11 Fall Adventures For You and Your Toddler

Call me basic, but I LOVE everything fall.  It’s my favorite season by FAR.  I feel like every outdoor activity is better with crisp air and a comfy hoodie.  Here are some favorite suggestions for fall adventures with your little loves.

1. Apple-picking.  This is a classic fall activity that usually ends up on most family lists.  The best part is it is followed by homemade pies, applesauce and apple cinnamon recipes galore!  I usually opt to do my apple-picking at Eastmont Orchards so we can pop by for Cider Slushies at Delicious Orchards afterwards.  They even make slushies with vanilla ice cream in them and if you haven’t tried that yet— well that is why this is at the top of my list!  

2. Farm Visits.  Toddlers love animals so farms are always a hit!  We love the farms where you can feed some animals!  Two of our go-tos are Atlantic Farm Market and Allaire Community Farm–both only minutes away from one another.

3. Local Summer: Sandcastles & Boardwalks.  When all the tourists go home and the weather is delightful, THAT is the BEST time to hit up the beach for sandcastles and walk the boardwalks!  Jenkinson’s Boardwalk does a lot for Halloween so keep an eye out for their unique fall offerings!

4. Short Hiking Trails.  A little nature does a lot to ground everyone in the family–young and old!  Trade your simple walk around the block for a walk somewhere beautiful!  There are great walking paths at Allaire State Park and even walking paths that lead to the beach at Island Beach State Park! 

5. Theme Parks.  I will take a theme park day in the Fall over a summer day ANY DAY!  Long sleeves and pants will ease your sunscreen struggles and won’t leave you worried about sweating to the point of dehydration.  Sure you skip the water rides that some parks have, but you also don’t have to traipse around all day with wet shoes or slippery flip flops.  There’s a lot of great parks within a short drive.  Check out any of these on our list!  Storybook Land even has a fall hay ride!

a) Legoland

b) Sesame Place

c) Hershey Park

d) Storybook Land

e) Land of Make Believe

f) Wild West City

g) Diggerland

6. Train Ride Lunch Dates.  Want to do something simple but memorable for your kids?  Take a small train ride (and I am talking the REAL train) to a new little town for lunch!  Park at a train station a few stops away from a great walkable community, head over for a mom and me lunch date and then take the train back!  Many Jersey Shore towns have great restaurants walkable from the train station.  Some favorites are Point Pleasant, Manasquan, Belmar and Red Bank.

7. Park Tour.  Going to a park you have never been to is such a mom hack!  Drive to any nearby town and check out one of their local parks!  We love bringing little toys to slide down the slides with us!

8. Zoos.  We have three really great zoos in NJ!  Cape May Zoo (which is FREE but a donation is suggested, and honestly deserved.  This zoo is fantastic!), Popcorn Park Animal Refuge (small but an easy zoo to navigate with littles and you get really close to the big cats which is AWESOME!  We also enjoy their monkeys! –and Turtle Back Zoo where you can feed giraffes and birds– which is a MUST if you visit!  Such a special experience for the fam!)

9. Shopping Villages.  There are two really great family friendly shopping villages that are also super fun for toddlers.  Peddler’s Village is out in PA.  Among the shops are stores and attractions that are great for the kiddos (Giggleberry Fair has an arcade, indoor playground and Carousel + you can visit the book store, toy store and OUR fave– the PUZZLE store!)  Smithville is in NJ and has a great old timey village vibe with a Carousel and little train that the kiddos love!  Both places offer special events and I hear that Peddler’s Village has a great scarecrow contest we are looking forward to checking out!

10.  Wall Stadium– Superhero Night.  Grab some ear protection and head over to the Car Races!  This is such a fun and affordable night out and they have Superhero Night coming up on September 20th!  Forget the ear gear?  They usually have a few pairs for sale on site– but I’d grab off of amazon beforehand just to be sure.  The ear phones are best for the littles, but most adults just rock ear plugs.  It REALLY gets loud, so this is a must!

11. Grounds for Sculpture.  This place is so cool and very beautiful!  Walk path to path to explore the sculptures, pose for pictures and enjoy being out in nature!  This is a wonderful and peaceful place for an afternoon.