Ideas for Inexpensive Fall Family Fun

Fall is such a fun time of year. The colors, crisp air, and warm sunshine always make me happy! We’ve been going on a lot of wagon rides around our neighborhood lately and taking in the beauty of autumn. It seems like there are a lot of free events going on in the Denver area(which you can read about here). There are so many things you can do in your own home or neighborhood too that don’t cost much or are free.

I was thinking of fall activities to do with my family and thought I would share them with you. I don’t tend to plan a lot in the fall because I know December is always a busy month for us. I will do a post(or several) about our December traditions next month. Free and cheap family fun that celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, Jesus’ birth!

So-some of the things we will most likely do this fall are:

Pumpkin Carving- I make sure we do this every year! It was one of the first things my husband and I did together(picture below) and will always be a great reminder of when we first met(aww! ha!). Last year Peyton was around 18 months old so didn’t quite understand what we were doing. As you can see, he didn’t think too much of the gooey pumpkin filling! I’m excited to see his excitement this year!

Usually you can get pumpkins for around $3-5 dollars each. As the kids get older I will plan on purchasing the small ornamental pumpkins and let them paint those and save the larger pumpkin for the family to do together…that will help cut costs. We’ll see if the kid in my husband will agree!

Football games, fellowship, and food!-Fall is the best time for football games whether it be on tv, Invesco Field, your local high school team, or in your own backyard. I grew up with two older brothers and loved playing football with them(I always said I was going to play in highschool, all 5 feet of me!)

Football is the perfect excuse to invite some neighbors over and have some fun. You can make inexpensive appetizers and treats and enjoy each others company! Keep it simple and easy so it’s not stressful on the hostess. Some of our favorites are some type of chex mix(make your own or get some free this week at Albertsons), crackers and cheeseball(wheat thins and cream cheese were just on sale!), veggie platter, and some type of sweet treat.

Weiner Roast, Campfire, Bean Bag Toss, and other outdoor games-I was reading Better Homes and Gardens the other day and saw this great outdoor party. The lady used pumpkins(with flames carve into them and tealights inside each one) as the campfire. It looked amazing!

It’s the perfect time for a campfire, blankets, and a weiner roast. Turn on some music, get out the outdoor games, and have a good time! Again, keep it simple and only serve weiners, smores, and hot chocolate!

Take a walk and enjoy the beauty!-I love walking in the fall. There is something about the air that makes me want to stay out for as long as possible. I love bundling the kids up and getting out of the house. I think it’s mainly because I know the winter will be here soon and we won’t be outdoors quite as much.

Enjoy the crisp air and get some exercise-it’s free and beneficial to you and your family!

Rake leaves(don’t think of it as work!) and let the kids help(or play!)-Some days I long for the big, mature trees in my old neighborhood. Last yeare we had a ton of leaves, but this year they won’t be as plentiful….but that means less work! I think the two starter trees in our front yard will give us plenty of fall fun!

Rake up the leaves, let the kids jump in, and then clean them up for the year! The laughter of the kids will surely be worth the little bit of work raking leaves can be!

What fall activities do you enjoy doing as a family? Do you have any fall traditions?