they first open. – before they open. (but remember, it’s not meant for kids).

Checkout their website – visitkingsisland.com for dates, times, prices and more information.

County Festivals

Want to go to a great county fair? And have some great food? Then this is one you’ll want to visit. The weekend of September 8th, 9th and 10th at the Clinton County Corn Festival.

It’s not huge or impressive like a state fair but it is great family fun. They have a whole slew of activities that run from fair carnival rides, all the way up to performances in the evenings that you wouldn’t want to miss. Animals to pet, animals to look at, crafts from locals – kids and up. Livestock judging, tractor pulls, horse races and all the yummy fair food you can eat. My favorite, the fried oreos 🙂 but since it is the corn festival you can of course get some wonderful corn on the cob! You add as much butter or salt as you’d like. Actually I think I even saw that they have other flavorings to add on top (like at the movie theater) but I’m a traditional girl so it’s just salt and butter for me.

It’s small enough you shouldn’t get lost but if you’re coming with little ones I might still suggest a stroller, otherwise you might be lugging them around :). And it is a county fair after all so I wouldn’t get dressed up (although I’ll admit I’ve seen some people way dressier than I would go for at a fair) and if it’s rained lately you might want to have more appropriate shoes on. A lot of the walkways are dirt.

Checkout their website – http://www.cornfestivalonline.com/ for dates, times and more information.

Renaissance Festival

Step back in time to a 16th Century English Village. What better way to feel alive, and to fully appreciate our modern world.

Typically the festival runs September through October, weekends only.  Don’t have the right thing to wear? Don’t worry about that, they have a place were you can rent a period outfit for the day. I wasn’t brave enough to do that so…. This is such a great place to visit. Not only do they have the best turkey legs around (so yummy!) but they’ve got loads of different types of shows to watch ranging from one person performances you’ll find as you stroll around the village to jousting matches that are pretty cool to watch.

As I’ve mentioned they’ve got some great food options too, something for everyone – even the pickiest of eaters who are only willing to have a hamburger or pizza ( you know you know someone like that ;).

They have shops (village merchants, as they call them) galore from beautiful jewelry, breathtaking swords, gorgeous glassware, amazing leather items and so much more – bring your money!  They even have rides that are definitely from the times!

Checkout their website –http://www.renfestival.com/  for dates, times, prices and more information.

And in case you’re looking for even more family friendly activities, especially those with hands-on activities and/or at-home fun, check out this awesome Autumn Activity Packet by Not Quite Super Mom and Made In A Pinch. They will keep you and your kids busy, happy and learning through the fall season! Enjoy 🙂

Hope you enjoy this list and get a chance to visit at least one of this wonderful fall activities. Check around your local area, you might just be surprised 🙂

What are some of your favorite fall activities? Please share with us in the comments below! Thanks.