Fridays Are For Family – Top Ten Ideas For Family Fun This Fall

16 Sep Fridays Are For Family – Top Ten Ideas For Family Fun This Fall

Fall is in the air. At least it is today here in the Upstate of South Carolina. Who knows what tomorrow – or next week – will bring? It may warm back up a bit or even turn off hot again, but today my senses tell me that Fall is not too far away.

I don’t know if you’re like me, but I think that there is something really fantastic about Fall.  Maybe it is the cooler temperatures after a long, hot summer. Maybe it’s the beautiful color of the leaves as they begin to turn from green to red to orange to yellow. Maybe it’s Saturday in front of the TV, or at the stadium, watching your favorite football team battle it out on the gridiron. Maybe it’s all of the great opportunities to spend time outdoors with the family. Whatever the reason, I have to admit that I love this season.

Last night while Kim and I were driving home from taking the kids to one of our favorite BBQ places for dinner, we began to think through and talk about some of the outings and trips we would like to make on our “Family Fridays” this Fall. As you can probably tell from this title of this post, at the Whitt house we set aside Fridays to spend time together as a family. As a pastor of a growing church, the demands can sometimes become a bit overwhelming and unceasing, and I’ve learned that if we don’t plan our days together and put them down as appointments on the calender something or somebody else will come along and take up that time. That’s why as a family we’ve set aside Fridays as our day just to be together.

So, as we were talking and thinking about what we’d like to do together this Fall, I thought that it would be good to share some of these simple, easy ideas and pass them along as a way of encouraging you to spend time together as a family during this beautiful time of the year. These are in no particular order, and I don’t make any claim that you can’t think of something I haven’t thought of – perhaps even better. But these are some of the trips and outings that we’re planning for Fridays (and maybe just a couple of Saturdays) this Fall.

1. Apple picking.

2. Corn maze. (We don’t do the scary side.)

3. Driving into the mountains to see the leaves. (This is especially fun if you have a convertible or Jeep. Did I mention how much I miss my Jeep?)

4. Camping – even if its just in the backyard.

5. Bonfire. (Did I mention that we live in the country?)

6. Pumpkin patch. (Picking out and carving a pumpkin and then roasting the seeds makes for a great day as a family.)

7. Raking leaves and then jumping in the piles. (Remember doing this as a kid? Your kids will too.)

8. Tailgating before your favorite football team plays. (It’s fun even if you don’t like to watch football.)

9. Hayride.

10. State, county or city Fair. (What’s better than a petting zoo and kettle corn straight out of the kettle?)

These are some of the ideas and outings that Kim and I are planning for our Fridays this fall. Maybe they will spark your imagination and serve as an encouragement to get outdoors together as a family this Fall.

There are two phrases that I want to leave you with today.

“The family that prays together stays together.”

“The family that plays together stays together.”

The truth is that both are true. Pray and play together as a family. It’s not spending time or wasting time – it’s investing time and you’ll never regret it. Ever.

What are some of the ideas and outings that you and your family are planning as ways and time to spend together this Fall?