10 Family Walk Themes to Explore Autumn (+Scavenger Hunt Printable)
When autumn arrives here in New England, there’s nothing I want more than to be outside! I love taking family walks around our neighborhood, but oftentimes my daughter has other ideas, like heading to the playground or riding her bike instead of going for a simple walk. I find that it helps to give our walks a theme. A walk theme adds a sense of adventure. It helps us notice new things in familiar places, practice our observation skills, and makes learning about the seasons and nature fun!
Here are a few of the themed walks we’re enjoying this fall:
1 | Fairy Walk
Search for places where autumn fairies might hide! Peek inside hollow logs, around mushrooms, or check piles of crunchy leaves. Keep an eye out for “fairy rings”- circles of mushrooms that are said to be left behind by dancing fairies (stepping inside one might carry you to the fairy realm!). A fairy walk is a fun way to spark imagination, help kids notice the little details in nature, and turn an ordinary walk into a magical experience.
2 | Storytelling Walk
Turn your stroll into a story. Prepare an autumn tale ahead of time, or invent one together as you go. My daughter and I came up with a story about animals preparing for winter.
3 | Seasonal Changes
Fall is full of transformations, and it’s the perfect time to practice observation. As you walk, ask your child what they notice: Are the trees changing colors? How are animals behaving as winter approaches? Does the air smell different from how it did during the summer? These simple conversations turn an everyday walk into a science lesson.
4 | Photo Walk
Hand kids a camera and let them capture their favorite sights along the walk. Looking through a lens encourages them to notice details they might otherwise miss, and by the end, you’ll have a collection of fall memories captured through their perspective.
5 | Leaf Adventure Hunt
Make your stroll colorful with a leaf-collecting challenge. See who can find the biggest leaf, the brightest red, or the crunchiest one. Gather a handful of different shapes and shades, then bring them home to press in a book, make rubbings with crayons, glue them into a seasonal collage, or dip them in beeswax to preserve them for the whole season.
6 | Sensory Walk
Explore the outdoors with a focus on the senses. Talk about the different textures of nature items like leaves, sticks, pinecones, moss, bark, and lichen, etc. Listen for the rustle of wind in the branches, acorns dropping to the ground, and crunchy leaves underfoot. Look for fall colors- reds, golds, and browns. The scavenger hunt download below also includes sensory walk prompts.
7 | Scavenger Hunt
Print out a scavenger hunt for your walk! My daughter always enjoys this- it feels like being an explorer! I’ve included a free printable scavenger hunt below.
Autumn Scavenger Hunt
This download includes one printable page that can be cut into four simple scavenger hunt cards: one sensory walk prompt card and three scavenger hunt cards.
For the leaf hunt, you can search for different types of leaves or try to collect one of each color.
I like to print the cards on heavy cardstock- it makes them sturdier to carry and easier to write on during our walks.
When printing, set to “actual size” (not fit to page), and print on letter-sized paper.
8 | Animal Homes Hunt
Fall is a wonderful season to search for clues about where animals live and how they prepare for winter. As you walk, encourage kids to look for burrows in the ground and in trees, as well as cavities in trees where owls might live, or squirrel dreys (leaf nests) tucked into branches. In a wooded area, you can also gently roll over rotting logs (always roll it toward yourself, just in case!) to peek at the tiny creatures living underneath, like snails, salamanders, and bugs. Be sure to roll it back carefully and gently, and always leave no trace in nature.
9 | Evening Glow Walk
Bundle up and head out just before sunset. Bring lanterns or flashlights to make the walk feel festive and watch how the fading light turns an ordinary walk into a little adventure. Look for constellations, visible planets, and flashing lights from planes.
10 | Art Walk
Collect leaves, rocks, sticks, and other natural treasures along the way to create art right on the ground. You can also cut a shape in a piece of cardboard, cover the hole with contact paper or clear tape, and fill it with your found materials to make a nature collage while you walk.
Family walks in the fall are a wonderful way to notice small wonders, spark imagination, and enjoy time together. Whether you’re hunting for animal homes or telling stories as you stroll, you’ll come home feeling more connected to nature and to each other. I hope these ideas inspire your next walk!