Fall in Love with great family activities
Just because the swimming pools have closed, the kids are back in school, and there’s a nip in the evening air doesn’t mean that family outdoor fun has ceased. In fact, fall may be the best time of year to get out and about in the Chippewa Valley. The apples have ripened and the leaves in every city park and country hillside are a riot of color. We asked some Chippewa Valley families about their favorite fall activities. If you want to add some of your own, check out ChippewaValleyFamily.org or find us on Facebook and leave a note!
We pick apples at Class Apple, just south of the Priory. I love how small the orchard is (perfect for toddlers) and they have a Johnny Appleseed that you measure your kids by every year (“How tall are you this fall?” or something) and they record the heights in a notebook so you can compare how much the kids have grown over the years! I also really like the organic layout of the orchard – no rows. They’re also a member of the Chippewa Valley Eco-Apple network. –Kristen Berger
When I think of kids and fall, a few activities immediately come to mind. Our family loves to rake up huge leaf piles and plunge into them. We also enjoy making leaf houses, relaxing around a backyard bonfire, making roasted pumpkin seeds, visiting a local apple orchard – our favorite is Ferguson’s – and hiking at Hoffman Hills when the leaves are at their peak. We love fall! –Jennifer Schmidt
Helping rake leaves is my daughter’s favorite fall activity, but it must involve jumping in piles of leaves. It’s a great source of exercise for the whole family, as parents will benefit from the workout of gathering the same leaves at least twice, if not more! Before bagging the leaves, she loves to hide in the paper bag and startle us, as well as wear it on her head (supervised) and walk around pretending to be a Halloween ghost. When we’re done, we cut holes for her head and arms and decorate it with paint or markers and it becomes a costume. For activities outside our yard, we love to collect leaves, sticks, pine cones and other curiosities from local trails. Our favorite nature trail in the city is the one between Archery and Boyd parks when we are in a mood to brave high and narrow paths, or the Putnam Trail when we want to wander more casually or jump in puddles. –Jessica Miller
Last September we rode bikes downtown starting at Mega East, riding by Banbury to see the changing leaves along the river down to Phoenix Park. Worth making a tradition! –Candi Teachman
We love going to Ferguson’s Orchard. If you pay to get into the play area, it is a season pass. We go a few times each year. Last year they had built a new play school house and jail. They have a nice corn maze, a tractor ride, and a slightly scary haunted house. –Meredith Hollars
My family loves taking country road trips to look at all of the changing colors. It doesn’t matter which direction we go, there is always something interesting to see. We usually end up at a state or county park where we can get in some light hiking and fresh air. While spending time on the trails, we like to try to identify birds, trees, and plants. Fun, healthy, and educational! –Threasa Meyer
There is no better place to view the beautiful colors than the top of the tower at Hoffman Hills. When kids are little, it is quite the event. Packing a snack for a picnic along the way is a great idea. Now that our kids are grown, I think we do it each year to remember those great family times ... and maybe to make sure we can still make it to the top! –Sue Wichman Grohn
A fall trip to the Bullfrog Fish Farm or the A to Z Pizza Farm, or maybe checking out the local lookout towers to see fall colors! –Sally Meyer
I love to roast apples over a bonfire, on a skewer, like a marshmallow, slice them in a bowl and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. They taste like candied apples! –Bonni Knight
