Central FL guide to family-friendly activities to celebrate fall, ring in the holidays
Orlando Mom Collective owner, Eryn Vargo, joins WESH 2 to share family-friendly activities and events.
NOVEMBER IS HERE, AND IT MARKS A TIME OF YEAR WHERE BUSY SCHEDULES SOMEHOW GET BUSIER FOR ALL OF OUR FAMILIES. YOU’RE JUGGLING THE SPORTS EVENTS, THE EXTRACURRICULARS, AND ALL THE OTHER HAPPENINGS WITH OUR DAY TO DAY. IT CAN BE A LOT. YOU STILL GOT TO SLOW DOWN, AND THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS GET ORGANIZED. AND THAT WAY THE SEASON DOESN’T PASS US BY. ALONG WITH THOSE MEMORIES. SO TO HELP US OUT THIS MORNING AND SHARE SOME NEW WAYS WE CAN CELEBRATE IS THE OWNER OF THE LOCALLY FOCUSED PARENTING RESOURCE ORLANDO MOM COLLECTIVE, ERIN VARGO. ERIN, THANKS FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. LOTS TO DO. LET’S START WITH SOME OF THE FALL ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO WITH THE FAMILY, AND YOU HAVE A TOP TEN LIST. WE DO? YEAH, WE WE LIKE TO SHARE JUST SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH THE KIDS TO ENJOY. SO MAKING GRATITUDE ROCKS AND KIND OF PUTTING THEM AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WRITING LETTERS TO VETERANS OR MAYBE YOUR LOCAL ELDERLY COMMUNITY. SO GETTING OUT THERE WITH THE KIDS, DONATING TO FOOD BANKS, MAKING CHILI, TRY A NEW PUMPKIN RECIPE, HAVE A S’MORES PARTY WITH THEIR FRIENDS. JUST LITTLE THINGS YOU CAN DO. GO TO A UCF FOOTBALL GAME AND TAILGATE. IT’S ALWAYS A LOT OF FUN IN THE BACK AREA, SO JUST GET OUT THERE AND TRY SOMETHING NEW WITH THE KIDS THAT INVOLVES THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. LITTLE INTENTIONAL TIME. I LIKE THAT A LOT OF WAYS THAT YOU CAN KIND OF GET COZY AND DO DIFFERENT CRAFTS, GET THE KIDS BUSY WITH THEIR HANDS. WHAT ARE SOME IDEAS FOR THAT FALL LEAVES? YOU CAN USE THEIR HANDS AND YOU CAN PAINT THEM, PUT THEM ON PAPER AND CUT THEM OUT AS LEAVES. YOU CAN MAKE PAPER WREATHS. YOU CAN MAKE S’MORES CUPS, PAPER, PUMPKINS, TONS OF DIFFERENT THINGS. YOU CAN DO THAT YOU CAN EVEN USE AS DECOR AROUND THE HOUSE TOO. STACKING PUMPKINS OR MAKING PUMPKINS OUT OF EMBROIDERY HOOPS. IT ALL IT REALLY REQUIRES IS A LITTLE BIT OF HOT GLUE AND SOME PAINT AND A LITTLE CREATIVITY. AND THE KIDS CAN GO WILD WITH IT. AND NOW YOU HAVE DECOR. BUT YOU ALSO HAD A FUN PROJECT THAT THEY GET TO MAKE WITH YOU. IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE SOME INSPIRATION THERE ON THE SCREEN TOO. WE’RE SHOWING LET’S SWITCH FROM CRAFTS TO WHAT MY KIDS LOVE TREATS. SOMETHING THEY CAN ACTUALLY ENJOY AFTERWARDS. THERE’S SO MANY THINGS YOU CAN DO AND YOU REALLY DON’T HAVE TO FOLLOW A RECIPE, BUT MAKING S’MORES CONES WHERE THEY CAN FILL IT WITH ALL THEIR FAVORITE DIFFERENT THINGS MARSHMALLOWS, CHOCOLATE CHIPS. DANGEROUS? ABSOLUTELY. BUT THEN YOU CAN WRAP IT UP AND TAKE IT TO GO. YOU CAN MAKE BROWNIES AND USE CANDY CORN TO MAKE A TURKEY. THAT WAS CUTE. I LIKE THAT ONE AND THEY’RE JUST FUN. THEY CAN PUT GOLDFISH IN THEIR S’MORES CONES. I MEAN, YOU REALLY CAN. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE ALL SUGAR. NOT REALLY, BUT YOU CAN LET THEM KIND OF GET CREATIVE AND YOU CAN WRAP IT UP. YOU CAN DO IT AS CLASS GIFTS, TEACHER GIFTS YOU CAN USE IT FOR IF YOU ARE IN SPORTS AND YOU WANT TO GO OUT AND TAKE SOMETHING TO YOUR TEAM, THERE’S JUST LOTS OF WAYS TO GET THEM INVOLVED. BUT THEY’RE HAVING FUN AND THEY’RE DOING SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT. I REALLY LIKED THAT BROWNIE WITH CANDY CORN FOR TURKEY. OKAY, THE SWITCH FROM FALL TO WINTER. IT IS QUICK, SO LET’S ROUND OUT THE MONTH WITH WITH A CHRISTMAS EVENT THAT YOU’RE RECOMMENDING, WHICH IS THIS ONE? YES. SO THIS IS OUR THIRD ANNUAL COOKIES WITH SANTA EVENT, AND WE ARE KICKING IT OFF THIS YEAR ON DECEMBER I MEAN ON SEPTEMBER. OH MY GOODNESS NOVEMBER. SEE, ALL THE MONTHS ARE RUNNING TOGETHER. I CAN’T EVEN KEEP IT STRAIGHT. NOVEMBER 30TH AND WE USUALLY DO IT IN DECEMBER, BUT WE WANTED TO DO IT EARLY THIS YEAR JUST BECAUSE THERE’S SO MANY HOLIDAY EVENTS IN DECEMBER. AND IT GETS CRAZY. SO THIS IS JUST A REALLY FUN WAY. THANKSGIVING WEEKEND TO JUST KICK OFF THE HOLIDAYS. IT’S REALLY A LOT OF FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. IT’S FROM 10 TO 1 AT ORLANDO FAMILY STAGE, AND THERE’S TONS OF EVENTS, CRAFTS, COOKIES, MUSIC, PICTURES WITH SANTA, PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS. IT’S A REALLY FUN TIME FOR THE KIDS AND THE WHOLE FAMILY. I ALWAYS FEEL SO OVERWHELMED. I CREATE THIS LIST OF EVERYTHING I WANT TO DO, AND THEN I NEVER ACTUALLY GET TO IT. DO YOU DO A CALENDAR LIKE RIGHT NOW TO KIND OF HELP YOU PLAN? I TRY TO WITH THE KIDS, LIKE, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU WANT TO DO? AND A LOT OF PLACES HAVE STARTED RELEASING LIKE THEIR FALL TREE LIGHTINGS FESTIVALS. SO WE TRY TO LET THEM PICK A COUPLE OF THINGS. AND THEN AROUND OUR CRAZY REGULAR LIFE SCHEDULE, SCHOOL, BASEBALL, THE THINGS WE TRY TO FIT IN, A FEW THINGS THAT WE KNOW THEY’LL LOVE. THAT’S ANOTHER REASON WHY WE’RE DOING COOKIES WITH SANTA ON NOVEMBER 30TH, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO GET AHEAD OF ALL OF THE OTHER EVENTS AND JUST BE ABLE TO EVERYBODY’S HOME FOR THANKSGIVING. MOST PEOPLE ARE HOME, AND IT’S JUST A GREAT WAY TO LOOK INTO THE SEASON AND DO SOMETHING FUN BEFORE THEY GO BACK TO SCHOOL. SO YEAH, WE TRY. IT’S NICE. ERIN, IF PEOPLE WANT MORE INFORMATION, WHERE’S THE BEST PLACE FOR THEM TO HEAD? ORLANDO.COM EVERYTHING IS ON ORLANDO MOM. YOU’LL SEE TONS OF DIFFERENT LINKS YOU CAN CLICK THROUGH. WE PUT EVERYTHING TOGETHER IN GUIDES TO TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR MOMS SO YOU CAN KIND OF NAVIGATE THE SEASON THAT WAY. WE APPRECIATE THAT. IT’S HARD TO NAVIGATE EVERYTHING AS A MOM. ERIN VARGO WITH ORLAN
Central FL guide to family-friendly activities to celebrate fall, ring in the holidays
Orlando Mom Collective owner, Eryn Vargo, joins WESH 2 to share family-friendly activities and events.
Updated: 10:12 AM EST Nov 3, 2025
Orlando Mom Collective owner, Eryn Vargo, joins WESH 2 to share a list of recommended family-friendly fall and holiday activities. Vargo details do-it-yourself crafts, treats and a curated list of top 10 things to do in Central Florida during the month of November.OMC will round on fall and ring in the holidays by hosting its third annual “Cookies with Santa” on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.The event will be the Orlando Family Stage in downtown Orlando. Tickets are available for purchase.Click here to learn more.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Orlando Mom Collective owner, Eryn Vargo, joins WESH 2 to share a list of recommended family-friendly fall and holiday activities.
Vargo details do-it-yourself crafts, treats and a curated list of top 10 things to do in Central Florida during the month of November.
OMC will round on fall and ring in the holidays by hosting its third annual “Cookies with Santa” on Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The event will be the Orlando Family Stage in downtown Orlando.
Tickets are available for purchase.
Click here to learn more.