6 Fun Cheap Family Activities

By Jeff Bogle

Nov 10, 2021

Check out these 6 cheap family activities that’ll make your fall weekends fun and prove that having fun doesn’t need to cost a lot of money!

You might still be paying off the school supplies bill as well as the new school year photo package you just had to buy, so maybe you’re in the market for a slew of cheap family activities to keep you and your kids busy this fall. Well, you’re in luck! Check out these 6 cheap or free family activities perfect for spending time together outside this fall.

Take a Nature Bingo Walk

Combing physical activity and outdoor experience, a nature bingo walk is one of the most fun cheap family activities. Using scrap paper, a marker, and either your own drawing ability or scissors, glue and printed images from the web (think: pinecones, colorful leaves, pumpkins, and crabapples) make a set of several different nature bingo sheets for you and your kids. Then head out for a walk and see who wins nature bingo!

Visit an Apple Orchard and Make Applesauce

Picking your own apples at a local farm on a crisp, cool Autumn day, then making your own applesauce at home, is one of the most memorable cheap fun activities to do with family in fall. And doing so is easy, with just some boiling water, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and cinnamon (if you wish) needed! Mash or blend to you and your kids’ desired smoothness and you’ve got the start of a delicious cheap family activity tradition!

Make Fall Leaf Crafts

There are a myriad of fun cheap activities that make crafty use the colorful fall leaves that are abundant during this time of year. Check out even more ways you ways to use autumn leaves with these outdoor fall leaf activities for kids.

Fall Fishing

An early morning or late afternoon spent with your line in the water, alongside your children, is easily one of the greatest cheap activities to do with your family outdoors in the fall. There may be some out-of-pocket costs involved in fishing. Here’s what you need to know about fishing costs, but before you head to your favorite local spot as a family, review these 7 tips for fishing with kids.

Autumn Camping

Sleeping under the stars and making s’mores is just the start of what makes camping in the fall so much fun. But don’t pack up the tent and your kids just yet! Be sure to consult our fall camping checklist first to make sure you’ve got every-thing you need to enjoy one of the coolest cheap family activities.

Play a Game of Football or a Futbol Match

Spend a few hours outside in the local park or in your own yard with an American football or a soccer ball to play some futbol this fall! It doesn’t cost anything to play catch or have a kickabout with your kids, so if cheap or free family activi-ties are what you’re after, a game of sport awaits this fall!

It doesn’t cost a lot of money to connect with your tweens either — here are 5 fun things to do on weekends to strength-en the bond you have with your kids.

Jeff Bogle
Jeff Bogle
Jeff is a dad of teen daughters, avid traveler, photographer, and freelance writer. He’s penned stories on family travel, outdoor recreation, the environment, parenting, and more for Fodor’s, Reader’s Digest, Parents Magazine, Good Housekeeping, PBS, and Esquire, among other publications. Find him on his blog, OWTK.com and on Instagram @OWTK. Jeff is also the publisher of the quarterly literary zine, Stanchion