Next week is officially the beginning of autumn, which means it’s time to start planning all of the fun you can have with your family this season. Although keeping entertained during the autumn months can be relatively tough on the budget, there’s lots of ways to work around the cool weather to have some frugal fun. Between natural wonders and inexpensive indoor activities, you’re sure to find the perfect way to keep everyone happy during this transitional season. So, get out your planning book and check out these family friendly activities that will keep the entire household as busy as a bee no matter what the weather looks like.
1. Go Harvesting
One of the best things about autumn is there are so many harvests going on. Apple orchards, pumpkin patches and vineyards are all ready for the pickings. Luckily, many farms, vineyards and orchards are willing to open up their doors to allow people to enjoy their harvest. Generally, there is an admission fee if there are activities going on, so you may want to plan around this if you’re trying to save money. However, the activities are usually on the cheap side and can provide an entire day, or weekend, of fun for the whole family. Pricing tends to be a bit different depending on the harvest too. For instance, if you’re planning on going to an orchard then you will probably get the option to pay for the items you buy based on weight. Of course, even the smaller bushel options will leave you with a lot of apples, which will cut down on your grocery bill and will allow you to make some delicious treats for the whole family. Pumpkin patches usually require you to pay by pumpkin, so if you’re looking to save money then set restrictions with the kids before they choose the biggest pumpkin they see. Of course, this will also allow you to serve some treats if you make sure to hold on to the inside of the pumpkins when you make your jack-o-lantern. Last but not least, vineyards tend to be a bit pricier and more adult friendly, due to wine tasting, but you should still be able to get the kids to pick an abundance of grapes at a great price. They may even have the opportunity to squish grapes for juice or wine.
2. Scavenger Hunt
Autumn is a great time to come up with a scavenger hunt for kids of all ages. There’s lot of leaves falling and animals scurrying about, which proves to make great tasks for kids to find and identify. If you can, create a broad list so that kids can enjoy working on their scavenger hunt throughout the season. Of course, you should also organize hikes and nature walks to help them out. When they bring home their items, such as leaves, twigs and rocks, make sure to provide them with the resources they need to identify the items. These can easily be found online and will help get your child on the right track when it comes to learning how to research. You can even save some of the items for crafting later on, which will kill two birds with one stone. If you’re not sure how to plan out your scavenger hunt there’s plenty of pre-made lists online that can be customized by your region. You can even find ideas for children that are very young. This idea is prefect for homeschoolers too!
3. Invent a Game
When it comes to bonding, nothing works quite like brainstorming. This autumn, you should gather up the family and have everyone work together to invent a family game. Everyone can pitch in ideas for rules and strategies, which will make the game feel like a tradition in the making. The game can be based around indoor or outdoor recreation, so you can work around the weather in your region. Board games are some of the more challenging games to invent, but they can still be very inexpensive. With a little poster board, index cards and buttons, you should have everything you need to craft the game. Trivia games are also lots of fun and will allow each family member to put in their expertise, so everyone can learn more about each other. Of course, keeping active is also important, so you might want to think of games that can be played indoors or outdoors that can keep the family moving. These can range from dance offs to games that use balls or nets. The object is to create a strong team, which will ensure your family will be able to stick together and have some fun.
4. DIY Costumes
Halloween is rapidly approaching, which means it’s time to start thinking about this year’s costume. Sure, buying the costumes may be easier, but it certainly won’t save money. Not to mention, there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of presenting your own costume that you put a lot of work into. So, next time the weather warrants a day inside, you may want to start brainstorming ideas. You can even look around the house to see if you can plan something out of the items you already have lying around the house. If not, then thrift stores and discount craft shops should help you find your way to the perfect costume. Plus, if you start your projects very early, you’ll be able to add more to the design, which may even earn your costume a few awards.
5. Go to A Festival
Autumn is the perfect time to get together with friends and family and enjoy one of the numerous festivals. From harvests and homecoming to Halloween and Thanksgiving, there’s a good chance you’ll find a festival every few weeks that you can enjoy. Many community ran festivals are low cost, which makes them a great option to enjoy yourself on the weekend. Some may even be free, especially when it comes to holiday fun. If you really want to get involved in your community then you could even volunteer to run a booth or help out with organizing the event. Generally, these festivals are filled with music and games. Of course, it is hard to forget one of the most iconic festivals of the season, Oktoberfest. Although many of these festivals aren’t family friend there are some that cater to a family environment, which would be a great way to teach the household about cultural elements while enjoying some delicious food.
6. Start a Thankful Cornucopia
Autumn definitely brings an abundance of reasons for appreciation and happiness. From the cooler weather to warm holidays shared with friends and family, this season is sure to bring a lot of reasons to be thankful to mind. Thus, you may want to work with your family to start your Thankful Cornucopia a bit early. If you’ve never made one before then you’re in for a real treat. Basically, you gather up supplies to make a special cornucopia. This can be made from paper mache, recycled material, clay, or even can be weaved. If your family is up for the task, everyone can even make their own individual cornucopias. These items make perfect decorations for the season, so you’ll even be able to save on how much you spend on seasonal décor. When the cornucopias are made to your standard, the family can place a thank you message into it whenever something pops into their head. When Thanksgiving rolls around, the cornucopia can be passed around as each person draws out a slip of paper and reads it aloud.
7. Bake
Would it truly be autumn without turning up the heat on the oven and giving in to your sweet tooth? I didn’t think so! So, why not let this autumn be the perfect time for you to teach the kids how to whip up some of their favorite treats. Of course, you should always organize the tasks based on age and maturity level, but as long as you keep a close eye on things, you can easily have everyone in the kitchen helping out with something special. If you’re feeling ambitious, you and your kids can come up with your own special recipe. This will help everyone bond together as you work to try out new flavors and combinations. You never know, you may just create the next household favorite. Of course, you can also begin plans for baking items for holiday gifts. Pies can easily be frozen, so you can bake in bulk for Thanksgiving dinner. Also, with all of the baking going on, you shouldn’t have to keep the heat in your home turned up, which will cut down on some of your heating costs.
8. Start a Book Club
Curling up with a book on a cold and blustering day is certainly rewarding, so why not share the joy with friends and family. If you’re feeling a bit bored during the season then see if anyone wants to join you for a book club. It doesn’t matter if they’re near or far because you can always use social media to organize meetings and discussions. If you’re not into organizing everything then your community should have a lot of book clubs to choose from. Of course, you don’t have to begin a book club outside of the house. Instead, you can begin one with your family. Simply have each member pick a book and gather once a month to share the story. You may even use a reward system to get the kids on board, so they will develop a taste for leisure reading.
9. Celebrate Leaves
If there’s one thing that autumn has a lot of, it’s definitely leaves. So, why not use this to your advantage. You can print out a list of leaves from your region and have everyone in the household collect one of each. The person that wins can get a special prize. Or, you can use all of the leaves in your yard to get crafty. There’s tons of things you can make with them, which will save you money and reduce the amount of raking you have to do. For starters, a reef or banner made out of leaves is always a great way to spice up your autumn décor. You may also want to spray paint your leaves golden or silver and hang them from the ceiling. If you’re looking to make gifts then consider adding leaves to a candle or pressing painted or preserved leaves between two pieces of glasses. There’s lots of crafts to try out, so browse around until something strikes your fancy!
10. Walk
When it comes to walking, there’s no better season than autumn. Sure, you may get sprinkled on every now and then, but that’s nothing rain boots and an umbrella can’t solve. Walking is one of the best ways to keep fit too, especially as the snow and icy months rapidly approach. This will allow you to get a better start to the cold and flu season as well, because walking will help boost your immune system. You only have to schedule walks for 30 minutes to an hour a day to keep up with your health, but you could also plan the walk to last a couple of hours as you try out new paths. Try taking a camera or your favorite music along to make things even more fun.
Autumn is a great time to have fun and feel amazing about your life and Mother Nature. With these simple activities, you should be able to have some fun while keeping on a tight budget. This will ensure you’re able to spend more time with your loved ones without the added financial stress!
