No matter where you live, fall is an invitation to go outside. As the heat (hopefully) gives way to cooler temperatures, the air begs you to head outside and play.

It’s boot season, and once the boots come out, it’s time for fall traditions! What's better than adult boots? Baby boots! Even better than that are matching boots for mom and tot!

Everyone at My Baby's Heartbeat Bear enjoys a nice fire pit, a day at the pumpkin patch, and chatting about Thanksgiving side dishes. Together, we created the following list so you don't miss out on our favorite fall traditions with your own family.

Top 13 Family Fall Traditions

Hiking: The bugs are gone, the air is crisp, the leaves are changing, and the kids are old enough to walk a few miles (slowly). Throw a baby on your back, pack 1.2 million snacks and hit the trails!

Camping: Fall is the best season to camp. The ground is dry, most kids are in school, bugs are gone, s’mores taste great, and camping is cheap. It doesn't have to be the most rustic adventure; you can stay in a cabin with plumbing. Go fishing, hiking, exploring, and bring your kids’ bikes on our camping trips.

Pack some pancake mix and a griddle and head out to the nearest camping grounds, fall is calling!

The First Fire: We make the first fire of the year a huge deal. Late September is when we have wood delivered to the house, and then we wait. We wait for the perfect night. My husband has the kids help him build the fire. We all watch it roar, eating homemade desserts and sharing stories.

Apple Picking: Head to an orchard and bring home a million apples. Apple pie tastes much better with hand-picked apples!

Pumpkin Picking/Carving: Every family member must pick a pumpkin. A day at the pumpkin patch is in order to find these pumpkins, of course. We have done multiple things with pumpkins – painted them, glittered them, carved, stickered, and feathered them in years passed. I think that’s half the fun, letting the kids decide what to do with them before they are declared masterpieces!

Fall Festival: Corn mazes and hayrides await you. We have done the spookier rides and the non-scary rides each year. For some reason, kids absolutely love this tradition. (I love that our farms typically serve wine.)

Decorating: Go all out for seasonal décor. The kids love to hang up crafts, drape fake spider webs, and run around as ghosts.

Fall Baking: October is National Cookie Month! Maybe that’s why we all start craving homemade cookies this time of year? It is time for soups, casseroles, mashed potatoes and gravy. Smoothies are replaced with oatmeal in our house each morning, and warm desserts are baked weekly.

Hot Chocolate: Homemade or ordered in the drive-thru, there is nothing better than a big mug of hot cocoa!

Pizza: October is also National Pizza Month! Cookies and pizza? Apparently so. Every Friday night is pizza night here. We make the dough and let everyone top their own pizzas. Pair this with a fire, cold wine, and a movie, and I’d say TGIF wins the week!

Sports: It's football season, so grab some tickets and go cheer your team on! You can catch the local high school games, too. As a family, you can play soccer, baseball, football, kickball, etc… each weekend, too.

Plant Spring Flowers: It’s time to teach patience. The planting of the spring bulbs happens now. Each child gets to pick their flowers, plant them, and forget they exist until the snow melts and tiny green shoots spring from the ground.

Visit a Zoo: The animals are happier in the fall; everyone is happier in the fall. The zoo is also less crowded for some reason. Take the kids for an entire day and explore it all. Buy a jumbo bag of popcorn and use animal voices. It will make for an everlasting memory.