kids jumping in leaves

50 Frugal Fall Activities for Kids

Fall is a great time to reign in your spending and to give your budget a breather before the holiday season gets into full swing. That doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice the fun, though!

Keep the kids busy with fun fall activities, crafts, and outdoor ideas. They’re cheap, easy, and allow kids to enjoy the beauty of autumn.

Here are 50 frugal fall activities for kids to enjoy:

  1. Send kids on a fall-themed scavenger hunt
  2. Make leaf impressions with crayons & paper
  3. Pick out spooky storybooks from the library
  4. Make tissue ghosts
  5. Paint mini pumpkins
  6. Decorate pumpkins with stickers, rhinestones, and glitter
  7. Paint by rolling corn cobs
  8. Go “camping” in the backyard
  9. Check out a local fall festival
  10. Collect pinecones and acorns
  11. Make bird feeders with toilet paper rolls, peanut butter, and seeds
  12. Draw pumpkins with sidewalk chalk
  13. Rent favorite family-friendly Halloween movies and have a weekly movie night
  14. Take a walk in a park to do some local leaf peeping
  15. Make s’mores around a fire pit
  16. DIY a scarecrow with old clothes and newspaper
  17. Spend an afternoon on a family bike ride
  18. Lay a blanket in the backyard for an afternoon of outdoor reading
  19. Have a warm apple cider tea party
  20. Write a “gratefulness” list or start a gratitude journal
  21. Make up ghost stories to tell after dark
  22. Jump in a pile of leaves
  23. Taste different types of apples
  24. Use found leaves to make a fall wreath
  25. Make a ghost footprint
  26. Make homemade caramel or chocolate covered apples
  27. Bake a fall treat from scratch
  28. For older kids-volunteer to rake leaves for neighbors
  29. Paint rocks & stones as jack-o-lanterns
  30. Choose ingredients to make a fall-flavored trail mix
  31. Give kids a camera and have them photograph their favorite fall finds outside
  32. Set up a blanket fort and have a cozy game night
  33. Make a suncatcher with autumn colored tissue paper
  34. Plan Halloween party games
  35. Have kids help decorate the home for fall
  36. Explore somewhere new and nearby on foot
  37. Check out a local football game
  38. Take the little ones out on a wagon ride around the neighborhood
  39. Make paper plate pumpkins
  40. Enjoy the crisp, fresh air at a favorite park
  41. Use ingredients from the kitchen to create “magic potions”
  42. Send kids outside with blank paper to draw or write what they see
  43. Watch the sunset with warm cider or hot chocolate
  44. Toast pumpkin seeds
  45. Wander around the local farmer’s market
  46. Brainstorm ideas for DIY Halloween costumes
  47. Sign up for a local trunk or treat event
  48. Have kids help clear out the summer garden
  49. Plant bulbs for spring blooms
  50. Bundle up and have a fall-flavored picnic

Want more kids activities and ideas?

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