Day Tripping: Fall has its magic for kids

Fall is here and with it comes chill winds, scuttling leaves and so many things to do. It's not sugar plum fairies that dance through my head, but dreams of corn mazes, pumpkin carving, walks through the woods and creative ways to spend those chilly days together.

Each year our family makes a trip out to the Ru-Ridge Corn Maze between Carlton and Wrenshall for an afternoon of delights. Though we have yet to brave the late-night activities such as the Flash Light Fridays, we make sure to take advantage of all they have to offer during the day like pumpkin painting, climbing the hay bales, and coddiwompling our way through the maze. At $8 a ticket and $3 for a hayride, you can easily get your money's worth for a day's worth of fun while roaming the grounds.

Carving Jack-o'-lanterns is far and above my favorite fall activity to do with my girls. We get to be creative, messy and spend time together as we gut the gourds and turn them into our hauntingly delightful front yard guardians. The best part is this craft is that it comes with a built-in snack if you're a fan of pumpkin seeds. Kids on the younger side can also paint or add stickers to the pumpkins to avoid handling those flimsy carving tools.

Something I wish I would have started earlier with the girls is carving foam pumpkins. With the same effort as carving real pumpkins, you can make Jack-o'-lanterns that won't rot away and can be kept for years to come.

Whether you use real pumpkins or foam, you can use electric tea candles or carve out the top and insert a solar yard light to have a fire free option to give your spooky creations their signature glowing grin. Taking time to get messy and creative with the girls is always something I cherish long after the pumpkins have returned to the soil.

Creating your own Halloween costumes is another way to get some energy out on the colder, rainier days of fall. Though I take no issue with purchasing costumes, we always have loads more fun designing and putting together whatever crazy idea they come up with each year. I won't spoil the surprise, but a few items on our list were hair curlers, fake eyeballs, cat slippers and a flower crown. I have taken to trying to make a paper mache mask each year - regardless if Il use it on Halloween or not, it is an affordable and fairly simple way to expend some creative energy as well as having something unique for the big night. I strongly suggest taking a stroll down the dollar store isles or discount racks to see if you find some inspiration for your Halloween garb this year.

This year I urge you to get outside, be creative, get messy and above all else, stay spooky.

Cloquet's Darrell and Emily Davey and their two 9-year-old daughters agreed to share their getaways with Pine Knot News readers. Contact the Davey family c/o [email protected].