It’s time for some Budget-Friendly Fall Family Activities Whew! Summer was expensive, wasn’t it? If you’re anything like us, you spent a lot of money this summer on things like camps, cookouts, swimming, and traveling. Fall is a great time to relax a bit and get your budgets back in line by saving money.
Of all the seasons, Fall has to be the best. Every season is about bringing in the new and leaving the old, but for some reason, fall is the one that leaves the biggest impression.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Summer is fun. We have more freedom in our schedules … the sleeping in, playing outside and having relaxed routines. We get to stay up late and step away from school.
Time for a New Season
You may think I’m a little bit of a nut for this, but I love structure. I love to have my lists and plans and routines. I love things to be in order. I like schedules and predictability.
So, when I flip the calendar page to September and I see that school is starting, I get a little giddy. I start dreaming about the leaves changing color and falling. I imagine the family all bundled up outside raking leaves.
And, then, the weather starts changing.
Don’t you just love seeing all the orange, red, and yellow? Don’t you feel all snuggly when it starts getting dark earlier and earlier?
When we have our first crisp morning my mind moves to pumpkin pie and jack-o-lanterns … kids giggling in silly costumes and running down the street knocking on doors to get their buckets filled with candy.
We get to start using our ovens again to prepare family meals and the smells of chili and soup start to fill the kitchen.
Thankfully, Fall is a season that is naturally budget-friendly. And, there are a lot of family activities that fit a tight budget.
Make sure to download the Bucket List for Budget-Friendly Fall Family Activities.
Budget-Friendly Outdoor Fall Family Activities
Below are a bunch of ideas for frugal fall activities your family will love.
Get Outside
The weather is usually good enough to still find great days to play outside. Some fun things to do outside:
- Pack a simple picnic and head to the park with some warm apple cider
- Go on a hike
- Rake the leaves
- Jump in puddles
- Have a bonfire
- Roast marshmallows
- Search for animals and bugs
Pumpkin Patch
Don’t think of the Pumpkin Patch as just a place to go find your pumpkin for carving. Pumpkin Patches nowadays are filled with all kinds of activities. Here you can go on a hayride, do a corn maze, pet some goats at a petting zoo, pick up fresh produce, buy canned goods and eat a caramel apple.
Research the pumpkin patches in your area and see what they provide. You may even find that they have special dates for planned events – like a harvest festival.
This is a great chance to make a family tradition, too. Before moving, we went to the same pumpkin patch for 20 years and always followed it with a picnic (rain or shine).
Budget Tip: Don’t buy your pumpkin at the pumpkin patch. They will be much cheaper at the grocery store. You can use the pumpkin patch instead, to buy decorations, apple cider, and enjoy free or cheap activities.
This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no additional cost to you – and you can trust that I only promote products I love or would use myself. Read my full disclosure for more details.
Scavenger Hunt
You can have a scavenger hunt with just your family, the neighbors, or as a playdate. With the cooler weather, sometimes it’s hard to spend time outside, but the fresh air will really do your family some good. If your neighborhood isn’t a good location, then head over to one of your local parks.
Use these fun trick-or-treat bags for your Scavenger Hunt. They’ll even work great for party favors and can be easily wiped out if they carry anything messy.
Make sure to download my Budget-Friendly Fall Family Activities Printables for a great Scavenger Hunt list.
Fall Festivals
Fall is a very popular time to find a festival to go to. There are Harvest Festivals and even Oktoberfest to go to. If you’re on a tight budget, don’t get stuck falling for all the things there are to buy. Frequently there are booths with all kinds of crafts, treats, and gifts you can buy.
Use the festival entertainment as your fun and resist the urge to spend money. You can usually find music, dancing, and possibly skits to watch. There may even be kids’ races, face painting, a petting zoo, and eating contests.
Budget-Friendly Indoor Fall Family Activities
Make Crafts Together
With Halloween and Thanksgiving right around the corner, there are a ton of ideas for crafts to make this Fall. Try out some of these:
- Woodland Creatures Banner Kit – your kids will love making these and they’ll last all through the season.
- Pumpkin Decorating Foam Kits – a mess-free way for the kids to decorate a pumpkin that won’t rot.
- Magic Color Scratch Leaves – even toddlers can decorate these leaves.
- Kiwi Crates or Doodle Crates – comes with all the supplies you need.
Get In The Kitchen
There are lots of things to start cooking in the fall. Since the weather is cooling down, we start to crave some warm comfort food. It’s also just the right time to enjoy all that the fall harvest has to offer. Make some of these recipes together as a family:
- Chili
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Apple Pie
- Caramel Apples
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Corn Chowder
- Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Fall is the perfect time for Budget-Friendly Family Activities. Not only do we start to slow down from the busyness of the summer, but we are getting back into a normal routine, so there’s more time for doing things together.
Don’t let the season pass you by without doing some fun things together as a family. You can start some traditions that will serve you for years to come.
Looking for more activities to do with your Pre-schoolers? Check out 19 Simple Toy-Free Toddler and Preschool Activities
Don’t forget to download the Budget-Friendly Fall Family Activities Printables below.
