10 almost free fun Autumn things to do.

I adore Autumn, its my favourite season! From going on long walks and watching the leaves ever changing colours to curling up in front of a log fire with a hot chocolate or mulled apple juice and a good film, its just a perfect season to have fun without sweltering in the heat of summer.

1, Mulled Apple Juice

Ingredients

2l of Apple Juice

1 inch knob of fresh ginger

1 whole lemon, cut in quarters

1 whole orange, cut in quarters

1 (2″) cinnamon sticks

Pinch of allspice (optional)

4 whole cloves

Instructions

Combine ingredients in a non-aluminum saucepan.

Place over a medium heat and bring to a gentle boil.

Reduce heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Strain mixture and serve hot in mugs.

Make sure you let it cool a little especially if you’re giving to children.

2, Take a flashlight walk around your neighbourhood. With the night’s drawing in and the hours’ time change just weeks away late afternoon is a perfect time to dress up warm and go and investigate. See if you can spot some hedgehogs doing the last fattening ups for the winter or do you perhaps have badgers near you?

3, Pick Your Own Pumpkin or plums…

Pick your own pumpkin for Halloween. So many farms offer it as a afternoon delights with tractor rides and scarecrow makings or art and crafts under the trees. Or just pick up the last of the fruit & veg before they shut and fill your freezer up for a bargain.

4, Fly a kite.  Autumn means gentle warn days and wind. In fact the perfect weather conditions for heading out and flying a kite.

5, Autumn Picnic & colours. Go for a long drive with flasks filled with hot chocolate or soup and just look at the colours!

6, Make your own pinecone wreath. Wreaths aren’t just for Christmas, they’re a fabulous way to dress up your door throughout the year. Why not make a fun one for Autumn? And why not incorporate it with a walk through woods to collect your pine cones? 3 Houses makes a beautiful here without glue or wiring.

7, Hit up an autumn fair. There’s loads around so why not pop on some comfy boots and a jacket and head out. From watching the end of the harvests, to shire horses in the fields, scarecrow festivals and even apple events there’s something for everyone and most of them are free too. The boys last year adored the apple events where they squeezed their own apple juice.

8, Caramel Apples. Yes apples again, but there’s a glut this year with the beautiful weather we’ve been having so take full advantage of it. I use this love easy recipe:

Ingredients

Serves: 6 

6 apples

6 wooden sticks

4 (100g) packets original toffee, such as Walkers

2 tablespoons milk

Print, email, send to mobile, or buy with online supermarkets.

Instructions

Remove the stem from each apple and press a stick into the top. Butter a baking tray.

Place toffee and milk in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave 2 minutes, stirring once. Allow to cool briefly.

Roll each apple quickly in toffee until well coated. Place on prepared sheet to set. For best results, refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving.

 

9, Leaves! Go jump in them! Tidy them up in the garden and go mad. Or head to a local park or arboretum and throw yourselves around.

10, Movie night. Light the fire, chuck the marshmallows on the hot chocolate and curl up on the sofa with a film. So many fabulous films are set in the autumn is now the perfect time to watch them. The Lake House, Ferris Beuller, When Harry Met Sally. You’ve got mail and for the kids Charlie Brown it’s the great pumpkin.