Fall is in the Air! 50 Fun Fall Things to Do with Your Teen This Weekend

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This post: Fall is in the Air! 50 Fun Fall Things to Do With Your Teen This Weekend

Written by: Marybeth Bock

With the long, hot days of summer behind us, it’s time for you and your kids to dive into the beautiful, crisp fall days that lie ahead! Oh… and don’t let your teen fool you, they’re not too old to celebrate the season or take part in activities that stir up a few fun childhood memories. (They secretly love it!)

There are so many fun fall things to do with your teen this weekend! Take advantage of the cooler temps and the peaceful lull before the craziness of the holidays. Grab a sweatshirt (my guess is your teen has more than a few of those), a warm drink, and head out to enjoy nature or check out a haunted house OR stay home, cozy up, and have a blast cooking, crafting, or watching scary movies!

If you’re looking for ideas, we’ve rounded up a bunch of ideas that tweens and teens just might love! Here are 50 fun fall things to do with your teen this weekend!

1. Apple Picking at a Local Orchard

Hit up a local orchard and pick some apples – for snacking, baking apple pies or even to give to neighbors and friends. A lot of apple orchards have other fun fall activities as well so be sure to take in the whole experience.

2. Head to a Haunted House

Is your teen one of those kids who loves to be scared? Then a creepy haunted Halloween house is for them! What better way is there to get into the spookiness of the season?

3. Go to a Football Game (Tailgate, Too!)

Fall and football go hand in hand! Whether you cheer on your kid’s local high school team or head to a college football game, make sure you whip up a bunch of fun tailgating snacks so you can pre-game and get in the spirit. 

4. Visit a Pumpkin Patch

Umm… no, your teen isn’t too old (or too cool) for pumpkin patches. Chances are this fun activity will stir up more than a few fun childhood memories. After all, your big kid really IS little on the inside.

5. Check Out a Local Fall Festival

Attend a local fall festival put on by a school or civic organization. A lot of them have live music, food, games, and craft vendors – something for everyone!

6.  Get Lost in a Corn Maze

Find a corn maze near you for a fun, challenging adventure. Some mazes are designed with themes and clues to solve. It’s a great activity for your family OR for a big or small group of your teen’s friends.

7. Make Caramel Apples

Making caramel apples OR going all out and setting up a caramel apple bar is so easy and fun. Go crazy with toppings and let your teen create their own caramel apple masterpiece. Need caramel apple ideas? Check out this post! Or, if you need inspiration for a caramel apple snack board, check out this post!

8. S’mores by the Campfire

Grab the coziest blankets you can find, invite a few of your teen’s friends over, and let them snuggle up by a fire and make s’mores and tell ghost stories. Nothing screams fall more than sitting by a toasty fire!

9. Plan the Perfect Halloween Costume

Host a few of your teen’s friends at your house (serve up a few snacks ’cause we all know teenagers are always hungry) and let them brainstorm their Halloween costumes. Need ideas? Check out these iconic pop culture costumes for 2023.

10. Go Stargazing

The crisp fall evenings often bring beautiful clear skies. Spend time together identifying constellations and looking for shooting stars. Visit the American Meteor Society’s Meteor Shower Calendar.

11. Bake a Fall Pie

Did you know that statistically, A LOT of teens watch cooking and baking shows? They secretly love the idea of learning how to cook and bake, but they might need a little help getting started. Fall is the perfect time for them to try whipping up a pie, especially with so many great flavors to choose from – apple, pumpkin, pecan, or sweet potato. Try this Easy Apple Pie recipe from Little Spoon Farm.

12. Take a Fall Nature Hike

Explore nearby hiking trails to take in the beautiful fall scenery. It’s a fantastic way to be active, get away from screens, and connect with your kids AND nature.

13. Get a Jumpstart on Your Holiday Shopping

It’s never too early to get ready for the holidays, and it’s more enjoyable to hit the stores before they get super crowded. Teens can help pick out gifts for grandparents, siblings, and cousins – and you might just pick up on a few things your teen wants as well… it’s a win-win!

14. Cozy Up for a Family Movie Night

Pop the popcorn, heat up the apple cider, get out the blankets, and watch a couple of fall-themed or scary movies – whatever vibe suits your crew!

15. Make a Fall Snack Board

Whip up a few fall-inspired snacks and pull them together for a snack board your family will never forget! Plus, it’s a GREAT way to keep your kids around since we know teens love food. Check out these adorable and fun fall snack boards you just have to try!

16. Make Homemade Soup

Break out your crockpot and make a wonderful and easy fall soup. Let your teen choose the recipe and help in the kitchen! The Taste of Home blog has recipes for 47 Fall Soups, so you’re sure to find a few your teen will want to gobble up. Serve with some crusty bread or a salad.

17. Volunteer at a Local Soup Kitchen or Food Bank

After you’ve made and enjoyed your own soup, find a soup kitchen or a food bank in your community and take a shift. You and your teen will feel good helping others and, who knows… it might become a family tradition.

18. Create the Perfect Fall Snack Mix

When it comes to fun fall things to do with your teen make SURE you include a couple of things that involve food, because, well… teens LOVE food! For starters, make up a big batch of a fall-inspired snack mix like this pretty one. This mix is great to add to your teen’s lunch, or for them to snack on when you’re driving them to practice. Check out the recipe at PlayPartyPlan.

19. Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Try this no-fail recipe to make the perfect roasted pumpkin seeds from the “My Organized Chaos” blog. It suggests five simple seasoning options to try. Pumpkin seeds are an easy, healthy, and crunchy snack – and kids love ’em!

20. Go On a Fall Picnic

There’s no better season to grab a blanket and a few snacks (or simply stop along the way and pick up a few yummy sandwiches) and enjoy a fall picnic in the cool, crisp air. Don’t forget to bring the frisbee, football or a few fun games.

21. Play Touch or Flag Football as a Family

Help your teen organize an afternoon of friends and family coed football in the park or backyard. There’s nothing like some good old friendly competition.

22. Have a Pumpkin Carving Contest

Have your teen gather up a group of friends and either spring for the cost of pumpkins OR have everyone bring their own pumpkin to carve. Looking for ideas? Check out these creative pumpkin carving ideas!

23. Make Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin and chocolate are an especially tasty flavor combo, so I prefer adding chocolate chips to mine. But you can make easy pumpkin bread with all kinds of add-ins like nuts, seeds, or dried fruits. And, any bread recipe is also great for making cupcakes that can be frozen and easily thawed for school lunches. Check out this delish Pumpkin Bread recipe from Mom on Timeout.

24. Train for a Marathon Together

Get the family together (or a bunch of your teen’s friends) and make a plan to get healthy, fit, and prepared to run a marathon. The weather isn’t too hot to train and you’ll ALL be doing your body good!

25. Enjoy the Day at an Amusement Park

Now that the weather has cooled off a bit, head to an amusement park for a full day (or an evening) filled with thrills, family fun and plenty of junk food teens love.

26. Host a Chili Cook-Off

Invite neighbors and friends over with their favorite chili dish to share. You can provide drinks, bowls, and a few toppings like corn chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream. Have everyone vote on the best-tasting chili. Such a fun way to get everyone together. Oh, and who cares if they’ve never made chili in their life? It’s about the togetherness of it all!

27. Shoot a Few Fall Pics

Give teens disposable cameras or let them use their smartphones to capture all the colorful beauty of autumn. Create a digital or paper scrapbook with their photos.

28. Go Camping for the Weekend

Escape town for the weekend and find a campground where you can pop a tent and enjoy nature. If you don’t own camping equipment, borrow or rent it. It’s an experience every teen should have.

29. Host an Outdoor Movie Night for Your Teen’s Friends

Set up an outdoor movie night in your backyard or at a local park. Remember the blankets and snacks for a cozy evening. Teens will LOVE this!

30. Go on a Spooky Ghost Tour

Nearly every city has a few fun ghost tours you can book for a fun (and spooky) evening listening to real-life ghost stories! 

31. Host a Halloween Party

Get family, neighbors, and your teen’s friends together for a fun Halloween party that’s brimming with cool decorations, spooky snacks, creepy music, and plenty of laughs. 

32. Make a Fun Fall Craft

There are SO many adorable (and easy) crafts your teens can dive into this fall. Need ideas? Check out these fall crafts! To make these adorable burlap pumpkins, check out Confessions of a Plate Addict HERE.

33. Rent a Cabin for the Weekend

Whether you’re headed to the mountains, the beach, or somewhere in between, every once in a while it feels SO good to get away from it all – no cellphones, no computers, no distractions. Just family time – we NEED that!

34. Take a Scenic Fall Drive

When the leaves are at their peak autumn vibrance, head out in the car with your family for a fun scenic afternoon drive. Be sure to stop for some hot cider along the way and maybe a few snacks, roll the windows down (if it’s not too chilly) and just enjoy the beauty of fall. 

35. Participate in National Make a Difference Day (10/28/23)

National Make A Difference Day brings community service to a whole new level each year. Organizations join forces on the fourth Saturday in October to make a difference, big or small. Help your teen find an opportunity to put their skills to work or to make a donation to their favorite charity.

36. Make a Spa Skeleton Candle (TikTok Trend!)

A fall craft that’s all the rage right now is a DIY spa skeleton candle you can easily make at home using items from the dollar store. Check out this video that shows all the spooky steps on how to do it.

37. Host a Fall Scavenger Hunt

Let your kids host their own fall scavenger hunt. Hold it at the local pumpkin patch or even in your own backyard. Make printouts highlighting everything each team needs to find (an acorn, an orange leaf, an apple, etc.), and be sure to have prizes (like $5 or $10 gift cards) ready for the team that wins!

38. Host a Murder Mystery Party

This blog post from Mama Teen contains links to 21 different murder mystery theme kits for purchase so your teen can host one killer party. (No pun intended.) These themes are so clever and perfect for teenagers!

Photo compliments of Mama Teen

39. Read Ghost Stories by the Fire

Not sure what to do on a Friday or Saturday night with your teen? Why not hunker down with blankets on the back porch or around a warm fire and share a few spooky ghost stories? Challenge everyone to come up with the scariest story ever and offer a little surprise to the one who wins!

41. Bake Cookies

The cool weather is the perfect invitation to whip up warm cookies in the kitchen. Let your teen get creative and choose the cookie recipe(s), flavors, and/or toppings. Check out these cute cookie cutters.

42. Go Zip-Lining

Most teens LOVE zip-lining! And, fall is the perfect time to go! Not only is the weather ideal, but zip-lining among the changing leaves makes for a picture-perfect experience.

43. Indulge in a Pumpkin-Spiced Latte’

Stop by Starbucks, Dunkin’, or your favorite coffee shop and enjoy a Pumpkin-Spiced Latte’ – it’s the perfect fall-inspired taste to kick off the season. Sit outside on one of the cafes’ tables and take in the gorgeous beauty of fall.

44. Celebrate National Chocolate-Covered Pretzel Day (10/7/23)

The perfect excuse to make some tasty treats! Pick up pretzels, chocolate, and toppings of your choice. Nibble on some and gift some to friends! Check out this post from Emily Enchanted for ideas!

45.  Make DIY Fall Candles

Now that the days are getting chilly, it’s the perfect time to make a few DIY candles. It will make your teen’s bedroom smell great and give it that cozy candle vibe. Check out these amazing DIY fall candles your teen can make!

46. Get a Fall-Inspired Mani-Pedi

Let the changing leaves be your guide! From plaid and pumpkins to leaves and skeletons, you can have so much fun with your nails this season. Need more fall nail ideas? Check out this post! 

47.  Go Sweater or Hoodie Shopping

Who says your teen couldn’t use a new sweater or hoodie this season? Hit the mall, the outlet store, or go thrifting and find the deal of the century on a cozy sweater or hoodie they’ll wear all fall.

48. Make a Leaf Wreath

There are many ways to craft your own pretty leaf wreath using real or faux leaves made of fabric or paper. Here’s an easy leaf wreath tutorial from The Frugal Family Home blog.

49. Make a DIY Flannel Throw Blanket

Easy enough for any beginner, the no-sew DIY flannel throw blankets are so fun, cute, and comfy. And, the best part is, your teen can use any flannel fabric they like so they can create any look they want. Visit It’s Always Autumn for the easy how-to!

50. Create “You’ve Been BOOED” Baskets

Teens (especially younger ones) love an excuse to ding-dong ditch someone, so help them fill up a Boo Basket or two for families in your neighborhood and let them deliver them under the cover of darkness. Here are some helpful ideas and free printables for the baskets.

(Photo from The Littles and Me)

We hope you enjoyed our round-up of fun fall things to do with your teen this weekend! Enjoy fall with your teens!

About Marybeth Bock:

Marybeth Bock, MPH, is Mom to two young adults and one delightful hound dog. She has logged time as a military spouse, childbirth educator, college instructor, and freelance writer. She lives in Arizona and thoroughly enjoys research and writing – as long as iced coffee is involved. Her work can be found on numerous websites and in two books. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

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Share with us! What are some fun fall things to do with your teen that YOU love to do?