After a busy week of studying, socializing and squeezing in those volunteer hours, your teen deserves to have a bit of fall fun. Luckily, there are plenty of seasonal activities to enjoy around town right now, from visiting corn mazes and cider mills to zip-lining at night and escaping from zombies. (More on that in a second!)
When they are ready to blow off some steam, here are the 11 best fall activities that they can enjoy with friends or family. Everything’s happening now through the end of October.
Blast Corn Maze
If there’s one thing that teens love, it’s getting lost in a corn maze with their friends for a few hours. Drop the whole crew off (or encourage them to drive themselves, if they’re old enough) at Nixon Farms.
Their 14-acre Blast Corn Maze is one of the best in Michigan and boasts plenty of twists, turns and spots to take photos. Once the troupe has made it through the maze, they can grab cider slushies and doughnuts from the market, check out the petting farm or take a hayride around the property.
6175 Daly Rd, Dexter.
RELATED: CarnEvil 2 at Glenlore Trails Brings the Carnival to the Forest
Dexter Cider Mill
If your teen and their friends are craving a true taste of fall, then point them in the direction of Dexter Cider Mill, the oldest continually operating cider mill in the state of Michigan. Here, they’ll find an extensive menu that includes apple cider, apple cider slushies, apple fritters, apple strudel, apple turnovers and – of course – apple cider doughnuts. Best of all? They can enjoy their treats with scenic views of the Huron River.
3685 Central St, Dexter. 734-426-8531.
Emagine Saline
The only thing better than watching a Halloween movie this time of year is seeing it in theater–and your teen can do exactly that at Emagine Saline.
1335 E. Michigan Ave, Saline. 734-316-5500.
Glenlore Trails
Now this is an activity that teens will gladly do with their friends or their family. Invite your child to step right up and make their way to “CarnEvil 2”. Once the sun goes down, they’ll follow an illuminated path through the woods and encounter “soothsaying sisters,” “creeping clowns,” “putrid pumpkins,” and other spine-tingling surprises.
3860 Newton Rd, Commerce Township.
Glow Zip at Howell Nature Center
Is there anything more thrilling than ziplining at night? Give your teen permission to soar after-hours during “Glow Zip” at Howell Nature Center. This special event occurs on October 3 and includes neon face paint, glow sticks and festival treats aplenty. Participants must sign a waiver and wear closed-toed shows upon arrival.
1005 Triangle Lake Rd, Howell. 517-546-0249.
Pumpkins Lanterns & Leaves
If you’re looking for an activity that younger kids and teens can enjoy together, try Pumpkins Lanterns & Leaves at Matthaei Botanical Gardens on Oct. 16 and 17. Your smaller child will delight in the luminary making craft and shadow puppet show, while your teen will happily stroll the jack-o’-lantern trail and partake in the cider, doughnuts and scavenger hunt.
1800 N. Dixboro Rd, Ann Arbor. 734-647-7600.
Spooky Free Comic Book Day
Costumes, candy and free comic books? Talk about a killer combination. If your teen is an avid reader and eager to get in the Halloween spirit, then make sure they know about Spooky Free Comic Book Day at Vault of Midnight on Oct. 31. They can dress up alongside their friends and receive free candy and comic books at the downtown Ann Arbor location. Candy and comics are first-come, first-served!
219 S. Main St, Ann Arbor. 734-998-1413.
Hours: Saturday, October 28, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Wiard’s Orchard & Country Fair
This is the perfect fall activity for the whole family. Together, you can navigate the corn maze, take an Old West wagon ride, play mini golf, visit the petting farm, pick apples and choose pumpkins to carve at home. And if your teen’s an adrenaline junkie? Consider bringing them back for Night Terrors, a series of five haunted houses on the same property.
5565 Merritt Rd, Ypsilanti. 734-390-9211.
