It’s Fall in Rockford! The air is getting crisp, the leaves are changing colors, and we’re excited about enjoying all of the Stateline area fun.
We’ve put together a list of local places, attractions, and events for you to have some Fall fun this year.
Some of these activities are free, some are low cost, and others you can do at home!
We hope you have an awesome Autumn 2020!
If you do things on this list, let us know! We’d love to see your photos. Tag @Stateline_Kids on Instagram and Stateline Kids on Facebook! Use the hashtag #play815. We’ll be picking our favorite photos to share on social media and we’ll send you a sticker if we use yours!
Happy Fall 2020, Stateline Families!
1. Get a donut and apple cider from your favorite apple orchard! Here’s a list of apple orchards in the Stateline to visit. What’s your favorite?
2. Pick a pumpkin from one of our local pumpkin patches.
3. Visit one new playground in each city before the snow flies!
4. Support local makers and artists by checking out the first-ever virtual Greenwich Village Air Fair.
5. Have Soup Sunday! Let the kids pick their favorite soup from the grocery store or make a homemade version from scratch. One of our favorites is Lasagna Soup.
6. Roast the perfect marshmallow over a campfire on a chilly night. Here are some tips on how to do it.
7. Visit the Discovery Center Museum on a rainy day. Reserve your time online before you go!
8. Try a game of disc golf. Anna Page Park is one of the best in the area.
9. Go apple picking at one of the area’s five Rockford area orchards.
10. Get cozy in a massive pillow and blanket fort in the living room. Here are some tips.
11. Put a blanket on the lawn and stargaze. Here are the constellations you can see in the Fall.
12. Do a nature scavenger hunt at Severson Dells and play on the natural playground.
13. Watch your favorite Fall or Halloween movie with kids. Try The Nightmare Before Christmas, Monster House, Spookley the Square Pumpkin, Halloweentown, and Hocus Pocus!
14. Celebrate Fall at Klehm by attending Autumn at the Arboretum which is a week-long series this year.
15. Take a hike at Rock Cut State Park to see the changing leaves. Here are some maps of trails in the park.
16. Go geocaching around the Stateline area. Here’s how to do it.
17. Collect pinecones and make some crafts with them.
18. Visit the updated Ordovician Sea Exhibit at Burpee Museum and touch a fossil. Get tickets to visit here.
19. Collect some leaves and make some beautiful leaf rubbings.
20. Try not to get lost in one of these corn mazes an hour from Rockford.
21. Take a weekend trip to visit the animals at Summerfield Zoo. The otters are our favorite!
22. Pack up a cheese plate and picnic outside at one of these great local picnic spots.
23. Stroll through the beautiful Anderson Japanese Gardens. Make your reservation in advance.
24. Make a delicious apple crumble from local apples. Here’s a recipe with great reviews.
25. Add a little joy to your city by painting and hiding kindness rocks.
26. Enjoy live music, shopping, and food trucks at Buchanan Street Stroll in Belvidere.
27. Put on a costume and go to one of the Trunk or Treats happening throughout October.
28. Get a taste of pioneer life from the comfort of your home at the virtual Autumn Pioneer Festival.
29. Enjoy a delicious gourmet caramel apple from Sugar Britches.
30. Get some family photos taken surrounded by the beauty of the changing leaves.
31. Rake up a giant leaf pile and jump on in!
32. Visit some of downtown Rockton’s adorable shops including the new coffee place DeeDee’s Main Street Coffee.
33. Take a walking tour of downtown Rockford to see the murals and take your picture in front of your favorite. Here’s a map of their locations.
34. Go camping in your backyard or one of our local forest preserves.
35. Make a giant pot of chili and let your kids help you cook! Here’s a recipe we love!
36. Have an apple bobbing contest at home. Fill up a bucket with water and try to bob for apples. Be sure parents are supervising at all times!
37. Take a pony ride at Lockwood Park.
38. Teach the kids how to finger knit. You can learn how here.
39. Visit a local Farmers Market and pick up some fall produce before they wrap up for the year.
40. Try something pumpkin-spiced with your kids! There are lots of new pumpkin- spiced items in store right now including Swiss Miss Pumpkin Pie hot cocoa, Pepperidge Farms Pumpkin Cheesecake cookies, and Pumpkin Spice Cheerios.
41. Take a bike ride down the Rock River Recreation Path to enjoy the cool weather and beautiful leaves.
42. Get everyone a new sweater for the Fall.
43. Make an apple stamp and stamp it on paper bags to use as Fall decorations.
44. Make a pinecone bird feeder for our migrating friends.
45. Take a tour of the Angelic Organics Learning Center and meet the animals there.
46. Fly a kite at Prairie Fields in Belvidere.
47. Make a pile of leaves at the bottom of a slide and let kids enjoy the fall-themed ride!
48. Make Halloween themed popcorn balls. Here’s a recipe.
49. Make squirrels out of toilet paper tubes.
50. Get some energy out at GAR South’s trampoline park.
51. Take a tour of the reportedly haunted Tinker Swiss Cottage.
52. Toss around the football outside.
53. Make homemade Instapot apple sauce with local apples.
54. Visit one of the smallest, and least known Arboretums, Rockford Arboretum!
55. Throw your own kid-friendly Oktoberfest at home by making German recipes and playing polka music.
If you’d like a printable list of Fall fun ideas, click here to download yours!
