The air is cooler, the fresh smell of leaves and burning woodstoves is in the air, and fall is just around the corner! You know what that means—it’s almost time to celebrate Mabon. Mabon, or the autumnal equinox, is one of my absolute favorite holidays. It also marks the path toward next month’s Samhain—the favorite holiday of every member of my household!

To celebrate Mabon, here are some fun family activities you can do.

• Go apple-picking. Oh, this is one of the best fall activities, isn’t it? I just love the smell of the apple orchard. Taking the wagon there, the bag in your hand as you get ready to pick, you just can’t help but shiver with excitement. And when you’re done and ready to purchase your apples, you usually get some delicious cider, too. Many orchards also have a bunch of cool kids’ activities; the one we’re going to has a bounce activity, games, a fort and slide, a petting zoo, a variety show, and more!
• Make cider. Yes, you can buy it, but making your own is incredibly delicious, and it fills your home with that amazing apple smell. Click here for a wonderful recipe. I will drink any apple cider until I’m full, but for some reason the kind with oranges in it is just triply amazing.
• Go camping. It’s my favorite time of the year for camping, since it’s cool but not too cold, and you can crunch through the leaves, bundle up as you roast marshmallows, and pop nuts in the fire to tell the future. (Of course, divination is more of a Samhain practice, so you might want to wait until then.)
• Go for an autumn drive. Look at all of the leaves changing. If you drive around where I am from in Missouri—especially if you travel down south, where I went to college—you’ll see blazing displays of red, yellow, and orange. Our Bradford Pear in the front yard glows red every fall and is a sight to see! This is a great activity for kiddos who can’t take a stroll or who have allergies, too; they can see the trees from the car. If it’s safe for your kids, exit the car somewhere and have a picnic.
• Make a bird feeder. The winter birds will need them soon! A candelabra is a wonderful way to do this, though you can make dozens of different feeders. Here are some easy ones to do with children. Our favorites are made out of milk cartons and toilet paper tubes—though we also hang wire hangers filled with suet.
• Decorate your altar and home. It’s the best time of the year to gather acorns, dried seeds, fallen leaves, and sticks. Make a wreath, a fall display, a fall fairy home, whatever you want! Tip: it’s a good idea to roast seeds and acorns in the oven for just a few moments to kill any insects inside them.