Don't let the end of summer mean the end of outdoor play! Autumn brings new opportunities for family activity and outdoor excursions. Get out and get moving in the crisp fall air with these ideas.

Hit the Trails

With the weather not too hot and not too cold, fall is the perfect time to explore parks, trails, and other local scenery.

Once you’ve found a fun destination, there are lots of ways to explore it! Walk, bike, in-line skate, or even ride a horse. Bring a camera and snap your own shots. Gather fallen leaves to display or to make crafts at home. Don’t forget the water bottles!

Rake and Jump

Closer to home, turn fall yard work into family fun. Everyone knows that the best reward for raking leaves is jumping in the piles, and the bonus is that both the raking and the jumping get hearts pumping.

It's also fun to make mazes and trails in your leaves before you bundle them all into piles. Use a rake to cut a path.

Harvest a Hearty Crop

Pick your own healthy treats: Visit an apple orchard! Apples are in season now and there are hundreds of home-grown varieties to choose from. Aside from the walking, picking, hauling, and leaf-peeping you might expect, apple orchards and pumpkin patches often offer all kinds of "agri-entertainment." You might find a petting zoo, hayride, corn maze, or stack of hay bales to climb. Make a day of visiting a farm near you. There will be plenty to do, plenty to eat, and plenty to bring home too.

Play Like the Pros

Fall also means football! Take a cue from the gridiron gods and get outside for a game of touch football, or just play catch.  If European football (aka soccer) is your  favorite, get out your net for a family game. No net? Pick two trees to approximate a goal, or improvise with cardboard boxes, traffic cones, or two-liter soda bottles. You can also adapt all kinds of outdoor games to include a football or soccer ball. Play the basketball classic HORSE using a soccer ball and net, or try kick the can with a football. Get creative, and get moving!

Activities found at http://familyfitness.about.com/od/seasonalsportsandfun/a/fall_fun.htm