Summer is officially behind us now with October (and sometimes part of November) ushering in a “shoulder season” that can be challenging to always appreciate. I personally love the month of October though as we slow down a bit, spend time with family, and seek out early season snow. And then, of course, there’s Halloween!
Our family has many favourite things that we enjoy doing in the month of October and below are a few of them:
Go Camping one Final Time for the Season
Due to a record breaking camping season experienced in Alberta campgrounds, several Alberta Parks Campgrounds are staying open through the end of October this year! This is great news for families who want to get out one last time. Load up the RV or trailer, reserve a site with power, and take full advantage of the warm days for some autumn hiking or biking.
Read more here about the extended camping season in Alberta parks.
Plan an Outdoor Halloween Party and Costume Hike
This has been one of our favourite things to do in October each year! We plan a ginormous outdoor Halloween party complete with a costume hike, pinatas, a bonfire, hot dogs and marshmallows. Add candy, snacks, and everything else that arrives for the pot luck affair and it’s a great afternoon spent in a nearby park.
Not up for “crowds” or don’t want to plan a big party? That’s fine! Gather a few family friends then and plan a smaller costume hike in the city or on your favourite hiking trail. Just make sure it’s an “easy” hiking trail because those princess dresses get caught on roots and tree branches very easily!
We’ve also done costume bike rides near Halloween which has been super fun. I like assigning a “super hero” theme because everybody has a cape (or can make one out of a pillow case) for creating an easy bike-friendly costume.
Plan Fun Activities Close to Home
Every month I make a bingo-grid fun list to put on the fridge, and it inspires us to get out as we try to check off as many of the activities on the list as possible.
Samples of things that you could put on your October Family Fun List:
- Go geocaching in the city after school
- Visit a new playground
- Visit a pumpkin patch or corn maze
- Bike or hike a new pathway in the city
To read my full story with more suggestions on fun things to do in the month of October, follow this link to Gotta do THIS – October 2017 Edition from my website, Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies. The full story features trail suggestions for hiking and biking along with road trip ideas for warm fall weekends.
Written By: Tanya Koob of Family Adventures in the Canadian Rockies
“I am the mom of a spunky 7 year old boy and wife to an amazing husband, partner and friend. We live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the doorstep to the fabulous Rocky Mountains. Our family makes it a priority to get out to the mountains almost every weekend for what many would say are big adventures given we have a young child.”