Get cozy

To make an easy no-sew blanket, hit the fabric store. Help your child choose a length of inexpensive fleece material in his favorite pattern and then snip a fringe at either end. The same idea works for scarves too. For more ideas, see our scarf and glitzy gloves crafts. Kids eight and up may get a kick out of learning how to knit or crochet. Craft-challenged? Try a book such as Kids Can Knit: Fun and Easy Projects for Young Knitters by Carol Clewer or Kids Crochet: Projects for Kids of All Ages by Kelli Ronci and show your kids that you like to learn too.

Watch some critters

Fall is a terrific time to see wildlife, as most birds, bugs and animals are either heading south or preparing to make it through the winter. Visit your local nature center to see what’s up, and then take a family hike. “There is a lot of bird activity in the fall, as birds are migrating south. Local reservoirs, lakes and streams are a great place to see ducks taking a break on their long journey,” notes Susan Smith, executive director for the Audubon Society of Greater Denver in Littleton, CO. Tiny jewel-like hummingbirds (keep that hummingbird feeder up!), large whooping cranes and fierce raptors like hawks are also on the move. And did you know that monarch butterflies migrate all the way to Mexico? Visit www.learner.org/jnorth to check out the Journey North program, which helps kids learn how to take part in a global wildlife migration study, plus how to send their own monarch drawings to kids in Mexico.

Closer to home (and depending on where you live, of course), you have a decent chance of seeing local animals gearing up for cold weather, says Smith. “Beavers and muskrats are really active getting big piles of branches for winter food, and chipmunks and squirrels are busy storing seeds and nuts too.”

For other fun activities, check out our Fall crafts, coloring pages and online games.