As a mom in Bedford, October means the beautiful fall leaves start to blanket our yard. While raking leaves might seem like a chore, I’ve discovered that it can actually be a fun family game that my kids look forward to every year!

To start, we turn raking into a friendly competition. We divide the yard into sections and challenge the kids to see who can collect the most leaves in their area. Setting a timer adds excitement and urgency, and the kids love racing against the clock. To keep it light-hearted, we reward the winner with a small treat or extra screen time for the day.

Another fun twist is to create “leaf piles” for jumping. Once we’ve raked a significant amount of leaves, I let the kids jump into the piles we’ve created. It’s an exhilarating experience for them and makes the hard work of raking feel worthwhile. They laugh and squeal as they dive into the crunchy leaves, creating lasting memories in the process.

We also get creative by using leaves to make art projects afterward. Kids can collect different shapes and colors of leaves to use for crafts like leaf rubbings or collages. This way, the fun continues even after the raking is done.

By turning leaf raking into a game, we not only tackle the yard work together but also enjoy quality family time and celebrate the beauty of autumn in Bedford. So grab those rakes and let the games begin!