Guest post by Dan Gilbert
Life is fleeting. We blink and our children are all grown up. Where did the time go? It’s times like these that we wish to savor even the little things. After all, the best memories come from the little things. You needn’t take an expensive trip somewhere and buy tons of gifts for you or your children to remember good times. Really, what’s needed most is simple togetherness.
Autumn brings out many colors, oranges, yellows, reds and shades of each. The one color we don’t want autumn to bring however is blue, boredom blues that is. The last thing we want to see as parents is our child locked up in the house all day bored, watching TV or sitting on the couch playing video games. Primrose Schools, a family of over 200 accredited preschools believes there are frugal ways to engage children in meaningful activity. “It’s important to keep children’s minds active, but it doesn’t take an expensive activity or big vacation to capture their attention,” said Dr. Mary Zurn, Vice President of Education for Primrose Schools. “After all, imagination is free.”
Each season is to be celebrated for its uniqueness. Think of what your family values, what special traditions you share with one another, and while you’re thinking, here are a few wallet-friendly suggestions to enjoy Autumn:
1) Make s’mores and hot chocolate. Sit outside huddled and bundled around a small fire pit. Don’t fear the coldness; embrace it. We have clothes for a reason. Have fun together in the nippy air catching up on old times, talking about current events, and sharing funny stories with one another. The stars in the dark night flicker and wave to you and your fire. The warm gooey-ness of a scrumptious s’more in your mouth. Just because it’s Autumn doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it in all its splendor.
2) Watch classic movies snuggled together. Autumn is the time for all those movie classics to start showing on TV. Yes, you’ve seen them before, but usually to pass time until the football game begins or waiting for the Turkey to be done. This time make the movie the event; not something to pass time. Get everyone together. Make it a production. Get the blankets and pillows out. Pop some popcorn. Get some drinks. Wear your pajamas. Dim the lights. Action! Take in the movie, think about how it applies to your life, think about what you learned from it, and after the movie is over, share with your family your thoughts. Ask your little ones what they learned from it. You’d be surprised to hear what they have to say.
3) Go to a petting zoo. Really? Yes. You might glimpse baby goats, sheep, or other baby animals at this time. This is especially exciting if you have little ones. They’re just old enough to know a little about different animals and their sounds. It’s a great time to let them pet these animals who don full Winter coats and are eager to see people. People mean food and will be eager to greet your little one. It’s exciting to share in the excitement of a child exploring the world around them.
4) Go apple-picking. Autumn is the season for apples. Chances are that if you’re picking for apples, there is sure to be hot apple cider and doughnuts nearby. If you’ve ever had hot apple cider, then you know it it’s sweet yet pleasantly tart. It is unlike mere apple juice. Autumn would not be Autumn without it. The apples you’ll pick are super cheap and you can buy them buy the bushel if you prefer not to pick them yourself. There are so many wonderful ways you can use apples. You can use them in your Turkey stuffing, apple pies, but you can also just cut one up, sprinkle with cinnamon, and zap in the microwave. Such deliciousness. Drizzle with syrup and garnish with chopped walnuts. You’ll never look at an apple the same way again.
5) Go for a scenic drive. Gas is expensive these days so don’t go far. When you consider what’s all around you, you really don’t need to go far anyway. Turn on the heater, bring some snacks, and sing your favorite family songs. Point things out to each other on the way. Play “I spy” and other car games. This is especially popular with little kids. Stop at the farmer’s market on the way. Make this a tradition.
6) Make Autumn wreathes for your front door. For that matter, go all out and decorate all of your doors! A fantastic unknown type of wreathe involves the use of a wire hanger. If you find one, hang onto it. Shape the wire hanger into a circle. Take plastic baggies and tie them around the hanger and fluff them out. The end result is a wreath of snow and/or ice. It’s beautiful, suitable for the elements of rain and snow, great for the holidays, and is a breeze to clean.
7) Decorate for the holidays. Get out the Halloween and Thanksgiving items and whatever other items you use to celebrate during this season. This is an all-day event in itself. Put on some great music, have hot drinks, and yummy goodies. It’s so exciting putting up decorations. You needn’t do anything else for the day.
Make your own family holiday. What’s one more holiday? Take your favorite family activities and foods and create something unique to your family. Make a “pajama day” or a day where you can only walk backwards when someone says a key word. Be imaginative. Designate a special date or perhaps something really random like the second Sunday of October and keep to it every year. Keep this in mind for other seasons too.
9) Go to a pumpkin patch. Don’t go to the store to “pick” your pumpkin. Going to the pumpkin patch is a lot of fun. You’re most likely to see barnyard animals here as farms grow pumpkins. Let your kids pick out the perfect pumpkin. It’s funny to see them try to pick up the heaviest one they can. Sometimes, if the pumpkins are small enough, you can get those for free. Let your kids get a few and decorate their own.
10) Collect leaves. Leaves are at their prettiest during Autumn. You can use them for anything. Use them as a centerpiece, to make art rubbings, to decorate the walls, and even for your wreathes. This can be made into an all-day event as well.
There are so many fun and inexpensive ways to enjoy Autumn. Take advantage of this time you have. You will not get this time back.
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