How to make leaf cleanup actually fun

The chill of fall is in the air in many states. People are buying pumpkin spice lattes and pulling out their favorite sweaters and scarves. The morning frost will move in and give us a break from mowing our yards in the hot sun, but we have to get through the fall leaf cleanup before taking a break from the yard work until spring. We love the outdoors, even when it means we’re out there doing chores. 

Don’t get us wrong – leaf cleanup doesn’t have to be a boring chore. And thankfully, Wondercide products give us the freedom to play in the leaves without worrying about ticks. So gather the family, get your supplies, and grab your camera to capture the good times. 

And while you’re at it, choose a pic or video from your fall fun and enter Wondercide’s #ReclaimTheLeafPile contest!

Here is our list of 5 ways to make leaf cleanup fun:

Have a leaf gathering race.

Give everyone a bag of the same size, and see who can fill theirs first. Once someone wins for filling their first bag, see how many bags everyone can fill until all of the leaves are cleaned up. This is a fun way to have a little competition while getting everyone to pitch in and help on the yard clean up. Plus, once you have all the leaves collected, it will be easy to distribute them for some of the games below. 

Build a leaf maze.

Instead of gathering all the leaves into a pile, rake them to each side as you form a winding path outward from your beginning point. Then work your way back to the starting point to make a new path, but have this path end in a dead-end. As you build more fake paths, you will eventually have a maze for participants to walk through. Once you are finished playing in the leaves, the line of leaves will be easy to rake into a bag or into a pile at the start point. 

The grass is lava.

Instead of making one huge pile of leaves, make small piles and jump between them. Now you have an outdoor version of “The Floor is Lava.” Jump between the piles without letting a foot slip into the grassy areas between them. If you can’t make the jump, you are out of the game. Last player standing is the winner!

Bury treasures to uncover.

Cover some prizes with leaves to be uncovered. This is a great way to bring the fun of playing in leaves to someone who doesn’t have the mobility to jump around from pile to pile. You can bury some new toys or tennis balls for the dog to find. For children, you can bury some small items like Hot Wheels cars or Pokémon cards. You could also cover some art supplies to use making art with some of the beautiful leaves you see on the trees.

Make art with pressed leaves.

While you’re out playing in the leaves, collect your favorites to be preserved so you can use them in art projects. The beautiful colors can provide plenty of inspiration for art using fall leaves. You can use any one of several preservation methods to preserve your leaves so they don’t crumble. 

No matter what way you decide to play, don’t forget to relax this season and enjoy the fun parts of fall. Pay attention to the colorful leaves as they change and close your eyes while you smell the fire in chimneys nearby. Don’t think of it as a chore, think of it as a way to reconnect to the wonder you had as a child.  Choose a fun way to clean.