Explore a wide variety of easy and fun September Activities that are both educational and focused on the family. Perfect for school, remote/hybrid learning, or fun at home!
Don’t forget to download our free printable September Activity Calendar at the bottom of this post!
What Can You Do In September?
September brings about many changes, including a return to school and a transition to the fall season.
With that, there are oodles of fun crafts, activities, and projects for the entire family. From Labor Day cookouts to bike riding on crisp fall days, there is something for everyone!
Hands-On Fine Motor Fun
- Make fall scented homemade playdough with apple, cinnamon, or pumpkin.
- Mix up some edible peanut butter playdough on chilly fall days!
- Use mini marshmallows to make 3D structures.
- Create a fall craft or sensory bin!
Explore the Outdoors/Nature
- Go apple picking or visit a cider mill with the family!
- Go on a fall bike ride.
- Take family portraits in an apple orchard or pumpkin patch.
- Visit a pumpkin patch and choose pumpkins for your porch or entryway.
- Carve or decorate a pumpkin!
- Take a hike in the woods to search for different styles and colors of leaves. Can you find the perfect fall leaf? Save it to make classic leaf rubbings or leaf art.
- Collect pine cones on a nature walk. Drip a few drops of cinnamon essential oil onto the pine cones and add them to a tray, vase, or basket.
- Make a bird feeder out of pine cones, peanut butter, and birdseed!
- Built a fort with logs and sticks!
- Go on a hayride. Many local farms have hayrides during apple and pumpkin picking season. Kids love bumpy hayrides!
- Try a corn maze this year. See how long it takes you to escape the maze! Do the maze several times by taking different pathways.
- Take a drive and check out the fall foliage.
- Visit a local farmstand. They often have a variety of kids activities, food, and kettle corn for their guests. Buy some fresh fruits, vegetables, cider, and baked goods to support local farmers.
Outdoor Activities
- Go to a Friday night high school football game!
- Tailgate at a college football game.
- Roast s’mores and tell stories by a campfire!
- Host a cookout at a local park.
- Play outdoor games like Kubb, Yardzee, corn hole, yard checkers/chess, or Ladder Ball.
- Go to a carnival, festival, or fair.
- Jump in a pile of leaves!
- Go camping on a crisp, fall weekend.
- Make an obstacle course in your backyard with materials you already have.
- Search for a local establishment that does corn chucking (catapult). Kids love to see how far they can chuck the corn. When you come home, try making a candy corn catapult with popsicle sticks.
- Prepare your gardens and yard for winter.
Tip: Purchase our outdoor activity book, Sticks and Stones, for fall nature play inspiration for kids!
Pay it Forward
- Pay for someone’s coffee in the drive-thru behind you!
- Bake cookies and deliver them to the police and fire station.
- Rake an elderly neighbor’s leaves.
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen, church, or anywhere else there is a need.
- Purchase school supplies for a student in need.
- Donate food, toys, and blankets to an animal shelter.
Indoor Ideas
- Try a new chili, soup, bread, caramel popcorn, or candied nut recipe.
- Host a family game night! My kids are currently enjoying 80’s classics such as Guess Who and Twister.
- Bob for apples or have a donut eating contest!
- Make a scarecrow by gathering old clothes and boots, a plastic pumpkin for the face, and leaves to stuff your scarecrow.
- Create a fall scavenger hunt that can be done inside or outside (or a combination of both).
- Decorate your front door or porch with pumpkins, a scarecrow, and fall mums.
- Snuggle up under a cozy blanket for stories!
September Activities for Kids
Celebrate September with these easy and fun activities for kids. They are especially perfect for supplementing hybrid or remote school!
1. Learn About the Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle
Every September, monarch butterflies migrate across North America to reach their overwintering grounds in southwestern Mexico. Try some of these activities to learn about the monarch butterfly life cycle.
- Butterfly Life Cycle Craft
- Life Cycle of a Butterfly Sensory Bin
- Monarch Butterfly Suncatcher Template
- Monarch Butterfly Stick Puppet
- Coffee Filter Monarch Butterfly Craft
2. Easy Paper Apple Craft
Use our free printable apple outline to make this colorful apple craft! It’s perfect for practicing fine-motor skills in a relaxed setting.
Related: Simple and Fun Apple Crafts for Kids
3. Make a Harvest Sensory Bin
This playful harvest sensory bin is perfect for busting afternoon boredom.
4. Popsicle Stick Apple Craft
This “Apple of My Eye” keepsake craft is perfect for Grandma’s refrigerator!
5. Apple Glitter Jars
Calm back to school jitters with mesmerizing apple glitter jars.
6. Fall Hedgehog Craft
Make the cutest fall leaf hedgehogs with our free printable template.
7. Make a Fall Teacup Garden
Use a small mum plant and autumn miniatures to make a fall teacup garden. Perfect for gifting!
8. Harvest Buddies Paper Craft
These fall harvest buddies are so easy to make with kids. Perfect for school harvest parties, community programs, and scouting!
9. Design a 3D Apple Craft
Use colored cardstock and our free printable template to make cool 3D apples!
10. Fall Pine Cone Tree Nature Craft
Get outside to collect pine cones, then make colorful fall pine cone trees. They are perfect for imaginative play!
What is a Good Theme for September?
Looking for a creative September theme for school, community programs, or home decor? Check out these fun ideas:
- Apples
- Mums
- Flannel
- Teddy Bears – September 9th is National Teddy Bear Day. Enjoy a Teddy Bear Picnic!
- Pirates – September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day!
- Harvest
- Acorns – Check out our adorable “My Little Nut” Acorn Craft for Kids!
- Monarch Butterflies
- Back to School
- Honey – September is National Honey Month!
- Alphabet
- School Supplies
- Grandparent’s Day – Celebrate grandparents the first Sunday after Labor Day!
- All About Me
- Fall Equinox
- Respect – September’s character trait of the month!
September Activity Calendar
September is one of my favorite months! The weather is cooler and it’s a great time to get outdoors, explore, and spend time together.
Need ideas of what to do? Our free printable September Activity Calendar is loaded with 30 fun activities and crafts for kids!
Print it and then post it on a bulletin board, the refrigerator, or your family command station. If you save it online, you can click each project for full details and directions.
Click to download the September Activity Calendar!
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