Fall bucket list printable: pick, tick and print

The short answer

A fall bucket list is a short list of seasonal things you want to do before winter, such as apple picking, a corn maze, baking a pie or a bonfire. Choose 15 to 25 ideas that fit your budget and people, put the time-limited ones on the calendar first, print the list and tick each idea as you do it.

How to make a fall bucket list you actually finish

1. Pick 15 to 25 ideas. That is about two a week from September to November. Use a ready list above as a start.
2. Mix big and small. A few day trips, lots of 30-minute things at home, and some that cost nothing.
3. Date the time-limited ones first. Orchards, pumpkin patches, corn mazes and festivals run for a few weeks. Check local dates and put them on the calendar.
4. Put the list where you see it. Print it for the fridge or save the image as your phone wallpaper.
5. Tick as you go. Tick the idea on screen or on paper the same day. Seeing the list fill up keeps it fun.

All 114 fall bucket list ideas

Every idea in the maker, grouped. For the story behind the list, a sample weekend and tips for kids and couples, read the fall bucket list ideas guide.

Outdoors

Days out and short trips while the weather is still kind.

• Pick apples at a local orchard
• Choose a pumpkin at a pumpkin patch
• Walk through a corn maze
• Take a hayride
• Hike a trail at peak leaf color
• Drive a scenic back road just to see the trees
• Visit a fall festival or harvest fair
• Go to a farmers market and buy one new-to-you vegetable
• Have a picnic in a sweater
• Watch a sunrise on a crisp morning
• Sit by a fire pit and make s'mores
• Go stargazing on a clear, early-dark night
• Visit a state or national park
• Rent a canoe or kayak before the season closes
• Take a bike ride through fallen leaves
• Photograph the same tree every week as it changes
• Cheer at a local high school football game
• Visit a botanical garden or arboretum
• Go camping one last time before it gets cold
• Take a walk after dinner while it is still light

At home

Cozy projects for evenings, rainy days and slow weekends.

• Bake an apple pie or apple crisp from scratch
• Make a big pot of soup or chili
• Roast pumpkin seeds
• Carve or paint pumpkins
• Make homemade applesauce
• Bake a loaf of pumpkin or banana bread
• Simmer a stovetop pot of orange peel, cinnamon and cloves
• Decorate the front door with a wreath or gourds
• Swap summer clothes for sweaters and donate what you do not wear
• Have a fall movie marathon
• Build a blanket nest by the window
• Plant spring bulbs such as tulips or daffodils
• Rake leaves, then jump in the pile
• Host a soup night or potluck
• Try a new hot drink recipe, like chai or cider
• Make caramel apples
• Start a puzzle and leave it out all season
• Deep-clean and reset one room before the holidays
• Put together a family cookbook of favorite fall recipes
• Hang string lights for the darker evenings

With kids

Simple, hands-on ideas for families with young children.

• Go on a leaf scavenger hunt
• Make leaf rubbings with crayons
• Press leaves in a heavy book
• Make a leaf crown or garland
• Build a scarecrow
• Read fall picture books from the library
• Make a pine cone bird feeder
• Paint small pumpkins instead of carving
• Bake and decorate fall cookies
• Make a paper-plate owl or turkey craft
• Collect acorns and pine cones on a nature walk
• Plan and make a homemade Halloween costume
• Go trick-or-treating or to a trunk-or-treat
• Make a gratitude tree with paper leaves
• Have a backyard campout with flashlights
• Visit a petting farm
• Make apple stamps with paint
• Watch the leaves fall and count how many you catch
• Have a pajama breakfast with pancakes
• Make a fall sensory bin with dried corn, leaves and scoops

Couples and date ideas

Fall dates for two, from nights in to small day trips.

• Take a scenic fall drive and stop somewhere new for lunch
• Go wine, cider or apple tasting
• Cook a fall dinner together from a new recipe
• Watch a scary movie with the lights off
• Do a haunted house or ghost tour
• Take a pottery or cooking class
• Book a cabin weekend
• Take fall photos of each other in the leaves
• Wear matching or couples Halloween costumes
• Share a warm drink on a sunset walk
• Try a new coffee shop on a rainy afternoon
• Plan a no-phones evening with a board game
• Visit a bookstore and pick a book for each other
• Go to a local concert or play
• Have a fireside picnic in the living room
• Watch the first frost or first snow together
• Make a fall playlist together
• Write down three things you are grateful for about each other

Cozy and solo

Quiet ideas for adults who want a slower, calmer season.

• Read a spooky or classic novel
• Start a fall reading stack of three books
• Write in a journal by candlelight
• Take a solo walk with a podcast and no destination
• Learn to knit or crochet a simple scarf
• Take a slow Sunday bath with a book
• Visit a museum on a gray day
• Try a new yoga or stretching class
• Sketch or paint the view from a window
• Make a cozy evening routine you look forward to
• Take yourself on a breakfast date
• Write a letter to future you, to open in spring
• Spend an afternoon at the library
• Declutter your phone photos from summer
• Plan a small winter goal and start it early
• Watch a documentary series
• Light a candle and have a no-screens hour
• Try one new soup recipe a week

Free and cheap

Ideas that cost little or nothing.

• Walk a neighborhood you have never explored
• Borrow a stack of fall movies from the library
• Host a leaf-peeping walk with friends
• Do a free park ranger program or guided walk
• Make a fall wreath from sticks and leaves you collect
• Have a porch or balcony picnic
• Volunteer at a food bank or community garden
• Donate warm coats you no longer wear
• Watch the sunset from the highest spot in town
• Have a board game night with what you already own
• Write thank-you notes to three people
• Visit a free local festival or parade
• Start a fall gratitude jar
• Make a fall photo collage or scrapbook page
• Tour your town's historic district on foot
• Try a free online class in something new
• Swap books or costumes with neighbors
• Make hot cocoa and watch the leaves from a window

Turn one idea into a habit

Some fall ideas are worth keeping after November. A walk after dinner, a weekly soup night or a no-screens hour can become a routine. Pick one and try the 30-day walking habit plan, or make a Winter Arc tracker for October to December. Want a bigger list for the whole year? See the bucket list vision board.

Frequently asked questions

What should be on a fall bucket list?

A mix of outdoor trips (orchard, pumpkin patch, leaf hike), cozy things at home (baking, soup, a movie night) and a few free ideas. Add one or two things that only happen once a year near you, like a harvest festival.

How many things should be on a fall bucket list?

Fifteen to twenty-five is realistic for September to November: about two a week. A shorter list you finish feels better than a long list you forget. You can add more ideas at any time.

Can I make my own fall bucket list?

Yes. Start from any list here, remove ideas with the x, add ideas from the full list or type your own. Your list and ticks are saved in this browser.

How do I print the fall bucket list?

Pick a design (pumpkin, minimal or leaves) and press Print. The list prints on one page with a box for each idea. Ideas you already ticked print checked. Save as image makes a PNG for your phone.

Is there a fall bucket list for kids?

Yes. Choose Kids and family for 20 hands-on ideas such as a leaf scavenger hunt, leaf rubbings, a scarecrow and painted pumpkins. The minimal design prints well in black and white for coloring in.

Sources and evidence

1. Van Boven and Gilovich (2003): To do or to have? That is the question — Across surveys and experiments, people reported that experiential purchases made them happier than material purchases.
2. White et al. (2019): Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing — In a survey of 19,806 adults in England, those who reported at least 120 minutes a week in nature were more likely to report good health and high wellbeing; the study shows an association, not cause and effect.