Consider These Cheap Fall Family Activities As You Plan for the Autumn Months

Fall is a popular time for unique family activities, and just because the days are getting shorter and the kids are headed back to school doesn\’t mean that you can\’t make the most out of the season. However, despite what many people believe, fall family activities don\’t have to break the bank, and there are numerous activities that you can do without spending much money at all!

If you\’re interested in learning about the best cheap fall family activities, here are 10 that you should keep in mind this autumn.

1. Outdoor Yoga Sessions

One of the most unique cheap fall family activities is outdoor yoga sessions, and they can offer a relaxing experience that the whole family can enjoy, and it can have some important benefits as well. In addition to being relaxing, yoga and mindfulness have been shown to help improve both the physical and mental health of school-aged children. In terms of physical benefits, yoga can boost strength, endurance, and balance, while also improving memory, behavior, and self-esteem.

In adults, yoga can have similar benefits, and it can also be used to help with some types of physical pain relief and management. For example, some yoga poses can provide lower back pain relief, while others may focus more on the legs, arms, or neck. Similarly, yoga can also help manage stress and promote relaxation.

While the cheapest way to partake in this activity is in the comfort of your own backyard with the help of instructional videos for beginners, more and more community centers are offering outdoor yoga activities. For these events, you will need to pay for entry, but it is often fairly cheap.

2. Rent an RV for a Family Camping Trip

Another great idea for cheap fall family activities includes packing up everyone in an RV and heading out on an unforgettable camping trip. Although camping during the summer can be nice, it\’s often much hotter, more buggy, and you don\’t have the benefit of getting to see all of the leaves changing around you. In some locations, the average cost of an RV rental can be as little as $178 per day, which makes it a fairly affordable weekend getaway option. Some owners may also offer discounted rates if you choose to rent the RV for a specific duration.

However, if you know someone with an RV who is willing to lend it to you, this cost can be either eliminated or cut down dramatically. Borrowing an RV from a friend or family member can give you the opportunity to head out camping without having to worry about rental fees, which can give you more money to spend on more activities during your trip.

That said, if you are borrowing an RV from someone that you know, you\’ll want to check with them beforehand to make sure that it is in good working order before you hit the road. Preferably, if the RV hasn\’t been driven much, it should be under an RV cover to help prevent wear and tear. You\’ll also want to ensure that everything is working correctly so that you won\’t get halfway to your campsite only to have the muffler fall off!

3. Visit a Pumpkin Patch

When it comes to cheap fall family activities, nothing quite beats a trip to the traditional pumpkin patch. It\’s basically a childhood fall right of passage! Oftentimes, pumpkin patches will start putting up their business signs up around mid to late September, signaling that they are open for business. Although some families like waiting more towards Halloween to visit their local pumpkin patches, nothing is stopping you from visiting multiple times! Many pumpkin patches have numerous activities that change over the course of the season and if you visit in late September for some pumpkin-filled fun, you can always head back closer to Halloween, where many encourage kids to dress up and enjoy Halloween-themed activities.

Entry fees for pumpkin patches also tend to be fairly cheap, and most offer discounts to children. The most money you\’ll end up spending is on pumpkin-flavored products, many of which are often made on site. There\’s nothing quite like a fresh pumpkin donut to make you want to bring a couple dozen back home with you!

4. Cook a Fall-Themed Meal As a Family

Another great idea to consider when thinking about cheap fall family activities is cooking an autumn-themed meal together. This can open up a lot of possibilities depending on what your family likes to eat, and it can give you a reason to experiment with recipes that you might never have thought of trying before. Things like baked apples, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin lasagna, apple cider pulled pork, and roasted butternut squash are all things to try throughout the week to help incorporate the season into your meals.

Other great family cooking ideas include making your own jerky. Let everyone pick their own type of jerky seasoning and then holding a contest to see who picked the best flavors. You could also make your own fruit roll-ups using a variety of healthy fruits such as apples, strawberries, peaches, blackberries, and more. Also known as fruit leather, this can be an easy and fun cooking activity that is both healthy and delicious.

5. Get Crafty

Making crafts together is another of the best cheap fall family activities, and you\’ll be amazed at what you can do for so little! While most people are familiar with hand turkeys or hand cutout wreaths, you can also make things like salt dough leaf ornaments, tissue paper trees, painted pinecones, and fall leaf lanterns all with things found either outside or at your local discount store. For wearable crafts, you could customize t-shirts with fall-themed tie-dye colors, or stock up on orange, red, and brown beads to make stackable bracelets, necklaces, and earrings!

When it comes to picking out great inexpensive fall family crafts, the only real limit is your imagination.

6. Pick Apples at a Local Farm

If you don\’t have a pumpkin patch near you, an apple farm can make for another of the best cheap fall family activities. Kids will love being able to pick their own apples and bring them back home for a treat. You can even use the apples that you pick to make baked apples or caramel apples, tying this activity into your family cooking time.

Some apple farms also have additional activities for families. Things like petting zoos, corn mazes, pony rides, go-karts, jumping pillows, jungle gyms, and more can all be offered depending on which apple farm you choose to go to. And, if your local apple farm doesn\’t have everything you want, you might consider taking a weekend trip in an RV to one with more activities!

7. Decorate Your Home With Fall-Themed Decor

When thinking about cheap fall family activities, decorating your home together is always a great option to consider, and it can even tie into a few of these other activities. For instance, you can use the crafts that you make to help decorate your home and you can also use the pumpkins you pick from your local pumpkin patch.

Other ideas could include decking out your interior windows with fall-themed window clings or hanging orange lights around them to give them a warm glow in the evening. Fall wreaths, leaf garlands, and decorative accent pieces like signs, wall hangings, and small fall-themed ornaments can all help create a cozy seasonal atmosphere that the whole family can enjoy. You can even have everyone pick out decoration ideas so that everyone has a say in the decorating process.

8. Give Your Kids\’ Bedroom a Makeover

Another idea to consider when thinking about cheap fall family activities is working with your kids to update their rooms. For instance, if you have two kids sharing a room with kids bunk beds, you may consider adding curtains around each bed to give each one a secret hideout area. If you only have one child, this can also work by using a loft bed as a frame and putting their mattress on the bottom. Curtains can then be hung around the frame and lights can even be hung to create a cozy, comfortable space for your child to hang out.

Another great idea is re-painting their rooms in colors that they pick out themselves. While they may be too little to help a great deal, they can still add a few personal touches themselves and they\’ll love being able to decide on their own room colors. If you have two kids in one room, but each bed on separate sides, you can even paint the room two colors, dividing it down the middle for additional personalization. Couple this with some LED light stirps and some wall art that your kids pick out, and you\’ll give them a great space to call their own. (They may even start keeping it cleaner!)

9. Rent a Cabin for a Weekend

When it comes to cheap fall family activities, renting a cabin is a great idea to consider, especially if you want to get away but don\’t want to rent an RV. Weekend cabins are relatively inexpensive, and they can be a great change of pace that you and your kids will love. It\’s especially great if you\’re able to find a cabin surrounded by changing leaves so that you can experience all the beauty that fall has to offer.

Some cabins may also be situated along bodies of water that can provide you with even more opportunities for great activities. For instance, some may have piers where fishing boats can be launched, allowing you to spend time out on the water catching some fish and making some memories. If fishing isn\’t for you, even spending a day on the water relaxing and swimming can be something to consider.

Additionally, many cabins are also located near other activities, such as hiking, which can give you a great opportunity to see some amazing sights and take in the crisp fall weather.

10. Host a Neighborhood Movie Night In Your Own Backyard

Lastly, when considering cheap fall family activities, you may want to think about hosting your own neighborhood movie night if your backyard is large enough. A projector screen rental will allow you to bring home a screen large enough for everyone, and you won\’t even have to worry about breaking the bank by buying a screen outright. For seating, you can throw down some comfortable blankets on the grass, bring out some beanbags, pillows, or squishy ottomans. If you have one lying around, an inflatable mattress can also be used, especially if you just want to host a movie night for your family. This will ensure that everyone has a comfortable seating option that is much better than hard plastic lawn chairs.

Additionally, this doesn\’t have to be a one-and-done activity either. You could even consider doing it every other week until the weather turns cold, which can give you plenty of time to get to all of the movies your kids have been dying to see. For cooler nights, you can even whip up some hot chocolate to keep everyone warm and cozy.

If you are looking for inexpensive fall family activities, these are only 10 of many ideas that you should keep in mind. Many of these ideas can also be combined together or tweaked to meet your needs. For example, picking pumpkins together can give you pumpkins to use for crafts and home decorating. Creativity is key when it comes to making the most out of fall without breaking the bank, and fortunately, it isn\’t very hard to do!