Fun Fall Activities for Seniors
Healthy Ways to Enjoy This Time of Year!
After the heat of summer, the crisp, cool air of autumn comes as a welcome relief. The change in the weather makes this a great time to get outdoors and enjoy being active without worrying about becoming overheated. And there are so many fun things to do!
Here are some activities that capture what we love about the fall to enjoy with a friend or group of friends or family members.
1. Apple Picking Is there an orchard near you? If so, see if they offer a “pick your own apples” option! You’ll enjoy getting outside for some exercise—and you’ll have some delicious rewards for your efforts. If there’s no local orchard available, head to a farmers’ market or grocery store and sample a variety of apples. Have an apple “tasting party” and learn about the more than 2,500 apple varieties worldwide! Maybe play some apple trivia—check out the University of Illinois’ website for some fun apple facts: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/apples/facts.cfm
2. Corn Maze How is your sense of direction? Grab a friend and have an adventure at a corn maze or “maize maze,” from the Spanish word for corn. Mazes are designs made from paths cut through a corn field—and come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and levels of challenge.
3. Hike/Nature Walk If there’s no corn maze in your area, go for a fall hike or nature walk. You may notice nuts from trees along your path. Mast refers to the types of fruit and nuts, such as acorns and walnuts, that come from trees—and are particularly abundant in the fall. See how many trees you can identify by their falling leaves. Here’s a concise guide with pictures from Treehugger: https://www.treehugger.com/trees-with-leaves-a-deciduous-tree-leaf-key-1343475
4. Pumpkin Patch We don’t have to pick the biggest pumpkin in the patch to have fun! And we don’t have to carve pumpkins into Jack-o-Lanterns to enjoy them. Stencils, paint, glitter, pieces of fabric, googly eyes, plastic vampire teeth, and markers provide other ways to decorate and enjoy pumpkins and gourds.
5. Fall Gardening Cooler fall temperatures make it a pleasant time to be in the garden! It’s a great time of year to divide perennials, plant bulbs, and plant and enjoy cool-weather varieties, such as ornamental kale, broccoli and cauliflowers, mums, pansies, and some grasses and asters.
6. Fall Decorations Crafting and decorating are fun in any season, but a trip to the garden store or local farmer’ market can be a great way to find fall favorites for bringing home. Tiny pumpkins and gourds, miniature hay bales, wheat sheaths, and grape vine wreaths can inspire our creativity.
Staying Safe
It’s always important to think of the well-being of ourselves and others when we enjoy the outdoors, so consider these safety tips:
- Protection from the sun is still a factor, so wearing a hat is a good idea
- Insects, in particular yellow jackets, can be more active in early fall, especially around apple trees, and ticks can still be active in cool weather
- It’s always a good idea to stay hydrated, so bring along a water bottle
- Warm up for activities, such as hiking and apple picking, with some walking and gentle stretching
- Wear appropriate footwear for outdoor activities
- Consider no-carve pumpkin decorating
- Fewer hours of daylight make planning ahead even more important
