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Fall is a wonderful time of the year for families to carry on their traditions or to begin new traditions to celebrate and remember.

Many traditions do not require money and can provide wonderful opportunities for increased health and wellness for the entire family while creating special memories for years to come. 

Some ideas to consider might include:

— Go into nature and enjoy the beauty of the changing leaves and all that autumn has to offer. Pack a picnic with seasonal favorites such as apple cider or go for a walk and talk with your children about changing colors and weather. 

— Go to an apple orchard or pumpkin patch. These places can include favorites such as hay rides, pumpkin or apple picking, and corn mazes. This season, you may want to call ahead to these locations to inquire about making an appointment and don’t forget to wear a mask.

— Bake some fall recipes as a family such as pumpkin bread. Sit down and enjoy a fall treat and some cider together on a cool, fall evening.

— Designate a day for fall decorating. Make autumn decorations from your nature walks together or draw/color decorations. 

— Rake leaves together. Who doesn’t love jumping into a big pile of freshly raked leaves?

— Although due to COVID-19, there might not be opportunities to attend sporting events this fall, make plans to watch your favorite sports teams on TV with the family instead. Many families enjoy cooking appetizers and munching on them while cheering on their favorite teams.

— Better yet, get the family together to play football or basketball outside together. This is a great chance to spend time together and get some exercise in, too.

— Spend time together carving pumpkins. See which family member can come up with the most creative designs. Then sit them out front to show off to neighbors and passersby. 

— In November, cook a Thanksgiving feast together. Assign everyone a dish to make, find the recipe (or keep it really simple and use boxed recipes) and cook together. Doing this saves time and helps the family work together as a team to create a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.

— Find movies to watch that celebrate the holidays during fall such as “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” A movie night is a great tradition that families look forward to each year.

Clark County Health Department provides programs for the entire family, including WIC, HANDS, family planning and well-child care/immunizations. For more information, call 859-744-4482 or visit www.clarkhealthdept.org.