Things to do in Glasgow this Autumn

September has brought a chill in the mornings, pumpkin spice everything, everywhere, and trees slowly shifting into a blaze of golds, reds, and oranges. Autumn is here: the season of crisp walks in cosy jumpers, hot chocolate, bonfires, crunchy leaves and pumpkin patches.

With darker evenings and the cooler days setting in, and the change in the trees all around us, and Halloween and bonfire night both coming up; it makes for a pretty magical time of year. And there’s lot’s to fit into the next few months… It’s the perfect time to enjoy both outdoor adventures and indoor activities with children.

This guide brings together a family friendly autumn bucket list, including major events, daytime outings, evening experiences and cosy indoor ideas. With suggestions highlighting places in and around Glasgow for activities.

Big Autumn Events

Before the sparkle of Christmas takes over, autumn brings its own calendar of fun. With colourful leaves, crisp evenings, and a whole host of events for families, there’s so much to make the most of at this time of year. Here are some favourites not to be missed.

• Glasglow. Returning once again to the Botanic Gardens, Glasglow is an outdoor, walk through light and sound experience. Expect impressive installations, immersive displays, and a transformed Botanics. The event lasts 60–90 minutes, with street food and marshmallow toasting to finish. Running from the 24th Oct – 9th Nov. Advance booking essential.
• Paisley Halloween Festival. This large-scale event takes place around Paisley Abbey, Town Hall, and the River Cart. Visitors can enjoy street performances, workshops, carnival rides, illuminated trails, and themed installations such as dragons, giant spiders, and floating digital faces. The festival runs Friday 24th & Saturday 25th October, 4.30–9pm, and is free to attend.
• The Enchanted Forest. (Ok ok so this one isn’t in Glasgow and it’s a decent drive to get there, but it is so worth the trip!) Set in Faskally Wood near Pitlochry, The Enchanted Forest is Scotland’s award winning sound and light show. The woodland is transformed with light displays, music and storytelling, creating an immersive after dark experience for all ages. The trail takes around 60–90 minutes to explore, with food and drink available on site. Running from the 2nd Oct – 2nd Nov. Advance booking essential.

• Fireworks. Keep an eye out for announcements of local Guy Fawkes Night displays. Updates are usually available in October.

Pick Your Own Pumpkin

Pumpkin picking is a great fun autumn activity for families. There are lots of great spots to choose from, each offering their own seasonal fun alongside the perfect pumpkin. Just be sure to book in advance, as these events are always popular.

• Strathclyde Park Pumpkin Festival (North Lanarkshire). Every year the pumpkin festival is slightly different. In previous years this event has featured a hay maze, wand making and potion brewing workshops, storytelling, themed food, and plenty of pumpkins ready for carving.
• East Yonderton Farm (Renfrewshire). If you just want to simply go and choose your own pumpkin for carving, this is the one. Sweet and simple. You need to call ahead and book a slot. Ring them on 0141 889 3492. (Booking opens beginning of October.)
• Dowhill Farm (Ayrshire): A relaxed, family friendly pumpkin patch with lots of extra activities. No booking required – simply turn up and pay on the day. An good way to enjoy a day out if you want to plan around the weather nearer the time!
• Arnprior Pumpkin Patch (Stirling): A day out packed with pumpkin picking, crafts, a kale maze, delicious food, and Halloween-themed treats.

Daytime Activities

Crisp air, crunchy leaves, pockets full of conkers and trees glowing in shades of red and gold. Autumn is bursting with things to see and do outdoors. These activities are perfect for making the most of it.

Autumn Walks and Trails

Crisp mornings and colourful leaves make autumn one of the best times for family walks. Many parks run seasonal trails (look out for Halloween hunts at local RSPB sites and trails at parks like Dawsholm), while Glasgow favourites such as Rouken Glen, Victoria Park, Pollok Park, and the Botanic Gardens are ideal for exploring. The Botanics’ glasshouses also make a lovely stop on rainy days to get a break from the drizzle.

Scavenger Hunts and Nature Crafts

Kids love turning walks into games. Try a simple scavenger hunt (spotting pinecones, yellow leaves, squirrels, or even a lamppost) or have them collect some treasures while they’re out a walk to create nature masks decorated with leaves, sticks, and other outdoor finds.

Collecting Conkers and Pinecones

Autumn means pockets full of acorns, conkers, and pinecones. These seasonal treasures can be used for traditional conker battles, craft projects, bug hotels, or glittery decorations ready for Christmas. Or just bring them home and leave them in a wee pilea for the squirrels.

Foraging

I don’t mean like, head out to find everything you need for a rabbit stew. But this is the time of year when the brambles are out, and if you’re in the right place the blaeberries are still around. So in September and October when you’re out on walks and in parks, grab your own snack as you go!

Brambles, blaeberries and apples are often found in parks and woodlands at this time of year. Berry picking in particular makes a fun way for children to collect their own snacks while outdoors. Mushroom foraging is best left to experts, but fruit and berries are a safe and enjoyable option.

Flying a Kite

It’s definitely windy enough now that the weather has changed. Kite flying is such a simple and fun activity. Perfect for open fields or a great autumn beach day activity.

Jumping in Leaves

Sometimes it’s the simple things that bring the most joy, like jumping into a big pile of autumn leaves. Glasgow is a pretty leafy city in autumn. Head to your local park (or even your back garden) to dive into your own leaf piles.

Head to the Beach

Speaking of beaches… Scottish beaches are not just for summer. Quieter in the cooler months, the beach offers easy walks, shell collecting and space for kite flying. Wrap up warm, bring waterproofs, and enjoy the sea air without the summer crowds.

It is wise to take spare jumpers, socks and warm trousers just in case. Our winter beach kit has all the regular stuff – towels, spare clothes, bucket & spade, watering can. But until April we’ll also be kitted out in our wellies, waterproofs (Didriksons are our favourites we’ve found, but the middle Lidl ones are also brilliant and super reasonably priced), a good jacket and a hat – the wind in your ears is the worst.

You can find a list of beaches to visit here. The photos in it are mostly from summertime, but they’re all good at any time of year.

Planting Bulbs for Springtime

Tulips, daffodils, snowdrops and crocuses are all available in shops and garden centres during autumn. Planting bulbs is an inexpensive and rewarding activity, and children will love seeing their flowers appear in spring.

Have an Autumn Picnic

It’s never the wrong time of year to eat al fresco. Just wrap up warm and you’ll be grand. Pack flasks of soup or hot chocolate, bring warm blankets and enjoy a picnic outdoors. Toasted marshmallows or campfire sandwiches add a seasonal touch.

Visit Some Deer

Autumn is the start of rutting season and it’s a brilliant time to visit a deer park, because this is when the dramatic stuff happens. You can watch from a distance as the males battle head to head, using their antlers to win over the females!

Some of the best places to see deer are the Scottish Deer Centre, Beecraigs Country Park and at Culzean Castle. Last year we went to visit the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd up on the hill in the Cairngorms. A bit further, but also worth a trip!

Play Stick Races

This is a game I’ve played since I was kid and I just learned the other day that it’s apparently called pooh sticks. Choose a bridge over running water, drop sticks in upstream, and race them to the other side – a timeless and easy game for children. Or adults! Play it with leaves as well if you can’t find any sticks.

Evening Activities

Young children don’t often have the chance to be out after dark, which makes autumn evenings feel extra special. The earlier sunsets provide the perfect opportunity to enjoy simple activities like watching the moonrise or spotting the first stars, turning darker nights into a little adventure.

Have a Colander Campfire

You can’t beat a freshly toasted marshmallow. It’s such a simple pleaasure that works in any season, but it feels especially cosy on a crisp autumn evening. Particularly when you are in need of a little heat!

Keep it classic with marshmallows on sticks, or serve up as s’mores. Either way, it’s an activity that brings warmth and fun to cooler nights. Families can also try creative setups like a colander campfire kit which works perfectly for marshmallows and even for heating up toasties. (Check out this wee colander campfire kit for info, an idea I first discovered via the brilliant Wandermaw facebook page.)

See the Moonrise

This is another of our favourite being-out-after-dark activities. During summer the kids are rarely up late enough to do any moon spotting, so in Autumn when they do start to see it they feel like they’re out past bedtime! The moon rises a lot earlier in Autumn so it’s a great time to let kids see the moon come up.

The Hunter’s Moon is the full moon that comes after the September Harvest Moon (already happened on the 7th September), this year appearing on the 7th of October. The final autumn moon of this year (the Beaver Moon; named when fur trappers were still a thing) will be on the 5th of November. This moon will rise at 3.49pm and the sun will set at 4.28pm, so if it’s a nice night this is the perfect one to get out and see the moonrise and sunset, and still be home by bedtime.

Take some flasks of soup or toast some marshmallows and make a wee evening of it.

We have gone to Luss and watched the moon come up by Loch Lomond a few times in the past and it’s really quite spectacular (if you have decent weather). Boden Boo, just near the Erskine Bridge, is also a brilliant place to do some moon spotting.

Watch an Autumn Sunset

Sunset is waaaay earlier in October and November (it’s at about 4pm in mid-November) which means you can take the kids to go watch a sunset and still get home for dinner time.

Do a quick google search to see what time it’s due to set, and aim to be in your chosen spot about 10 minutes before then. The sun will disappear quicker than you think, then it’s home and bedtime!

Look Out For Bats

This might not be everyone’s bag, but bats are such cool wee creatures. They aren’t scary at all (promise) and they are totally harmless. They don’t bite – they eat midges and other flying insects – apparently a single pipistrelle can eat up to 3,000 midges in one night. So yeah – ‘mon the bats!

Scotland has 10 bat species, but the most common bats you’ll see around Glasgow are the tiny pipistrelles. They have a wingspan of about 20cm and they weigh roughly as much as a £1 coin! Note: For the scientists among you these will either be the common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrelles) or the soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus).

Keep your eyes peeled if you’re out at dusk (which at this time of year is basically 5pm onwards…) I see them all the time flitting about in parks, near ponds and leafy areas of the city. You can tell they are bats because they fly very differently to birds: they don’t glide like birds – the only way I can describe it is that they’re a lot more flappy!

Culzean Castle & Country Park is home to 9 of Scotland’s 10 bat species. So if you’re there later in the day keep your eyes peeled and you might be lucky to spot one!

Go Stargazing

Young kids don’t get to see the stars very often. They’re rarely outside at night so there’s not much opportunity. So in Autumn when the darker evenings draw in, it’s the perfect time to head out on a clear evening and try to find some constellations. (Top tip: check out the StarWalk app if you’re interested in the night sky. Hold it up to the sky and it’ll show you what stars, planets and constellations you’re looking at.)

It is difficult to see many stars with all the street lights around, so heading somewhere away from city lights will provide a much better view of the night sky. Places like Whitelee Windfarm, Luss and country parks all provide darker skies of the stars.

Cosy Times Indoors

Some autumn nights are made for staying in. When it’s cold, dark, and chucking it down outside, the best plan is to stay in and get cosy. Pyjamas on, hot chocolate in hand, and a few simple, fun activities lined up – that’s autumn evenings done right.

Carve Your Pumpkins

You picked your pumpkin so this is definitely what’s happening next! Younger children may enjoy decorating with paint, glitter, and stickers as a knife free alternative. Put out some paints and glitter and just let them go nuts and get their art attack on. It will be a messy activity, but it means young kids can still join in the pumpkin fun.

Watch a Spooky Movie

Grab your blankets, snuggle on the sofa and watch a spooky movie together. Share the snacks round, or order a takeaway, and you’ve got the perfect night in together. Some family friendly favourites are:

Little Ones (Under 7)

• Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Funny, light and just the right amount of spooky.
• Casper. Sweet, gentle ghost story with a friendly twist.
• Hotel Transylvania (series). Silly monster fun, more laughs than scares.
• Scooby-Doo (animated specials). Classic mystery solving with spooky settings.
• Coco. Not Halloween-specific, but colourful, musical and ties into seasonal traditions.

Primary School Age (7–10)

• Hocus Pocus. A Halloween tradition surely. Witchy mischief, lots of laughs, perfect Halloween vibes.
• The Addams Family (animated versions). Creepy and kooky but family friendly.
• Monster House. Animated haunted house story, a little scarier but still fun.
• Frankenweenie. Tim Burton’s quirky tale of a boy and his (reanimated) dog.
• The Nightmare Before Christmas. A Halloween/Christmas crossover classic.
• Ghostbusters. Light hearted ghost hunting with comedy, not too scary for most kids in this age range. The original does have some scenes that you might want to skip past – check the parents guide on imdb for info.

Tweens & Up (10+)

• ParaNorman. Funny, spooky, and heartwarming with ghosts and zombies.
• Coraline. Darker and more atmospheric; best for older children who like a chill.
• Goosebumps (films). Adventure with monsters galore, based on the R.L. Stine books.
• The Addams Family (1991, 1993 live-action). Dark humour with just the right spooky edge.
• Gremlins. Mischievous, chaotic, and a little scarier in parts – a cult classic best for older kids and tweens. (To me this is and always will be a Christmas movie but some people are insistent it’s not, so I’m including it.)

Build a bird feeder

You know those pines cones that you keep finding in your pockets? Well you can use them to get some bird feeders ready! Here are two ways to make a bird feeder that are super simple and take less than 20 minutes.

• Pine cone bird feeder. Tie a bit of string around a pine cone, put a heap of peanut butter all over it and then shake bird seed all over the peanut butter. Boom. Done. (Note: this one is a bit messy…)
• Apple bird feeder. Core an apple and put a bit of string through the hole, poke sunflower seeds all over the outside of the apple. Et voila. Finished.

Hang them outside and watch the birds come get their dinner!

Build a Den

A favourite activity on an indoor day. Blankets, cushions, and chairs can quickly be transformed into an indoor den – a perfect hideout for playing, reading or just cosying up on a rainy day.

Autumn Crafts

These are mainly leafy activities, because leaves are the easiest things to find outside at this time of year!

Leaf rubbings. Collect some leaves and make some leaf rubbings from them. All you need is crayons and some paper. See the leaf shape and patterns of the leaves appear. Super simple and keeps them busy for a while.

Leaf crowns. Make a paper headband to fit your kid, then let them go nuts sticking leaves they’ve collected to the crown. Crafts and dress up in one.

Autumn masks. This is an activity we like to do when we’re outside, but if you collect a bunch of leaves/flowers etc then you can use them to do this at home. Just cut a bit of card into a mask shape and then stick double sided tape all over it. Let the kids stick whatever they like to it to make a mask for themselves. Again, art and dress up in one!

Make collages. Card, glue, some paint, and whatever you’ve collected from outside. Combine it all, and it’s art!

Leaf painting. Super simple and my kids love this activity. It can get messy with the small one but he loves it.