Fall is one of my favorite seasons, ok all of the seasons are my favorite for something. I think I love each season because it means a change and a chance to do different activities. Doing fun season activities doesn’t have to be expensive there are a lot of free and cheap fall activities you can enjoy.
Fall also known as autumn is officially from September to December. It’s funny I guess I get so excited for winter that I usually only think of September and October as fall months.
The great thing about having seasons is that we can do and see so many different things. But if we aren’t careful it’s easy to miss so many opportunities.
Because of that, I love making bucket lists. I don’t always get everything on my list done, but at least I got to do something I might have missed otherwise.
I have a couple of lists of different fall activities on the blog but today I want to share some budget-friendly ideas. All activity ideas in this post are cheap or free.
Free and Cheap Fall Activities
Use the ideas on this list to have fun making memories this fall without spending very much money.
Play in the Leaves
There are so many different ways to play in the leaves. Let the kids be your guide and just follow their lead.
If you need some ideas a few fun ways to play in the leaves are:
- jumping in a pile of leafs
- crunching leafs as you walk
- making a leaf maze
Go Hiking
Fall is the perfect time to go hiking, not only are the colors beautiful but the temperature isn’t usually as hot.
Attend a Fall Festival
Do a quick google search to see what fall festivals are in your area. Some festivals charge an admission fee and others are free. We have attended some really fun free fall festivals and a couple paid ones, that had so many activities we felt that the admission price was worth it.
Have a Football Party
Have a football party, watch the game, play a flag football game or even play the video game. Just don’t forget all the football party snacks!
Explore a Corn Maze
While some corn mazes can be expensive doing a little research you might be able to find an affordable Corn Maze.
Our favorite corn maze is only $5 a person and you get a scoop of ice cream if you find all the punches in the maze. Ice cream is regularly $3 a scoop, so the maze is only $2.
Read Picture Books
Cuddle up and enjoy reading picture books together. Enjoy reading fall themed books inside or take the books outside for an outdoor reading time.
Read books you already have or get some from the library for free.
Carve or Paint Pumpkins
Grow your pumpkins, get them at the grocery store or go to a pumpkin patch. Then have fun carving or painting your pumpkins.
Dress up for Halloween
Have fun dressing up for Halloween. There are so many fun family costume ideas out there.
Have a Movie Night
Have a movie night watch an old favorite or pick something new to watch. We love introducing our kids to the classics we grew up with.
This Disney Animated Movies bucket list is a fun way to track what Disney movies you have seen.
Decorate for Fall
Decorate for fall, use decorations you already have, or make your own. There are a lot of fun DIY fall decorations you can make with supplies from the dollar store.
Do a Leaf Craft
Gather leaves and have fun making a craft with them. What creative ways can you come up with to use the leaves?
List Things You’re Grateful For
Make time to think about the things you are grateful for. We like making a gratitude tree as a visual way to see all the blessings we have.
Get the free printable and find out how to make your own gratitude tree this fall.
Visit a Farm
Have fun visiting a farm, in our area there are several farms that are free to visit that have shops where you can purchase ice cream and other treats.
Drive Through a Covered Bridge
Depending on where you live you might be able to go see a covered bridge. If not you can still have fun going for a fall drive and enjoying the fall colors.
Take Family Photos
The fall is one of my favorite times to take family photos. While having professional photos taken is nice you can always take your own family photos.
For most of the photos we take of our family we use my iPhone with this tripod and remote.
Do an Act of Service
There is no wrong time to do service for others. Fall makes finding service opportunities easy since there is a lot of yard work for most people.
For older people especially the leaves and other yard work in the fall can be overwhelming and is a great opportunity for families to give service.
Have a Game Night
Pick some old favorites or get a new game and have fun playing games together as a family.
We have found several games in great condition at the thrift store which makes having a game night just one of many cheap fall activities you can enjoy.
Make Fall Play Dough
If you have young kids making play dough and creating together is a fun and inexpensive fall activity. You can even add some cinnamon or pumpkin spice to your play dough so it smells like fall.
Eat Chili and Soup
Fall is the perfect time to start making those chili and soup recipes that you might not have been enjoying during the summer.
Need some new soup ideas? Here are some fun soup recipes perfect for fall and winter.
Go to the State Fair
Most states have their State Fair in the fall. Admission to the fair is usually affordable and most fairs have tons of fun activities for families to enjoy together.
Savor some Apple Cider
Make your own apple cider or splurge on a fun apple cider treat. We really like the Starbucks Caramel Apple Cider. We only get it when it’s during the buy one get one free deal. So it’s a fairly cheap fall activity / treat for our family.
Try a New Thanksgiving Recipe
Try making a new recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner. Who know you might find a new favorite.
Pick Apples
We love visiting pick your own farms and orchards. Picking apples in the fall is always a lot of fun and we have found that the price of picking apples is about the same as we pay for fresh apples in the store. We usually put this fall activity into our grocery budget since we buy apples all the time anyway.
Go to a Library Story Time
Check to see if your library does story time, many libraries have several different story time programs for different ages. A lot of times these programs do fun themes based on the season and holidays.
What free or cheap fall activities are you looking forward to this fall?
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