Ad – this post features Peter Storm products sent to us by Go Outdoors.

Enjoying time outside is always top of my priority list, but even more so during Autumn. It’s the perfect time to get out with your family, and appreciate the treasures this season offers. From the gorgeous changes in colour to conkers, from earlier sunsets to scarecrows, from apple picking to pumpkins – there is so much to do. If you’re stuck for ideas, let me give you some inspiration, as well as sharing the fruits of one of my favourite autumnal past times: capturing these precious moments on (digital) film.

Child wearing a Peter Storm fleece and coat exploring the woodlands in Autumn

Ah, Autumn is my favourite season for photography! Can you see why? Gorgeous.

1. Go for a Welly Walk

What is not to love about shoving your wellies on and getting to do all the things you normally shy away from? Jump in the all the puddles. Squelch in sticky mud. Paddle in streams. Wellies give you the permission to explore without apology: no holds barred! Children particularly love this freedom. Giggles and squeals of delight are pretty much guaranteed, so find your nearest woodland and head on down for fun and frolics. And if you’re stuck for where to go, there’s a fantastic feature in OS Maps called Greenspace that can help you identify green spaces in your local area.

Holly and Pickle having a welly walk in the local woods

I have found that venturing closer to home is a great option in Autumn – it means you don’t have to endure long journeys home to get clean and dry again. If you are travelling further afield, definitely take a towel and lots of spare clean and dry clothes with you so that you’re covered for any and all eventualities.

2. Hunt for Conkers

Horse Chestnut trees really come into their own this time of year, don’t they? Childhood memories of putting conkers in the oven, drilling holes through them and battling to the (conker) death at school mean these gloriously shiny pieces of treasure will always delight me but even now that conker games are seemingly universally banned at schools up and down the country, kids still love them! Not to mention, the have nifty spider repellent properties if you’re in the market for that sort of thing.

I’m convinced that no matter your age, you always know where your nearest Horse Chestnut tree is. It’s a habit that is deeply ingrained. That said, it’s not just conkers that are plentiful at this time of year. Whether you seek out the most colourful leaves you can find, helicopter seeds (samaras from Sycamore or Maple trees) or pine cones, you’ll be spoiled for choice.

3. Climb Nature’s Playground

Don’t ask me why, but there’s a whole world of difference between a rain soaked children’s playground and getting muddy in the woods. A wet slide or swing is no fun at all, but give me a rain soaked tree to climb or a slippery wooden bridge to climb over and I’m over the moon. This old fallen down tree in our local woods is always a favourite for us to visit, although it’s slowly getting smaller and smaller (I’m not sure if it’s being officially chopped down or if someone local is carving it up for their own fire wood!).

Places like this are GREAT for bug hunting too – dark, damp with lots of little crevices to hide in.

4. Embrace the Rain!

In the infamous words of Alfred Wainwright: there’s no such thing as bad weather, just unsuitable clothing. There’s absolutely no reason to stay indoors when it’s raining, and in fact, there’s something magical about going out in the rain. Our Peter Storm coats from Go Outdoors means we are totally prepared for whatever the British weather wants to throw at us thanks to the Storm Shield technology, constructed to protect against wind and rain with ease, whilst remaining highly breathable and lightweight.

There are coats for everyone in the Peter Storm range at Go Outdoors. Having spent my childhood in Peter Storm fleeces, it’s a brand I know I can trust. Designed in Britain, and built for British Weather! For each of us, our coats do just what we need – keep us dry, keep us warm and allow us to move freely.

5. Warm Up Afterwards

And we all know the best thing about spending time outside in the Autumn? Heading back into the warm afterwards, with the promise of a hot chocolate, cosy socks and riding those endorphins from a bit of exercise. If a roast dinner is thrown into the mix, even better!

This lovely mug from On the Nice List Designs is the PERFECT mug for an Autumnal hot chocolate. I particularly love that Pickle associated hot chocolates with snuggling on the sofa and watching a movie – can you think of a better way to spend the day?

Specific Day Out Ideas

If you’re looking for a family day out that’s not just on your doorstep, here are a few places to visit around the West Midlands that are tried, tested and loved by us. Feel free to have a look and a read about our visits there, and hopefully that’ll whet your appetite for an adventure of your own.

Small House Big Trips is a great place to find other ideas for family days out in the West Midlands.

Autumnal Family Fun

Whatever you decide to do, this season provides plenty of wonderful opportunities to spend quality time together as a family. So wrap up warm, and enjoy. A big thank you to Go Outdoors for providing us with these lovely Peter Storm coats and hats which will be put to lots of good use this year and beyond!