Happy October! How many ways have you found to welcome fall with your family? Have you checked these off your bucket list? - Watch a football game in person, play football in the back yard, catch a falling leaf, sip apple cider  and look for leaves beginning to change color. 

Find unique ways to make this the best October your family has ever shared together. Create some special family holidays and enjoy the wild, but real holidays below to make memories with your family to last a lifetime. 

Raptor Month – Look for raptors all month long and keep a record of the ones you see. Tally how many you’ve spotted by the end of the month. Look for falcons, hawks, kites, eagles, owls and vultures. Look for documentaries online to learn more about raptors and to enjoy a bit of family screen time. And take a field trip to the Center for Wildlife Education and look at the raptors and other animals on exhibit. 

Eat Better, Eat Together Month – Talk with your family about practical ways to improve your eating habits. Then let each family member take a turn throughout the month to plan a healthy meal. Work together as a family to prepare the meal and make sure to dine together. To make it even more fun, choose a different place to eat for some of the meals this month, like the front porch, the den floor, the back porch and so on. 

Mystery Series Month – Pick a mystery chapter book to read together in the evening (or whatever suits your family best). Read a chapter or more each night. 

Here’s a few suggestions for chapter books and chapter book series to get you started. A to Z Mysteries, National Park Mystery Series, Nancy Drew, Ballpark Mysteries, Boxcar Children and The Happy Hollisters.

National Walk Your Dog Day – Use this celebration as an excuse to get outdoors with the family. Take the doggie on a leash and the entire family and go for a nice long walk outside. Find a new path or trail or head down to the doggie park. Enjoy an afternoon of fun with Fido and enjoy the time together. 

World Farm Animals Day – Decorate white paper plates to resemble farm animals, like ducks, chickens, cows and pigs. Paint with the appropriate washable paint colors for the base and then use marker or cut pieces of construction paper to add facial features to your farm animals. Glue craft sticks on the back of each animal, and when the paint and glue are dry, put on a farm animals puppet show. 

Find exciting and fun ways to welcome fall into your home. Make the most of every moment with the ones you love. Make warm memories with cool activities and have a blessed October.

Author and Statesboro native Julie Lavender welcomes the launch of her picture book, A Gingerbread House this month. Look for "A Gingerbread House" wherever books are sold.