7 Simple Ways to Celebrate Autumn as a Family

Autumn is such a wonderful time of the year and offers up a lot of fun activities to do with children and as a family. However it's very easy to get caught up in the commercialisation of every seasonal holiday and also with Christmas on the horizon it can feel very manic as well as expensive but it really needn't be. In fact Autumn is the perfect time to slow down, recalibrate and reconnect with the people that mean the most to you as well as move forward towards Christmas feeling more balanced.  So I thought I would share a few easy ways to celebrate Autumn with kids for free, or very little as some of the suggestions do require basic ingredients but none of what I have shared should cost more than £2.

1. Head out on a Hike or Walk in the Woods

Don't underestimate the power of fresh air and Autumn is the perfect time get outside as much as possible before it gets too cold so head to your local country park or woodlands and take in all those beautiful autumnal colours as the leave change and fall to the ground. The great thing about the UK is that no matter where you live there is usually some kind of green space nearby (even in the cities). Getting out for at least an hour is beneficial for all ages especially children who are spending more and more time in front of screens so make this a priority for your whole family.

2. Make a Nature Table

I don't know about you but my kids always pick things up on our walks (as do I) and we love putting together seasonal tables, it doesn't have to be a big space and could just be a small part of a window sill. It's up to you how you decorate your nature table but we usually have a mix of pinecones, conkers, acorns, sticks, leaves and basically anything we find on our adventures. You can then change your nature table with the seasons and adding as you go along. Again it can be really beneficial bringing nature into the home as well as getting children to handle natural textures and objects as appose to plastic.

3. Make Leaf Rubbings and simple decorations

Again when you get back from your walk outside and have collected some beautiful leaves it's time to get creative and all you need is paper and some crayons. I find leaf rubbing really soothing isn't something just for children. Simply place the leaf under the paper and and colour over the top of the leaf to leave a lovely silhouette of the leaf. What you can also do with leaves is get an elastic band and wrap them around candles for a beautiful Autumn effect

4. Enjoy a warm cup of Cocoa

When was the last time you got your small milk pot out and made some warm Cocoa on the hob? Most people usually have some Cocoa in their cupboards for baking (and making chocolate cake) but it's also delicious as a hot drink, similar to hot chocolate but minus all the sugar and filler. There are a few different ways of making it, you can be as indulgent as you want but usually its a mixture of cocoa with water, milk (or alternative) and some sugar or maple syrup to sweeten it.

5. Pumpkin Carving

No matter what age you are there is something very fun about carving pumpkins and with most local shops selling sizeable pumpkins for around £2 and it's means a lot of fun for very little money and kids absolutely love carving pumpkins. Don't miss out on this tradition and start with a simple design to carve although of course you can be as creative as you want. If you have any pumpkin left over or want to make something from your pumpkin I have a delicious Pumpkin pie recipe worth checking out.

6. Bob the apple

If your short on ideas and it's raining outside, you really don't have to wait until Halloween to play bob the apples which is always a big hit with my kids. Also Autumn is the time of harvest and apples are usually a plenty so pop them in a bucket of water and all have a go picking one up with your teeth (arms behind your back as well). You will end up laughing thats for sure

7. Make Crumble

Is there anything better than a warm fruit crumble this time of the year? The one thing I love about making crumble is that it's cheap as you can pretty much chuck any fruit in and the topping can be made out of ingredients usually one has one hand - mainly oats or flour, sugar and butter (or alternative). Crumble is one of our favourite Autumn and Winter dessert and it's a great way to use up any fruit you have in the kitchen plus it's easy for kids to get involved with making the crumble topping and here is a super easy recipe for it