October Family Connections Calendar

Draw closer as a family this summer with the October Family Connections Calendar and Scripture reading plan. Each month includes simple and easy ways to connect as a family as well as a Scripture plan to read aloud together.

October is one of my favorite months of the year! Not only is it perfectly fall but it’s also my birthday month. I once read that we tend to love the seasons our birthdays are in and I’m so happy my birthday is in fall because I really do love this season!

I love that the weather has finally started to cool, the leaves are changing, and there is definitely a shift in the season.

This month’s October Family Connections Calendar is filled with plenty of activities to spend together as a family outdoors before the cold winter weather arrives. There are also plenty of fall-themed activities on this month’s calendar!

Each month, you will receive a calendar with thoughtful, yet intentional, activity ideas for your family that doesn’t require much preparation and are almost always free!

You can view January’s calendar here, February’s calendar here, March’s Calendar here, April’s Calendar here, May’s calendar here, June/July here, August’s calendar here. and September’s calendar here.

You will also receive a Scripture reading plan to read aloud one chapter from a specific book of the Bible together.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these calendars:

Family Activity Calendar

Included in the activity list are seasonal appropriate ideas as well as conversation starters to have at mealtimes.

These are simple and easy activities to do with your family no matter what season or stage you are in. They can also be adapted to meet the needs of your specific family.

Don’t have kids or are an empty nester? Connect with your spouse with some of these ideas!

Have itty bitty little ones? Older children or teens? There are plenty of ideas that appeal to all ages!

Are you single? Grab a friend or serve your neighbors and family with some of these ideas!

The best part of this calendar is that it is designed to help you and your family better connect this year. So whether you do 2 things off the list or all 31, the point is that you are being intentional!

How to Use

Print off the list and stick it on your refrigerator or place near your family command center. Go through the list today and pick at least 5 activities and schedule them on your family calendar.

Almost all of the ideas are free or require things you probably already have on hand in your home. Some do require a little bit of preparation and making room in your calendar but get your family on board to help with the planning!

You can also just pick and choose the activities that best fit into your family’s schedule and routine. Maybe this list even gives you some new ideas!

Make this connection calendar work for your family and watch how just a few simple activities can really draw your family closer together!

Family Scripture Reading Plan

Perhaps the best way you can connect as a family this year is to spend time reading the Bible together.

Last year one of my favorite books I read was a simple account of a mom starting the practice of reading aloud her Bible to her young kids.

Not a children’s Bible but the actual Word of God.

The results were profound and it seriously convicted me to read the Word aloud to my kids too. But sometimes the hardest part is knowing where to start.

This family reading plan makes it simple for you!

Each day you only have one chapter to read aloud. That’s it!

Five days of chronological Scripture reading with a selected Psalm or Proverb for the weekend and a built-in Grace Day because we all know life is unpredictable and busy!

How to Use

Print off the Family Scripture Plan and place in your family Bible, your Bible book basket, or somewhere you and your family will see every day.

Pray together as a family before you read the Bible aloud and then just read.

If your children are old enough, take turns reading aloud or you can even use the YouVersion Bible app to listen to Word if reading aloud is hard.

Both the Family Connections Calendar and Scripture Reading Plan are free to download when you sign up for the email list and then once a month, the new calendar will be delivered straight to your inbox!

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I pray these simple ideas and passages from the Bible help draw you and your family closer together this year as well as water those seeds of faith.

Here’s a peek at October’s Family Connection Calendar:

Scripture Family Reading Plan

We will finish reading 1 Samuel and read Ruth, which we probably should have read before beginning 1, Samuel!

We will also begin reading 1 John. On the weekends we will read through Psalms 41-45 on Sunday, with Saturday being a Grace Day to catch up or to reflect on the previous week’s readings.

October Family Activities & Discussion Questions

The first day of a new month calls for a little housekeeping so work through the Fall Cleaning Checklist to get your home in tip-top shape. Get the whole family on board!
Head to the library to check out lots of fall themed books to place in your book baskets for the month.
Go on a walk to collect freshly fallen fall leaves to press and put in frames for inexpensive decor and to give as gifts.
Mealtime Discussion Question: How does fall represent God’s beauty in His creation?
Write in one child’s memory journal or write a letter to a family member.
Decorate your front porch with beautiful fall mums, pumpkins, or other favorite fall decors.
Attend a local fall harvest festival as a family.
Spend the evening intentionally praying over each family member.
Take inventory and stock up to prepare your medicine cabinet for the upcoming cold & flu season.
Mealtime Discussion Question: Who can you reach out to show God’s love in practical ways right now?
Read your favorite fall themed books outside on a blanket soaking up all the beautiful colors and crisp, cool air.
Roast marshmallows outside under the fall stars.
Visit a local pumpkin patch together as a family.
Serve together as a family in your church nursery, Sunday school classroom, on the hospitality committee, or wherever your church has a need.
Make a big batch of DIY Sticky Slime, it’s fun for all ages!
Mealtime Discussion Question: What your favorite thing about fall?
Walk through your neighboorhood doing a Fall Scavenger Hunt.
Curl up on the sofa with blankets and hot apple cider to read a special fall-themed book or watch a fall themed movie or TV show (we LOVE The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown)
Spend the day intentionally taking real-life photos to capture those precious everyday moments.
Invite a family or friends over to dinner.
Make a pot of chili in the crockpot to eat off all day while watching football and cheering for your favorite teams.
Back a big batch of pumpkin bread or muffins
Mealtime Discussion Question: How can we be a light to our friends, family, or neighbors during a dark time.
Make several jars of pumpkin butter, keep one or two and give the rest away to neighbors or friends.
Take a meal to someone in need or volunteer to stock a food-group at your local food pantry.
Plan a fall-themed date night with your spouse.
Have a pumpkin carving contest. Be sure to have enough carving sets for everyone, they work so much better than knives!
Rake an elderly neighbor’s yard, then rake your own to create piles of leaves to jump in!
Write in one child’s memory journal or write a letter to a family member.
Sort through all the photos you took this month and print off the best ones to place in a photo album or digital photobooks like Chatbooks or Shutterfly.
Trick-or-Treat together or stay home and pass out candy to your neighbors.