The cool weather, colorful foliage and misty mornings make autumn a favorite time of year for many people. With so many traditions associated with the season, even those who tend to prefer spring or summer will find plenty to do in the coming weeks. To give you some ideas to start planning your own outings and events, here are some outdoor fall activities to help you enjoy the changing season.
Fall is synonymous with harvest time, and apple season is in full swing in Missouri during October. A trip to one of the pick-your-own farms around Ellisville provides the opportunity to experience the bounty for yourself.
Pumpkin patches and corn mazes also open this time of year. These locations often have hay rides or carnival-style attractions, which let you take some time for fun and games while collecting gourds for carving jack-o-lanterns and autumn-themed decorations.
With school back in session, youth sports games are being hosted every week around St. Louis County. This gives our residents the perfect opportunity to cheer on their own grandchildren or area kids playing for one of their favorite teams.
Students and faculty are also prepping for annual homecoming celebrations, craft fairs, costume parades and fall festivals in many of the local schools.
Photography is a fun hobby at any age, and it requires participants to slow down and notice the details and appeal of ordinary scenes and objects around them. This can help train your eyes to find and appreciate beauty in everyday situations.
Capturing autumn foliage on film is a great activity for cloudy days. Though it's natural to feel blue when the sky is dreary looking and resist spending the day outside, the softened light is actually ideal for taking pictures of the colorful leaves.
Most simple cameras or cell phone cameras can take good quality photographs, especially with a few tips, which makes it easy to give the hobby a try without purchasing extra equipment.
Kite flying is a classic activity for the young and young at heart. Unlike typical depictions on television, it only takes a soft breeze around 5 to 10 mph to get a kite flying, and running isn't required to launch it successfully. In fact, running during take off can actually destabilize the kite and prevent it from flying.
There are many colorful, inexpensive kites and kite kits available that fly well and have good durability. But with some basic materials and a guide, it's not difficult to make your own. This lets you put your own personality into the resulting decorations and patterns.
Nature walks and scenic drives to see the fall foliage are natural pastimes for autumn. However, the colorful leaves aren't the only thing in trees this time of year. The number of birds in the state goes up with many birds starting their annual migrations.
The number of parks, trails and conservation areas around Ellisville and St. Louis makes it easy to visit places dedicated to bird-watching and spot species not normally in Missouri. This can let you expand the number of varieties on your life list and potentially catch a glimpse of a bird listed as rare on this Audubon Society checklist.
