Fall is such a great time of year. I love the crisp feel of the air, the profusion of mums and of course the changing leaves. Fall also provides a multitude of opportunities to enjoy traditional fun with our families. Last weekend, we took the whole crew-aunts, uncles cousins, grandparents-on our annual outing to a local farmers market. The kids always have a blast searching the pumpkin patch for their ideal specimen, and ooohing and aaahing over the different (and often downright bizarre) varieties of gourds.

The corn maze always gets mixed responses. We’re generally pulled in with the kids’ excitement at the beginning. After a long trudge, with several missteps and wrong turns, the mood generally turns somewhat dark. The kids discuss how we’ll never find our way out, how easy it would be for wolves and monsters to hide in the corn at night, and their general thoughts on cannibalism. (Last year, they planned out exactly who would eat who.)

We’ll be carving and coloring on pumpkins this weekend, and I’m going to make some warm apple cider. What are your favorite fall traditions? Please share them with us by entering a comment below.