Cooler days, falling leaves, a vibrant landscape of gold and orange and Halloween lurking just around the corner; autumn has arrived with all its magic and there are so many things to do in the garden that fall will cast its magic spell on the young and the young at heart.

Here are some great ideas for fall gardening fun:

1. Fall is a wonderful time to talk to kids about leaves, their different shapes and colors; you could play a matching game and see if they can match the fallen leaves with the right tree.
2. If you want to bring the outdoors inside just bring some leaves indoors and make some fall art. Use the leaves in a collage, all you need is paper (construction is sturdier and brightly colored) and some glue then you are in business; have little hands glue the leaves to the paper to make a fall scene all their own.
3. Have the kids grab some wax paper and a crayon and place a nice fresh leaf (a dry one will just crumble) under the waxed sheet and gently rub the crayon over the body of the leaf and see the leaf come to life on the top of the paper, magic! Leaf rubbing is fun, fun, fun and a great way to bring the garden inside on chillier days.
4. What would fall be without a pumpkin? Carving a pumpkin has to be top on
   any kids’ list for Halloween fun and fun it shall be from start to finish. Fun can be educational
   too and teaching your kids about helping the environment and not wasting the earth’s
   resources need not be terrifyingly dull, here’s how to make it thrilling:
5. Let the kids pick out their own pumpkin from the pumpkin patch and not the store. Talk
   to them about how pumpkins are grown or take a tour of a working pumpkin farm; some
   farms will let you ride out to the area where the pumpkins are grown and actually choose
   the pumpkin from the earth, incredibly cool!
6. Carving pumpkins is fun and brings out the kid in the most grownup of grownups.
   Get creative, be safe and make it a fun, family affair that will always be remembered.
   Wash the seeds, shake them with salt and a drizzle of oil and bake them in the over,
   scarily delicious, then bake a frighteningly good pumpkin pie with the flesh of the pumpkin.
7. Lastly, when Halloween has scared its last victim, cut up the pumpkin and have the children
   add it to the composter or leave it out for the squirrels to munch on. Either way the kids will
   see just how one fruit, yes pumpkins are the world’s biggest berries, can be used from start
   to finish.

Fall is a magical time of year and if seeing is believing, just watch your kids become bewitched by autumn, that’s the enchantment of nature.