Fall in the Pacific Northwest is magical. As a family photographer here in Seattle, I’ve had the privilege of capturing countless families creating memories during this beautiful season. But beyond the photo sessions, fall is the perfect time to create meaningful traditions with your children that will create lasting memories for years to come. Let me share some of my favorite fall activities with kids in Seattle that have become cherished traditions for the families I work with.

Adventure Awaits: Outdoor Fall Activities

Get Lost in a Corn Maze

There’s something thrilling about navigating twisting paths surrounded by towering cornstalks. The Seattle area has some fantastic corn mazes that become annual destinations for many families. Stocker Farms in Snohomish creates elaborate themed mazes each year, complete with clues and challenges that keep kids engaged. Bob’s Corn & Pumpkin Farm in Enumclaw offers both daytime & flashlight maze adventures for older kids who want an extra thrill.

Pro tip from a photographer’s perspective: corn mazes create incredible opportunities for candid family moments. The laughter, teamwork, and occasional frustration of finding your way out makes for authentic memories you’ll treasure long after the corn is harvested.

Apple Picking Adventures

Nothing says fall tradition quite like spending a crisp morning picking apples together as a family. Bellewood Acres in Lynden offers u-pick apples with varieties you won’t find in grocery stores. Kids love the independence of choosing their own apples, and there’s something satisfying about filling those bags together.

Larsen Lake Blueberry Farm in Burlington extends their season with late apples, and the drive through the Skagit Valley showcases some of Washington’s most beautiful fall scenery. Make it a full day adventure by packing a thermos of hot chocolate and enjoying lunch at their farm café.

Pumpkin Patch Traditions

While pumpkin picking might seem like an obvious choice, the key is making it uniquely yours. Some families I know have traditions around choosing pumpkins. Others make it about the journey, stopping for apple cider donuts or taking the same family photo by the pumpkin display each year.

Carpinito Brothers in Kent offers a true farm experience with hayrides, farm animals, and that perfect pastoral setting. Dennis’ 7 Dees Garden Centers throughout the Seattle area provide convenient pumpkin shopping combined with beautiful fall displays that make for great photo opportunities.

Embracing Seattle’s Unique Fall Character

Leavenworth Oktoberfest Family Fun

A trip to Leavenworth during Oktoberfest creates the feeling of traveling to another country without leaving Washington. The Bavarian village transforms into a fall wonderland with traditional music, authentic German food, and family-friendly activities. Kids love the folk dancing demonstrations and the chance to try new foods.

Make it an annual tradition by staying overnight at one of the family-friendly hotels and taking the scenic drive through the Cascade Mountains. The fall foliage along Highway 2 is spectacular, and it’s become a beloved tradition for many Seattle families to make this journey each October.

Seasonal Library Programs

Seattle’s library system truly shines during fall with special programming that brings families together. Many branches offer seasonal story times featuring fall and Halloween themes, craft workshops where kids can make leaf art or Halloween decorations, and special events like puppet shows with autumn themes.

The Central Library often hosts fall festivals with multiple activities happening simultaneously – perfect for families with kids of different ages. Check your local branch’s calendar, as many offer unique programs like “Pumpkin Story Time” or “Fall Nature Crafts” that can become weekly traditions throughout the season.

Cozy Indoor Traditions for Rainy Days

Fall Cooking Activities for Seattle Kids

Seattle’s fall weather is perfect for establishing cooking traditions with your children. Whether it’s making homemade applesauce from your apple-picking adventure, baking pumpkin bread together, or trying new soup recipes as the weather gets cooler, the kitchen becomes a hub for creating fall memories with kids.

Consider starting a “Fall Recipe Book” where you and your kids document your seasonal cooking adventures with photos and notes. Years from now, you’ll love looking back at pictures of flour-covered faces and reading their commentary about which recipes were hits and misses.

Seattle Fall Craft Activities for Children

Transform those shorter, rainier days into opportunities for creativity. Pressed leaf art, painted pinecone creatures, and homemade Halloween decorations become more meaningful when they’re created together. Set up a dedicated craft space and let it become your fall tradition hub.

Many families I work with have established “Fall Craft Sundays” where they spend afternoon hours creating seasonal decorations while sipping hot chocolate and listening to cozy music. The decorations they make become cherished elements of their home’s fall décor year after year.

Movie Marathon Traditions

Create a list of family-friendly fall and Halloween movies that you watch together each year. Think beyond just Halloween films – include movies that capture the cozy feeling of fall, like “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” or “Coco.” Make it special with homemade popcorn, blanket forts, and maybe some of those apples you picked earlier.

Creating Photo-Worthy Moments

As a photographer, I can’t help but think about how these traditions create natural opportunities for capturing your family’s story. But here’s the secret: the best family photos happen when everyone is genuinely enjoying themselves, not when they’re posed and told to smile.

These fall traditions provide exactly those moments – the concentrated face of a child navigating a corn maze, the joy of finding the perfect pumpkin, the cozy contentment of a family cooking together on a rainy afternoon. These authentic moments become the photographs you’ll treasure most.

Making Traditions Stick

The key to successful family traditions is finding the right balance between structure and flexibility. Maybe your apple picking tradition evolves from visiting the same farm every year to exploring different orchards. Perhaps your Halloween movie night grows to include friends and neighbors. The important thing is that these activities bring your family together and create anticipation for the season ahead.

Start small this year. Choose one or two activities that genuinely excite your family and see how they feel. The best traditions are the ones that everyone looks forward to, not obligations that feel forced.

Building Your Fall Legacy

Years from now, your children won’t remember the perfect Halloween costume you bought or the expensive fall decorations. They’ll remember the time you got completely lost in the corn maze and had to ask for help, the year they convinced you to pick way too many apples, or the rainy Saturday afternoon you spent making leaf crafts while cookies baked in the oven.

These fall traditions become the stories your family tells, the experiences your children will want to recreate with their own families someday.

So bundle up, grab your rain jackets (because this is Seattle, after all), and start creating some fall magic with your family. The memories you make this season will warm your hearts for years to come.

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What fall traditions does your family love most? I’d love to hear about your favorite seasonal activities in the comments below! And if you’re looking to capture some of these beautiful fall moments with professional family photos, let’s connect! I’d be honored to help tell your family’s story this season.

About the Photographer
Tanya Zagumenov is a lifestyle newborn and family photographer based in NE Seattle, serving families across the greater Seattle area. With a background as a software engineer and a heart for storytelling, she brings a thoughtful, detail-driven approach to documenting motherhood with authenticity and grace. Her in-home sessions are designed to be calm, connected, and deeply personal, so every parent feels seen, celebrated, and at ease.