The fall season is now upon us. It’s the season of boots and leggings, scarves and sweaters, pumpkin spice lattes and . . . you get the picture. It’s also the kick-off to the holiday season: from Halloween to Thanksgiving, there’s plenty to look forward to. Here are some ideas to keep this whole fall season fresh, fun, and festive!
1. Dress up for Halloween.
We may not be little kids anymore, but playing a little dress-up may be just the break you need from school! Be a star in your own solo costume and pass out candy to the neighborhood kids, or get together with some friends to create some awesome group costumes. If you decide to dress up as the Mario Kart characters, I recommend having a Mario Kart Race (safely) around town!
2. Throw a costume party or fall fest.
Invite a bunch of your friends to your dorm (or your parents’ house) for a fun costume party. It could be a Halloween party or even a party of thanksgiving where everyone dresses like pilgrims. For a Halloween costume party, prepare some mummy dogs (recipe here!), make some fruit punch, turn on some creepy tunes from Spotify, and get the party rolling! Invite guests to bring some of their own favorite spooky treats if you don’t want to prep a lot of food. If you want to go all out, have a costume contest. Just have fun with it and be creative.
3. Attend a costume party.
If your dorm room is too small for a party, or if you’re not fortunate to still be living under your parents’ roof, attend a costume party that’s already taking place. It’s a great way to get together with friends and kick off the new school year. Plus, free food! Am I right, collegiates?
4. Watch scary movies.
Have a spooky movie night with friends (or by yourself) complete with spooky treats! Either go out and see a new movie or start a scary movie marathon in your dorm-sweet-dorm.
5. Go apple picking.
Get a group of friends together or go with your family to an apple orchard and get picking! Enjoy the fall foliage and the crisp, fresh air (and apples!).
6. Visit a pumpkin patch.
Pick out the biggest pumpkins to decorate, carve, or make pumpkin pie from. Save the seeds so you can bake ‘em!
7. Carve and decorate those pumpkins.
After you pick out some plump pumpkins from the pumpkin patch, get together with some friends and have a pumpkin carving/decoration party. Carve and decorate squash for some extra fun!
8. Enter a haunted house … if you dare.
Haunted houses may not be your thing – but if they are, don’t go alone!
9. Go to Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream!
If you’re not too far away, plan a trip to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA (website here) or Tampa, Florida (website here) during their Howl-O-Scream season. It typically runs every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from September 30th to October 30th. If you can’t make it this year, there’s always next year!
10. Attempt to Escape from an Escape Room!
There are numerous escape room-themed venues across the country. If you live in the Hampton Roads area, try out The Escape Room in Virginia Beach (website here). Work together with friends, family, or co-workers to beat the clock and escape from various rooms! This is a great indoor activity for a rainy fall day.
11. Go shopping for a new fall wardrobe.
Still need to get your back-to-school shopping done? Get your shopping in during Fall Break – or on Black Friday if you’re feeling adventurous! All you’ll need with your new boots and cashmere sweater is a pumpkin spice latte! ;)
- Take lots of pictures.
Take pictures of the important things in life: friends and family. Capture their candid smiles and surprise them with printed-out photos they never knew existed! Take pictures of anything that catches your eye this fall season: trees, leaves, your pumpkin spice latte, food, and anything else you see that’s interesting.