When the air starts to turn cool and the trees begin to change beautiful colors, there are so many ways to make the most of this season. Whether you’re hunting for the perfect pumpkin in a patch, carving jack-o-lanterns with the kids, or curling up for a cozy movie night, there’s something magical about this time of year. In this post, we are talking about affordable fun things to do in the fall. So let’s make some unforgettable fall memories!
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Free or cheap activities to do with your family this fall.
Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Visiting a pumpkin patch is one of the most classic ways to have fun in the fall, offering the perfect mix of fresh air, colorful scenery, and festive memories. Pumpkin patches can range from just a farm with pick your own pumpkins and fall produce for sale, all the way to fall festivals with corn mazes, activites, food trucks, and more! Picking your own pumpkins may be charged by the pound or just a flat fee per pumpkin. Depending on what is offered, a pumpkin patch may charge an admission fee that includes some activities.
Carve Pumpkins
After visiting a pumpkin patch, you can spend some time carving pumpkins with the family! Whether you are a pumpkin carving purist who sticks to the basic shapes or an artist who likes to go all out on their pumpkin, you may not need to spend any money other than getting your pumpkins! Grab some snacks for the family and dig in. Of course, if you want to go all out, there are pumpkin carving kits available! Here are some tips for getting the perfect carved pumpkin.
Go Hiking and View Fall Colors
I’m always a little sad when summer ends, but I do love the beauty of fall colors, especially in Minnesota. Going hiking and taking in the vibrant fall colors is one of the most refreshing and fun things to do in the fall, letting you thoroughly enjoy nature’s beauty. Explore Minnesota is an excellent resource for finding trails, state parks, campsites, and more! There are many excellent hiking trails in Minnesota. Here are some ideas for the best places for fall colors in Minnesota.
Go Apple Picking
Apple picking is another one of my favorite fall activities. Especially on a nice, warm fall day, I love going to the apple orchard, walking or riding the wagon out to the apple trees, and hunting for the perfect apples. The apple orchards I have been to are typically free to enter, and then you purchase a bag for a flat fee and fill it as full as you can with apples. Depending on the apple orchard, additional activities may be available, along with bakery goods, crafts, decor, and other food for sale. Here is a guide to some of the apple orchards in Minnesota!
Bake a Pie or Apple Crisp
Once you have all of your apples, I love to make apple crisp, and some may love to make apple pie or other apple recipes. Baking a homemade pie or warm apple crisp is one of the coziest, fun things to do in the fall, filling your home with all the smells of fall. I love that you can make a large batch of apple crisp and freeze it for later to make at home or to give to friends or family. Baking together is an easy, fun, and relatively cheap activity that you can do with your whole family.
Have a Campfire
I absolutely love campfires in the fall. The evenings are starting to get colder, and there is nothing better than cozying up in a sweatshirt and comfy pants, warming yourself by a campfire while sipping a warm beverage or roasting marshmallows. Even if you don’t have a fire pit, there are a lot of options for small portable fire pits and fire tables, so even if you don’t want to, or aren’t allowed to build your own fire, you can still enjoy a gas fire pit.
Make Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin bread is one of my favorite go-to fall recipes. My mom has been making it my whole life, and I think she learned it from her mom. I don’t go crazy for pumpkin-spiced everything once fall hits, but pumpkin bread is definitely a must. The pumpkin bread recipe I love makes three loaves, so have a baking day with your family and deliver a loaf to your neighbors or family!
Have a Movie Night
I’m a big fan of spending as much time outdoors as possible when it is warm, even into the evenings, but when the temperature starts to cool down, that is the perfect time for a movie night with your family. Having a cozy movie night with blankets, popcorn, and your favorite fall movies is one of the simplest and most fun things to do in the fall. Make some popcorn, grab some candy or your other favorite snacks, and settle in for a fun movie night.
Have a Football Watching Party With Snacks
Honestly, even if you aren’t a huge football fan, I love getting together with friends and eating snacks! You can plan a gathering with some easy appetizers, or have everyone bring their favorite game-day snack to share. The best thing I have learned is to invite people, make it casual, don’t stress about your home, and just enjoy yourself. Your friends will appreciate being asked, and you will be happy you did!
Go For A Drive To See Fall Colors
You may not always be able to go for a hike, so I equally love going for a drive to see the beautiful fall colors. Going for a scenic drive to admire the changing leaves is one of the most relaxing and fun things to do in the fall, perfect for soaking up the season’s beauty. Minnesota has a couple of different scenic byways you can travel to get the best views. Pack a picnic lunch for your family and find a place to stop and enjoy it together!
Check Your Local Community Ed Catalogue
Community Ed Catalogues are full of activities and classes that are usually on the more affordable end. The catalogue in my area is published three times a year: fall, spring, and summer. These will let you know about special events in your community that are typically geared toward families or classes you might want to sign up for yourself or your kids.
Visit Your Local Museum or Historical Society
Visiting a museum or historical society is another fun activity during fall or colder weather. Some museums or historical societies may be free to enter or ask for a small donation. Other larger museums may have admission fees. Depending on the type of museum you visit, it may offer hands-on activities for the whole family.
Have A Hot Chocolate Bar
Another fun activity to do at home in the colder weather is to set up a hot chocolate bar! You can make homemade hot chocolate or use a hot chocolate mix, with a variety of toppings or mix-ins, plus a few snacks, and let the family build their own. This could also be a great addition to your movie or game night!
Volunteer With Your Family Packing or Serving Meals
I’ve had the opportunity to pack meals with Feed My Starving Children, and I always really enjoy it. We have done it as a family as well, and it is a great family bonding activity. Second Harvest Heartland is another excellent place to volunteer. I am working on a guide of places to volunteer in the Twin Cities.
Make One of These Recipes With Your Leftover Halloween Candy
Take a look at my roundup of Recipes for Halloween Candy and bake up some sweet treats with your family using any of your leftover Halloween candy, or buy some of the candy on clearance at the end of October!
Visit Your Local State Parks Website to Look for Events Happening
If you visit your State Parks website, you’ll find activities listed, including nature walks, campfires, geocaching, guided tours, wildlife watching, stargazing, teaching outdoor skills, and more. Most of these activities are free to you and your family.
Make Some DIY Fall Decor
Find some fall crafts to do with your family and DIY your fall decor! This is a great way to decorate for fall, but maybe save some money and have a fun family activity. There are tons of DIY Fall Craft ideas on Pinterest, and I also plan to do a DIY Fall Decorations Roundup post soon! Sign up for my email list to be notified about new posts.
Make Some Spiced Apple Cider
I love making Spiced Apple Cider during the fall. You can simmer it on the stove and fill your whole house with a good smell. This would be a great addition to your bonfire or movie nights. You could also throw some in a thermos and bring them along on your fall color viewing!
Have a Game Night
Family Game Nights are another budget-friendly family activity once the weather cools down! If you don’t have any board games on hand, you can play card games or even something like charades.
Take Free Crafting Classes at Michaels or Joann Fabrics
Michael’s offers free events where you can learn and make something to take home! They also offer online courses to learn everything from sewing to painting with acrylics. There are free and paid classes, from beginner to expert! Joann Fabrics also offers digital courses on everything you could want to learn, from jewelry to food to art and design. They also offer free classes and an unlimited monthly subscription through Creativebug. Get creative with your family when the weather gets cold!
Participate in Free Workshops at Lowe’s or Home Depot
Lowe’s offers in-store workshops, live streams, and on-demand content that are great for the whole family. Create a fun project or learn something new! Check the calendar regularly for upcoming events at your local Lowe’s and to register. Home Depot offers virtual and in-person workshops for kids on the first Saturday of each month. If you are unable to make the workshops, you can also pick up a free kids workshop kit or order online while supplies last! This is a great way to save some money while doing some fun activites.
Make A Tie Blanket
Making a tie blanket isn’t really cheap, but it is a fun activity! You can also look for fabric on sale or clearance at your local fabric store to make it more affordable. Decide how large you want your blanket to be. Get two pieces of fleece in the size you want; 2 1/2 to 3 yards each make a good twin-size blanket. We like to get two complementary designs or colors, like a design on one side and a color on the other, so the blanket is reversible but different on each side. Using a ruler, cut a 3-inch square from each corner, then cut strips about 1 inch wide and 3 inches long from the fabric all the way around. Then tie the strips of the two different fleece pieces together all around the blanket!
Hopefully, this post gives you some great ideas for activities to do with your family during the fall or even winter. Let me know if you try any of these ideas by shooting me a message on Instagram, joining my VIP Facebook Group, or letting me know what you like to do with your family. Pin this post to Pinterest so you can refer back to it for ideas!
