Harvesting Memories: Fall activities for the Family

As the leaves turn golden, the air becomes crisp, and the Pumpkin Spice Latte's (PSL's) are flowing cup by cup, it’s the perfect time to embrace the cozy vibes of Fall with your family! At Northshore Christian Academy we believe learning happens everywhere—no matter if your family is coming together to explore, create, or relax. So grab your scarf, a pumpkin donut, and dive into these delight-FALL activities that are sure to create joy, togetherness, and lots of FUN! 

• Cozy Indoor Picnic & Movie: 
  Gather up lots of blankets, get your cozy socks on, make a couple platters of yummy picnic style snacks, and head into your family room for movie night. My favorite snacks to include are anything charcuterie style--meats, cheese, grapes, nuts, olives, pickles, and of course, plenty of chocolatey treats.  

• Harvest Festival & Pumpkin Patch Hopping:
   This is a Fall MUST! There's a slew of local family favorites, but I personally would recommend Bob's Corn & Pumpkin, Stocker Farms, Thomas Family Farm, Swans Trail Farms. Whether you're looking for pumpkin patches, mazes, yummy caramel apples, or more--you can find fun-filled Fall activities at any of these.  

• Stories & S'mores by the Fire: 
  This one I love because of how simple it is--and with two littles, I LOVE simple! Gather some of your favorite short stories, or even choose a book or psalm from the Bible, grab s'mores fixings, and start up the firepit in the backyard.  

• Baking Days: 
  My kids love joining me in the kitchen and so one of my favorite traditions have become baking on Saturdays together. There's nothing better than hearing lots of laughter, licking batter off whisks, and a house filled with the smell of sweet pumpkin spice! My oldest loves the pumpkin pancake mix at Trader Joe's, but my personal favorite is this recipe: Healthy Pumpkin Muffins  

• Attend an NCA Soccer game:
  Nothing screams Fall, quite like an action packed sporting event! We would love to invite you to learn more about our athletics department and find calendars per sport here: Athletics | NCA  

• Make a Family Gratitude list:
  This is hands down my favorite! Our family has been doing this for a couple of years now, and the best part is, you can choose to do it weekly or each day. We use a whiteboard that hangs in our kitchen and every Sunday we go around as a family and we write down what we are most grateful for that week. I love seeing what my kids say and watching their little hearts explode with gratitude--whether they are thanking Jesus for their stuffed animals, or for their family--what a beautiful reminder to be full of gratitude for all the Lord gives us.   

• Paint Pumpkins:
   I'm addicted to putting pumpkins on my porch during Fall--you can never have too many! But my least favorite thing is when my adorably carved pumpkin with a black cat on it becomes a droopy, sad, and saggy cat on my porch. My solution to this: PAINT your pumpkins! Not only is it a blast to let your creativity flow, but your pumpkin will also last so much longer on your porch.  

Now that you're all cozy, go get a PSL, and start making memories with your family. Whether you have old traditions or you're starting a new one from this list with your family, our hope at Northshore Christian Academy is that you and yours have a very happy, safe, and blessed Fall season!