Labor Day weekend is the perfect opportunity to welcome the fall season. Yes, we know that autumn doesn’t technically start until September 22. But you can celebrate the last warm weeks of summer while preparing for the fall chill.
These activities are perfect for anyone. Whether you’re having family, friends, or neighbors over—they can all take part. Of course, we chose a lot of outdoor activities because how else do you celebrate the end of summer? But we know that weather doesn’t always cooperate, and you might not enjoy being outside. So we also offer indoor versions of each activity to have on hold for inclement weather or personal preference.
1, Backyard Movie Night
Who doesn’t love movie night? As fall approaches, the sun sets earlier and earlier, making Labor Day weekend the perfect time for a backyard movie night. Invite your friends and neighbors to pull up a chair (or blanket!) and get comfy while you recreate the big screen in your backyard. If you live close to your neighbors or plan on watching a loud movie, we recommend letting them know ahead of time.
What You Need
For a backyard movie night, you’ll need a projector and movie screen (sometimes a sheet will do!), snacks, and seating. But you don’t have to provide all of those yourself. For example, as the host, you can provide the movie and snacks—and ask guests to bring their own chair and blankets. Or, you can provide the seating and ask that each guest brings one snack or one drink.
Bring It Inside
If you’re hosting a movie night on Labor Day weekend, we recommend skipping the TV—even indoors. Instead, find a blank wall in your house (or somewhere you can hang a sheet or screen) and bring the snacks and the seating inside! It might not feel like the drive-ins, but it certainly won’t feel like a regular movie night, either.
2. S’mores Station
S’mores are another classic summer and fall-time treat, so why not do them at home! As long as your city allows, host a bonfire in your yard and create a build-your-own-s’mores station. You can provide the usual ingredients—chocolate, marshmallow, and graham cracker. But don’t be afraid to add your own flair, too! Offer Oreo cookies as a graham cracker alternative, or peanut butter candy instead of chocolate. If you really want to stick with the s’mores theme, you can use s’mores Oreos!
What You Need
All you need is the ingredients, a bonfire, and skewers for the marshmallows. Like your backyard movie night, you can ask each guest to bring a unique s’more ingredient while you provide the usuals. Of course, you should absolutely have someone with experience tending to the bonfire. And make sure to follow any local rules about size, location, and timing. Safety always comes first!
Bring It Inside
You can’t exactly bring your bonfire inside—but you can pop them into the oven. There are many recipes online, but they’re all simple. All you have to do is put the graham crackers (or cracker alternative) into the oven with the marshmallows. Once warm and slightly gooey, remove the two items, add chocolate or other melty candy, and there you have it!
3. DIY Fall Decorations
Get a head start on the fall decorations with some DIY crafting! Sunflowers bloom in summer into the fall, so you can create door wreaths or centerpiece bouquets. You can also spray paint mason jars in warm orange and bright yellow to use for vases. Or you can try this adorable mason jar pumpkin idea! The options for fall decorations are endless—so pick your favorite and get crafty.
What You Need
Paint, jars, sunflowers, burlap—whatever materials you need to create your fall-inspired masterpieces. Choose two or three activities, write your list of materials, and grab them all before the long weekend. That way, you won’t need to scramble the weekend of and risk any holiday crowds.
Bring It Inside
Technically, crafting isn’t an outdoor sport, so bringing it indoors is as simple as clearing the kitchen table. But if you want to get creative, you can lay down a tarp and DIY on the living room floor or take the typical crafting tools out of the equation. For example, if you can’t use a paintbrush to color the mason jars, what else can you use? Your hands? Spray paint? A sponge?
4. Backyard Camping
Sometimes, camping in the woods isn’t an option. Maybe your little one gets homesick or you want to avoid tick season. No matter the reason, camping in your yard is an exciting alternative. Plus, you can combine camping with s’mores and even a pre-camp outdoor movie screening! If you’re hosting friends, everyone can pitch their own tent and head to bed when they’re ready. If it’s just family, have the kids choose who sleeps in which tents.
What You Need
A tent and a yard! Okay, well, you may need a few tents. But you only need one yard! If you plan on having the kids sleep separate, you’ll need big enough tents to accommodate everyone and their sleeping bags. But if friends are spending the night, too, you can ask that they bring their own tent and blankets, and you’ll provide the yard.
Bring It Inside
Camping is fun anywhere! To bring it inside, clear the floor of your living room and pitch a tent right there. You can even have the kiddos camp in their own rooms on the floor. As long as they’re in a tent, they’re camping.
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