Summer is over, the kids are back to school, and soon I’ll be headed back to the hockey rink with my three boys.  The lazy days of summer are behind us, but I know that Fall offers a lot of opportunities for fun too.  We always put together a Fall Checklist, and it helps get us in the mood for the new season.  Here is the list we put together for 2013: Need some ideas for your own checklist?  You can try some things on my list, or you might want to consider some of these... On a sunny Fall day, the backyard is a perfect place for an outdoor adventure.  My boys love nature scavenger hunts and backyard safaris.  For a nature scavenger hunt, you start by making a simple list of items that the kids can easily find.  (E.g. a stick, a flat rock, a leaf, a flower, a blade of grass, a bug, etc…)  Then, as they find the items on their list, they can check them off.   A backyard safari is fun too.  You can buy stickers or plastic animals at the dollar store, hide them around the yard, and send the kids out exploring.  Fun, right?   If you haven’t tried geocaching yet, a warm Fall weekend is the perfect time to give it a go.  Basically, geocaching is a high tech treasure hunt.  "Google it", give it a try, and I guarantee your little pirates will be thrilled.   Fall is also a good time to think about our feathered friends.  Making birdfeeders is a great way to spend an afternoon with kids.  Just slather some peanut butter on a pine cone, roll it in birdseed, and hang it from a tree.  Cheerios threaded onto pipe cleaners make good birdfeeders too.  It’s fun for the kids to hang their creations from a tree and watch the birds eating them. Need more ideas for easy and inexpensive options for Fall fun?  Kite flying, backyard camping, bike riding, trips to the park, and hiking are always fun this time of year.  And when you come in from playing in the cool Fall air, bake up something seasonal using apples or pumpkins.  (Apple crisp is one of my Fall Favorites, and you can find a delicious recipe from Canadian Living here.) What is the number one "to do" on your Fall Checklist? ♥ Gina (aka  East Coast Mommy)