10 Affordable Fall Activities To Do With Your Family
The autumn season is finally here! Celebrate the change in weather and the beautiful leaves by spending some quality time with your family. Luckily, fall activities don’t have to cost tons of money. You can have a fun time with a little creativity and a lot of family bonding. Here are 10 affordable fall activities to do with your family this season.
1. Take A Fall-Themed Family Photoshoot At The Pumpkin Patch
A picture is worth a thousand words, so why not have a big family photoshoot? These fall photos will be physical memories to cherish for a lifetime and the photoshoot itself is a fun activity that everyone in the family will enjoy!
Find a local pumpkin patch and bring your phone or digital camera to take pictures. You can plan out different poses, wear matching outfits, and take a wide variety of photos together with pumpkins and fall scenery. To make it even more fun, have the kids choose some silly poses for everyone to do.
If you don’t have a pumpkin patch nearby, you can also go to a forest preserve to do your photoshoot. The changing leaves will make a beautiful background! Once you take all your photos, you can get them printed to display in your home or give to other family members. You can even send out fall greeting cards with the photos!
2. Have A Halloween Family Movie Night At Home
Nothing says fall like Halloween, and nothing says Halloween like a themed movie night! Stay inside and have some fun family bonding time by watching Halloween and fall movies together.
Pick out your family’s favorite classic Halloween movies, have a scary movie-thon, or watch some new film that you’ve never seen. Make it more cozy by building a blanket fort and laying down a lot of comfy throw pillows. Hang up some string lights and Halloween decor to set the vibe of the night.
Don’t forget the snacks! Make some popcorn, set out everyone’s favorite candies, and heat up some hot cocoa for an extra relaxing night.
Bonus Tip: Create your own outdoor theatre by setting up a white sheet on the back of your house and displaying movies on a projector. Set out picnic blankets, pillows, and other cozy items to stay warm. Make it a fun night for all!
3. Bake Some Fall Inspired Treats With Your Kids
Baking is always a fun activity no matter what age you are! Have a fun fall inspired baking night with the whole family and make some treats that everyone will love.
Bake some pumpkin shaped cookies, Halloween cupcakes, or other autumn themed baked goods. You can eat them afterwards, or you can bake enough to give out to your neighborhood or to other family members.
You can also have the whole family cook dinner together – make a three course autumn inspired meal! Serve the dinner on Halloween or fall serveware and decorate the table together to make for a festive night.
4. Walk Through A Forest Preserve To Collect Pine Cones
Exploring nature is one of the most affordable fall activities to do! Find the closest forest preserve or venture out to another town to see an area you’ve never been before.
Make it a game to collect pine cones – bring a basket or bag for each kid and have them collect pine cones they find along the walk. You can later use these pine cones for crafting or decorations; that’s the beauty of nature!
You can also make it a game to find the prettiest leaves while walking through the preserve. Have the kids be on the lookout for different colored leaves and keep track of how many different colors you can find. This can help the kids stay engaged on the walk and be appreciative of nature.
5. Do A Family Campout In Your Own Backyard
You don’t have to go far to enjoy some outdoor time with the family! Plan a family campout right in the comfort of your own backyard for the ultimate affordable fall activity.
Set up a tent in your yard and fill it with pillows, blankets, and lanterns. Bring in some non-digital activities such as activity books and board games. Encourage everyone to not use their phones for the whole night to allow for some fun family bonding time.
Make some hot cocoa or apple cider to set the fall mood, and bring in some snacks to enjoy throughout the night. Stay warm and cozy and have a fun time!
6. Carve Pumpkins Together & Do Fall Themed Crafts
Fall time wouldn’t feel complete without traditional autumn activities! Carving pumpkins and doing fall crafts are both affordable fall activities that everyone will enjoy and have fun doing together.
You can typically find affordable pumpkins at the grocery store or other retail stores; look around to find the best deals. Once you buy your pumpkins, you can either find some budget friendly pumpkin carving tools at the dollar store, or you can simply use knives that you already have at your house.
In addition to carving pumpkins, you can also do fall themed crafts together as a family – get creative! You can print out coloring pages of pumpkins and fall scenery to color or paint, you can make a scarecrow out of popsicle sticks, or you can get some leaves from your backyard and trace them onto paper. Find fall crafts online for any age group!
7. Go Apple Picking & Have Your Kids Pick Out Their Own
Picking your own fruits is not only useful, but it’s also a fun outdoor activity that is perfect for the fall time! Take the whole family to go apple picking for an affordable fall activity that any age will enjoy.
Head over to your local apple orchard to walk around with the family and fill up a basket of apples. Make sure each kid gets a turn picking apples to make it even more fun. You can even take some fun photos in the orchard to add to your fall photoshoot!
Once you get home with your apples, decide as a family what you want to make with them! Bake an apple pie together or make caramel apples with different candies on them. Have a fun night of baking and then enjoy your treats together.
8. Go On A Self-Guided Ghost Tour In Your Area
If you have older kids, take them on a spooky fall or Halloween adventure! Find ghost tours in your area that you can walk through on a chilly fall evening.
You may be able to find self-guided walking tours near your town, which typically is an affordable or free activity to do. You can even look online for haunted areas in your town and simply drive there yourself to explore.
If you’re willing to spend a little money, there are also tours that a guide will lead for you for the ultimate experience. Decide on everyone’s level of comfortability with scary and spooky things before participating in these activities. Make sure everyone will have a fun and thrilling time!
9. Enjoy A Family Fall Picnic In The Park
Picnics aren’t just for the summertime! Have a fun family picnic this fall to enjoy the beautiful changing weather while bonding with your loved ones. This idea can also go along with one of the other affordable fall activities such as a fall photoshoot or a walk in the forest.
Find a nice park with picnic tables or bring your own large picnic blanket to set up near some changing trees. Pack some delicious picnic foods such as soup, sandwiches, apple pie, and a thermos filled with apple cider or hot cocoa.
Make sure to bundle up for the cold weather and bring some extra blankets and pillows to stay warm and cozy. Have a fun time eating and enjoying the stunning fall scenery around you!
10. Find Your Way Through A Corn Maze With The Whole Family
Another classic and affordable fall activity is walking through a corn maze! Find one at your local market, farm, or orchard and plan a family day there.
While walking through the corn maze, create a game for your family. Have the kids take turns deciding weather to turn left or right to encourage more interaction. You can make it even more exciting by telling Halloween stories while walking around or singing songs.
In addition to corn mazes, you can typically find other fun fall activities at the farm such as hayrides and petting zoos. Do some research to find affordable fall activities near you!
Looking for more fall inspiration? Shop our selection of fall harvest decor to find festive items for your home such as kitchen collections, pumpkin decorations, porch accents, and much more!
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