Published: · Modified: by Zina Harrington · Post may contain affiliate links
This fall bucket list of 100 ideas invites you to slow down, be present with the people you love, and savor life's simple pleasures.
Fall is a season of transformation. As the air turns crisp and leaves begin to fall, autumn invites us to slow down, reflect, and savor life's simple pleasures.
Be intentional this autumn.
Rather than letting this short season pass by in a blur, create a fall bucket list of intentions for yourself or your family. Look for opportunities to slow down and connect.
How To Make A Bucket List For Fall
The bucket list for fall below is merely a starting point, so you don't have to feel intimidated by a blank sheet of paper as you create your fall bucket list. (Getting started is always the most challenging part of any task.)
Grab a piece of paper. Choose ideas from the autumn bucket list below that suit you and your interests best. Then, disregard the rest.
A quick word of warning: Don't overschedule the fun, my friend.
Keep your bucket list for fall a reasonable length so it doesn't end up feeling like yet another overwhelming, nagging to-do list.
In a rush? Scroll to the very bottom for a quick summary of how to intentionally follow through with your autumn bucket list!
Fall Bucket List Ideas
Here are 100 fall bucket list ideas to help you embrace the season, slow down, and practice becoming unbusy:
Break out the cozy blankets.
Go for a short & brisk morning walk and feel the crisp air on your face.
Simplify your wardrobe by creating a fall capsule collection of your favorite pieces.
Make a huge batch of crockpot chili (or taco soup). Then, freeze the leftovers using a muffin tin for a simple lunch or dinner solution on a chaotic day.
Take a silent hike and focus on the sounds of nature.
Skip social media for a full day.
Make a cup of apple cider and observe the birds or squirrels in your yard.
Reimagine your mornings. Design an intentional routine that makes you happy.
Bring more life to your home. Nurture a low-light plant — snake plants and pathos are great for beginners!
Attend a fall festival or opt out of this year's annual autumn festival — whichever feels right.
Bake something with pumpkin — pumpkin bars, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin seeds.
Pop on to Instagram or Facebook and permit yourself to unfollow anyone who makes you feel anxious or less-than.
Write a handwritten letter to a friend or family member.
Hang outdoor lights in your yard or invest in a wake-up light as a form of self-care.
- 5 Ways Globe String Lights Help Improve Your Mood
- Use A Wake-Up Light To Create Your Own Sunshine
Get a pumpkin — small or big, orange or white, real or permanent — and put it somewhere that makes you smile.
Create designated quiet hours and turn off notifications on your devices.
Host a potluck dinner or hygge gathering with friends.
Light a natural beeswax candle after the sun sets.
Set up a cozy outdoor reading nook with a blanket.
Be inspired and visit a local art exhibition, gallery, or fair — or create your own art at home.
Take a technology detox day, unplug, and disconnect from your screens.
Invite a friend to take a walk in the woods.
Donate the summer clothes you never wore.
Explore mindfulness by starting a puzzle — just for you.
- Benefits of Puzzles: 3 Science-Backed Benefits of Puzzling
Help a neighbor rake leaves or research a local volunteering opportunity to help community members in need with autumn clean up.
Break out your favorite boots; donate any other pairs that no longer bring you joy.
Decorate your home, porch, patio, yard, or door with mums.
Take long, solitary walks through a nearby park or nature trail.
Practice gentle yoga or deep stretching in the comfort of your backyard or home.
Learn to knit or crochet and make a cozy scarf.
Set a timer and do absolutely nothing for 15 minutes.
Take a scenic drive to admire the changing leaves.
Have a picnic amidst the falling leaves.
Add a date to your calendar reserved for doing absolutely nothing in October, November, and December!
Drink seasonal craft beer at a local microbrewery with a friend.
Create an autumn playlist to set the mood for fall.
Begin a gratitude journal to celebrate the joys of autumn.
Watch a stand-up comedian performance on Netflix, Amazon or YouTube.
Practice hygge by adding warm, soft textures to your space.
Declutter your Halloween decorations and donate them at peak season to ensure they get re-homed.
Notice the satisfying sound of the autumn leaves crunching as you walk.
Take advantage of the power of poetry. Check out this collection of must-read poems about slow living and experiment with creative writing.
- 7 Poetry Books For Resetting Your Life
- Say It Out Loud: Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
More Autumn Bucket List Ideas
Drink a cup of pipping hot cinnamon spice tea.
Collect colorful fall leaves and create a pressed leaf collection, like when you were a kid.
Watch this video on diaphragmatic breathing and take three deep breaths.
Invest in a chunky sweater for cozy fall days.
Call a friend. Don't text; call.
Drink red wine.
Visit your local farmers' market to get a feel for the season's offerings.
Take note of the lighting in your home and consider investing in a lamp (new or used).
Practice presence and make eye contact with each person at the dinner table before dinner one evening.
Pick an earlier bedtime and prioritize your sleep hygiene.
Take a bath with autumn essential oils like orange, ginger, cinnamon, and clove.
Attend a wine tasting. Check if your local wine shop, cheese shop, or grocery store holds an annual autumn tasting event. Or host your own!
Use the Gestalt Principles to declutter your space without getting rid of anything.
Practice grounding by walking barefoot in your backyard.
Take a nap.
Send a "remember when" or "thinking of you" text to someone you care about but haven't seen in a while.
Participate in a playful Halloween or Thanksgiving charity run or walk.
Enjoy playing outside games like bocce ball, kube, or washers with your family or friends mosquito-free.
Observe your breath. Try this 1-minute meditation.
Reconnect with a long-lost hobby or passion.
Lose track of time wandering an apple orchard.
Make something with handpicked apples — a tart, applesauce, caramel apples.
Write a thank you letter to someone who has made a difference in your life.
Try DIY this season and decorate your home with natural materials like pumpkins, pinecones, sticks, and dried oranges.
Go on a haunted house or historic homes walking tour.
Try out a new easy-to-follow fall recipe that excites you.
Donate warm clothing to those in need. Declutter sweaters and jackets that no longer bring you joy.
Camp in the crisp air under the starry autumn sky.
Add whipped cream to hot apple cider.
Take advantage of the short days and enjoy a late-morning sunrise or early-evening sunset.
Plant fall bulbs in your garden for a beautiful spring.
Experience a woodfired sauna.
Revisit old diaries or journals and see how much you've grown.
Practice grounding techniques by feeling the earth beneath your feet.
Host a no-screen game or puzzle night with people you love.
Enjoy an evening by the firepit making smores (or try making them in the air fryer!)
Get into the magic of the season with a fall movie night.
Practice the discomfort of saying no without explanation.
Watch one of these life-changing documentaries with your family or solo.
Prepare a slow-cooked stew the way your grandma used to.
Spend 15 minutes (or more) under a tree, listening to the rustling leaves.
Stargaze on a clear autumn night and marvel at the stars.
Eat caramel apples while hiking.
Do something novel — take a different route to work, sit somewhere different during yoga, or eat at a different spot at the dinner table.
Have a glass of mulled apple cider with wine on a cool night.
Write a life list.
- 200 Bucket List Ideas: Inspiration for Women Who Want to Embrace Life
Take a photo walk and document the beautiful details of the season.
Practice meditating amidst the falling leaves.
Participate in a Thanksgiving gratitude challenge.
Plan to opt out of Black Friday or take advantage of the online discounts and finish your holiday shopping in a single weekend.
Start a new fiction book or join a book club for recovering readers — the act of 'losing yourself in a book' has a variety of physical and mental health perks.
Set your cruise control to the designated speed limit on a road trip. Practice letting cars zoom past you. Stop hurrying. Take your focus off switching lanes and be in the moment with the people in the car with you.
Declutter your sheets to a single set, and then consider investing in flannel sheets for the season if you don't have any.
Reclaim the classic tradition and bring back slow Sunday night dinners.
Warn your family that you plan to slow down this holiday season.
Create a cozy reading nook in your home in preparation for winter.
Abandon the rules and start the holiday season in mid-November by setting up your tree before Thanksgiving.
- 7 Reasons To Start Celebrating Christmas Now
Fall Bucket List Follow-Through
You've picked your favorite autumn bucket list ideas and are excited for the season. Don't stop there, be intentional.
Go to your calendar and add your top three must-do fall bucket list ideas to your calendar. Adding something like "afternoon reading" to your schedule might feel strange. Do it anyway.
Save space for an unbusy autumn.
Additional Intentional Living Resources
Something inside you has shifted. You want to do life differently. We help overwhelmed neurobusy women reset and make space for a simple life.
- How To Start Over: 5 Steps To Reboot Your Life
Love this collection of fall bucket list ideas? Sharing it would make our week ♥
It would make our week if you took a second to save or share this post on making a bucket list for fall. That’s how we know we’re on the right track and should continue writing more content like this!
« What Is Neurobusy?
Winter Self-Care: 20 Ways To Infuse Your Life With Light »
Comments
No Comments
