‘Tis the season before the season. With the fall season comes new beginnings, great weather, and fun times with family and friends. The school year has just begun, we are making new friends, and pumpkin spice products are filling up aisles in stores everywhere. Instead of stressing over how quickly the year is passing and how much schoolwork you might have, take some time to enjoy the amazing things that make fall what it is. Here are five activities you must do this fall:
1. Try all the pumpkin spice!
When we think of fall, the first thing that pops up into everyone’s head is pumpkin spice. It’s been embedded in our culture to welcome the taste and smell of all pumpkin spice products when this season comes around. It’s come to the point where there are too many options to choose from. Between pumpkin spice lattes, muffins, pies, donuts, bread, milkshakes, and many more, it is very hard to decide which one to try. I say, try them all! Whether you absolutely love pumpkin spice or just tolerate it, make it a challenge to try all the pumpkin spice products before the season is over.
2. Have a Halloween movie marathon
Maybe one of the most important activities to do in the fall is to have a Halloween movie marathon. Whether or not we like Halloween movies, we must agree that they are quite entertaining. The stupid mistakes of the characters, the cheap jump scares, and the scary faces are just some things that make the Halloween tradition special in our hearts. There is something for everyone in the vast world of Halloween movies! For a comedy there’s the Scary Movie series, for Disney-lovers there’s Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, and for true horror fans, there’s A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Conjuring, The Exorcist, etc. There is no reason you should make it through the season without watching some Halloween movies.
3. Have a photoshoot
One thing everyone loves about the fall is the sight of it. The color change in the leaves, pumpkin harvests, and the crisp air are just a few things no one ever gets tired of seeing. Since we all love it so much we should capture it! Whether you live on a college campus or in the middle of nowhere, there are many areas for you to take beautiful pictures with your phone or camera. Gather a few friends or family members, make your way to a pumpkin patch, a grassy field, or forest, and have yourselves a fun, free, and creative photoshoot.
4. Go to a haunted house
This one is for the thrill seekers, Halloween-lovers, and even the “scaredy cats.” Throughout the year, you never get the chance to scare yourself and enjoy it. Who doesn’t want to experience the rush of adrenaline, close bond with friends, and the combined crying and screaming face throughout a haunted house? In all seriousness, though it might sound completely terrifying and out of line, haunted houses are completely safe and extremely fun. If you are scared, just remember that the “scareactors” cannot and will not hurt you. Once you realize that, the night will become the most fun experience of the whole year—and one you will never forget. Depending on your fear tolerance, you can attend haunted house events from Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights.
5. Carve pumpkins
To simmer down the fall season once it nears its end, it’s great to practice the traditional Halloween crafts that we’ve been doing since we were children: carving pumpkins. Whether you love the season or hate it, carving pumpkins is a very fun, creative, cheap, and therapeutic activity. It’s a great family friendly project that you can do with anyone: your roommates, parents, or young kids. Challenge your inner artist by picking out your own pumpkin, carefully sketching out your template, and carving your way into it. With the thousands of designs offered all over the internet, you can carve anything from the classic smiling jack-o’-lantern to the Disney castle.
