You Can Have the Best Autumn in South Yorkshire

So, Autumn is here already! I love to cling to Summer for as long as I possibly can, but let’s be honest, Summer has hardly been sunny. As much as I love to be away as much as I can, it’s always good to have a list of things to do at any given chance. My kids are getting older now but are not immune to the “I’m bored”. I’ve put together a list of things to do this Autumn in South Yorkshire.

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Visit a Pumpkin Patch

Autumn is the perfect time to pick pumpkins for Halloween. Many farms in South Yorkshire open their doors for pumpkin picking, offering kids a fun and colourful experience. There are many to choose from in the area with Eastfield Farm in Tickhill and Cannon Hall Farm in Barnsley being popular year after year. A little further afield but not too far is Farmer Copleys in Pontefract, it’s a firm favourite with lots of my friends.

Nature Walks

Sheffield is one of the UK’s greenest cities with the Peak District right on its doorstep. There are lots of parks across South Yorkshire to visit to collect leaves, pinecones and acorns ready to use for some Autumn crafts later. My Favourites are Rivelin Valley and Rother Valley.

Leaf Crafts

After collecting your leaves and other bits and bobs there is plenty of time to make some autumn items. For creative minds, the opportunities are endless, leaf rubbings, collages or even leaf animals. Check out Hands On as we grow, they’ve got some brilliant ideas.

Baking Days

Autumn in South Yorkshire is the perfect time to bake up some yummy treats. Spend the afternoon cosy in the kitchen baking some delicious cookies, apple pies, and anything with cinnamon flavours that goes down a treat in Autumn! BBC Good Food has some great ideas for kids. A quick and easy treat to bake is jam tarts, ready-made pastry makes them foolproof too! Very simple, and very yummy.

Halloween Crafts

Before you know it, Halloween will be everywhere! rainy days are the perfect excuse to get ahead with Halloween crafting. Make trick-or-treat costumes instead of spending mega bucks buying one at the last minute. With a little creativity, you should be able to make an outfit out of something you’ve got at home. Get the house decorated and ready for Halloween visitors too. The Pioneer Woman has some great Halloween crafting ideas.

Halloween days out

Lots of attractions have special Halloween exhibits throughout October. Yorkshire Wildlife Park is putting on a “curse of Halloween” event from 21st to 25th October. Gulliver’s Valley has a “Fright Fiesta” and Spooky Sleepovers for the younger kids and the Tropical Butterfly House in Dinnington has a “School of Witchcraft” from 19th October to 3rd November. There are lots of great days out to go on this Autumn in South Yorkshire.

Bonfire Night

Remember remember the 5th of November! There are lots of organised bonfires and firework displays around South Yorkshire to attend. One of the biggest is Autumn Lights at Don Valley Bowl. For the younger ones, there will be a fireworks display at Gullivers Valley on 4th November.

Corn Mazes

Lots of fun for kids and adults alike, there are a few corn mazes dotted around South Yorkshire to go spend a memorable few hours getting lost and finding yourselves again! Typically they open from the end of July until the End of October weather dependent so make the most of the few sunny days we get in this country. Check out the one at Boston Park Farm in Doncaster, or just over the border in Retford at School Farm.

Visit a Farm

There are so many lovely farms in the area with lots of autumn activities such as hayrides and petting zoos. Lots of them offer the opportunity to get up close and personal with the farm animals too. Check out Graves Park, Aston Springs, Cannon Hall Farm, Heeley City or Wentworth Family Farm. Great for kids of all ages and they all have a cafe to grab a hot chocolate and keep warm. After all the Autumn in South Yorkshire isn’t known for the mild weather!

Visit a Museum

Let’s be honest, British weather isn’t reliable at the best of times so sometimes we need a good indoor option! There are lots of kid-friendly museums around that keep their curious minds ticking and keep you all dry too! Weston Park Museum is great, It’s free entry with a small donation suggested, and lots of interactive exhibits for the kids to play with and dress up… don’t forget to get a picture with the polar bear! Or for those with a scientific fascination, there’s Magna in Rotherham. There are lots of others too including the National Video Game Museum in Sheffield and the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum.

Craft Workshops

Look out for local craft workshops. Often they will have seasonal-themed projects and popular Autumn items would include Halloween and autumn items like leaves etc. There are lots around but most require booking especially on weekends and during the school holidays. Pottering around in Hillsborough, Sheffield and Fired up and Painting are popular ones.

Nature Scavenger Hunts

You don’t have to go far or spend money to have a good time. Head out for a walk from home and head out on an autumn scavenger hunt. I’ve created a printable list for you and your little ones to find close to home. Make it a competition if there is more than one child – the loser has to tidy the winner’s bedroom!

Visit a Wildlife Reserve

We are so lucky to live in such a green county with lots of wildlife reserves around. Autumn in South Yorkshire is a great time to head out to the wetlands and see if you can spot some of the migratory birds heading south for the winter. We’re so lucky to have so many close by, check out Old Moor at Dearn Valley, Wyming Brook or Woodhouse Washlands.

Star Gazing

As the nights get longer, introduce the kids to stargazing. Head out to a dark spot away from the city lights and identify constellations. There are a number of free apps you can download to your phone that show the constellations and if you want to step it up, check out the dates of the upcoming meteor showers and increase the chance of spotting a shooting star.

Outdoor Movie Nights

Autumn is a great time to set up an outdoor movie night. Get plenty of blankets and cushions. Warm up with hotel chocolates and some yummy snacks, and get the fire pit burning for roasted marshmallows. Pop on a family-friendly autumn-themed movie and enjoy!

Leaf Pile Jumping

A classic and a goody! This autumn in South Yorkshire, going out jumping into big piles of raked leaves never gets old. Nice and easy to do, hours of fun to be had and no expense spared!

Family Photo Shoot

Head out with the family to a gorgeous scenic location and get snapping away. Everything looks pretty when the leaves are changing from green to red, yellow and brown. A great way to capture some memories with not much cost… a small mobile phone tripod may help but isn’t totally the be-all and end-all, there are plenty of things you can pop a phone on to get a great shot of you all!

Caroline Jenkins has some great tips to get a great family photo on a mobile phone. One of my lifelong friends is a photographer and took some wonderful Autumn pictures of Niamh and her friends. If you’re in South Yorkshire and want a professional to get some awesome family shots check out AWS Photography, She is brilliant!

If you do have the opportunity to get away from the Autumn in South Yorkshire, check out my post about Holidays in October to check out where are the best destinations to visit. And do remember to give an independent travel agent a try and show you why they are worth their weight in gold!

Enjoy the spooky/cosy season, we can’t avoid it even though I definitely would chase the summer if I had the funds!

Becky x