10 easy things to do outdoors in Autumn

Autumn is the season famous for its harvest, changing leaves, cooling days and darkening nights. Here are 10 simple things you can do outside

1. Go for a Welly Walk

We may grumble at the autumn weather but there’s actually something very uplifting about wrapping up warm and enjoying the new smells, sights and sounds. If you’ve got a pair of wellies, you’ve got no excuse to get out there!

2. Collect conkers

There’s a fascination in looking for conkers. You’ll always be on the lookout for bigger and better. And when you’re fully loaded up, it’ll be time to take them home and decide which ones you are going to thread onto old shoelaces.

3. Find some bats

Late summer and early autumn is mating season for bats. They migrate from their summer habitat to new sites where mating occurs and where they seek out places to hibernate for the winter. They also focus on building up reserves of fat, which will help them through the colder months. Torpor also begins, where bats lessen activity to save vital energy.

You can find more about bats here.

4. Collect pine cones

Heading into the forest, you’ll find plenty of pine cones on the ground. You can use these for craft projects nearer to Christmas so if you find any that are damp, it’ll be worth storing them so that they are dry when you come to use them. If you find any still attached to its branch, keep these too as they will add some variety.

5. Go scarecrow spotting

Often the stars of harvest festivals, you can spot scarecrows doing their work in the fields in autumn. It’s worth taking a camera to document any that you do see but be careful not to encroach on private property or damage any crops nearby.

6. Go apple picking

Make the most of harvest season by visiting a local orchard and picking some juicy apples. There’s nothing better than enjoying the crisp autumn air and heading home with a bag of fruit – perfect for baking tasty apple pies.

7. Plant Spring bulbs

Garden centres will be bursting with spring bulbs at this time of year because now is the time to plant them. You are best getting them done between October and December, after which, the first frosts tend to arrive. Go for plump, firm bulbs and aim to plant within a week of purchasing as you may find that they start sprouting. Always remember to plant the bulbs with its top facing upwards.

Read our feature that will help you get your home ready for Autumn here.

8. Go on a Ghost Hunt

It’s the season of Hallowe’en and the darkening nights provide the perfect setting for a ghost walk.

There are plenty of organised walks at this time of year but if you want to do it yourself, make sure that you put safety first and seek permission if you are looking to venture around private property.

9. Feed the birds

Although birds tend not to struggle for food in the Autumn, it’s worth preparing your garden now for the lean times ahead during winter.
Placing a few bird feeders around now will help let the birds know where they can get food in the winter months. Fat balls are a good source of energy for birds and these can be hung from trees if you have any. You can make these yourself from kitchen scraps and suet if you like. Serve small portions to avoid them going off or attracting rats.

10. Watch an Autumn sunset

Watching the sun go down is one of life’s great pleasures and autumn often throws up some spectacular ones. Prepare some flasks of piping hot tea, head out to find a good spot and make sure that you’re there about 15 minutes before the sun’s due to go down. It will go down quicker than you think. Then head home for dinner.