Easy Fall After-School Snacks & Activities
School is back in session! Today we’re sharing easy fall after-school snacks and activities to celebrate. These kid-friendly and healthy after-school snacks will help keep your little ones satisfied until dinner – while these fall-themed activities will help keep them entertained while you finish your to-do’s for the day.
And like usual, we’ve worked hard to find the recipes and activities that are the least energy-intensive for YOU!
For more fall-themed fun, make sure to check out our Fall Family Bucket List and for even more snack inspiration, steal our family-friendly football snacks.
Before we jump into these easy fall after-school snacks and activities, we want to share a sneak peek of our adorable new fall collection (out now!) These prints and styles are perfect for fall, with new colors on our bestselling new velvet rompers, buttery soft long sleeves, and our very own varsity jacket!
Shop your favorite prints and styles before they sell out. You can shop Birdie Bean Fall here.
7 Easy Fall After-School Activities
Keep the little ones entertained while you prepare a quick after-school snack, finish your to-do list, or enjoy the activity along with them! We’ve collected a mix of indoor and outdoor activities to help your kids get plenty of fresh air before winter weather brings them inside.
Backyard Scavenger Hunt
Falling leaves, acorns, and pinecones will soon be making an appearance in your backyard, making it the perfect time to send the kids outside for a fall-themed scavenger hunt. Things you can send the kids out looking for include:
- Leaves (red, yellow, brown, green)
- Rocks
- Seeds
- Pine cones (or pine needles)
- Squirrels and other critters
Visit a Local Petting Zoo
Fall brings local community fall festivals with pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and petting zoos! On our fall family bucket list, we recommended visiting your local pumpkin patch, but this year, make sure to say hello to the goats and ponies at your local farmer’s petting zoo.
Have a Fall-Themed Coloring Party
Downloading free coloring pages is one of our favorite ways to keep the kids entertained. We love that you can download as many as you want, which means no more fighting over one coloring book! Simply print out plenty of pictures, throw all the crayons onto the table, and let the creativity flow. If your kids are a bit older, you can download these free color-by-number pages for an extra challenge.
Make a Gratitude List
Thanksgiving is around the corner but you don’t have to wait until then to share your gratitude. A great after-school activity for kids of all ages is writing a gratitude list. Encourage your little ones to think of things and people that they’re grateful for, at school and at home. You could even help them write thank you notes to the people on their list.
Marbled Paper Fall Leaves
These marble paper leaves are easier than you think to make. We love how bright all of the colors turn out – and they’re a great way to decorate for fall. Your kids will have a blast playing with paint and shaving cream. Grab the easy instructions for this fall craft here.
Make Pine Cone Bird Feeders
Have the kids bring in a couple of pine cones from their scavenger hunt and make pine cone bird feeders. Encourage the last of the critters to enjoy a snack in your backyard before all the birds fly off for the winter. Katie from ‘Preschool Inspirations’ has shared her tips and tricks for the easiest pine cone bird feeders.
Throw a Fall Family Movie Night
Our family loves movie night! It’s our favorite way to hang out with each other, especially when the weather starts to get cooler. For the perfect family movie night, put on your softest fall pajamas, grab all your cozy blankets, and pop the popcorn! Here are some movies to watch as a family this fall:
- Chupa (on Netflix)
- Hocus Pocus 2 (on Disney+)
- The Addams Family (on Amazon Prime)
- It’s a Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (on Apple TV)
Other Fun Fall Activities for Kids
- Jump in leaf piles
- Take a family bike ride
- Paint your pumpkins for Halloween
- Go for a leaf-peeping fall drive
- Play a game of flag football
7 Easy Fall After-School Snacks
Now that you have plenty of ways to keep the kids entertained after school, make sure to have some healthy snacks on hand so they don’t run into the pantry for the closest open bag of chips. These fall-themed snacks are healthy, easy, and definitely kid-approved!
Apple Pie Energy Balls
With only 6 ingredients, these healthy apple pie energy balls will help give your kids the boost they need, to keep them satisfied until dinner. Sneak in dates for sweetness, almond butter, oats, and apples – this fall-themed snack is sure to become a favorite.
We love that they only take 15 minutes to prepare. Grab the recipe for this easy after-school snack here.
Pumpkin Smoothie
Who knew a pumpkin pie smoothie would taste so good? We recommend giving this fall-themed snack a try in your home. We made a few healthy swaps to this tasty drink from the Pioneer Woman (including adding in a scoop of kid-friendly protein powder to give our little ones the pick-me-up they need after school.)
Everything Ranch Cheese and Pretzel Snack Mix
This snack mix from Half Baked Harvest takes two of our favorite things, and twists them into a perfect fall snack
that will go quick when your kids get home from school! Think everything bagel seasoning, mixed with the classic ranch seasoning mix baked onto your favorite Chex mix.
Serve this after school or on game day as an easy snack for the whole family.
Veggie Sticks and Homemade Ranch Dressing
It’s not always easy to get your kids to each their vegetables… but everyone knows that ranch dressing makes veggies taste better. Grab this easy recipe to make your healthy homemade ranch, for after-school veggie dipping. Carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower are all great, in-season fall vegetables that you can pair with your homemade ranch dressing. This is definitely one of the easiest after-school snacks!
Apple Donuts
With only three ingredients, your kids are guaranteed to love this crisp and sweet after-school snack. Remove the core from your apple and cut them into donut-shaped rings. Then top with your family’s favorite nut butter, coconut flakes, or mini chocolate chips.
Chickpea Fritters
For something a little more hearty, whip up these quick and easy chickpea fritters. You can season these fritters to your family’s liking, and have a variety of dipping sauces from tahini to ketchup to homemade ranch dressing. This is a reliable snack that you know will keep the kids full until dinner time. You can even make a big batch ahead of time and freeze them. Follow along with the recipe instructions here.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
This perfect fall afterschool snack is oil and refined sugar-free. They’re moist (thanks to the apple sauce) and packed with yummy fall flavors. Make sure to try these pumpkin chocolate chip muffins this fall. We love that you can have these whipped up in less than half an hour! Grab the recipe here.
Celebrate the flavors of fall, enjoy the cooler weather as a family, and create core memories with Birdie Bean! Thank you for always letting us be a part of your family’s special moments. Make sure to follow us on Instagram (@birdiebeanbaby) and let us know what your family’s favorite fall activities and snacks are there!
Before you go, make sure to shop for your new fall favorites with our latest collection. From velvety soft rompers to adorable varsity jackets, this fall collection is sure to have something for everyone.
