It’s hard to believe, but fall is officially here. Depending on where you live, it has likely been a long and hot summer. While going on summer vacation is a rite of passage for many families, enjoying the fall and all it brings can be equally lovely.
The leaves are changing color and the holidays are just around the corner, which provides ample opportunity to do fun things together as a family. The problem is that many fall activities can have a steep cost associated with them. If you’re looking for ways to have fun this fall, these tips should help.
Avoid Pumpkin Amusement Parks
With Halloween being right around the corner, many families want to get pumpkins and decorate their homes for the holiday. In order to help meet that desire, a host of popular pumpkin amusement parks have sprung up. These are generally farms that convert to a quasi-amusement park offering rides, events for children and different types of fair-type food. While they can provide fun, they come at a steep price, as it often costs $10 to 15 simply for admission.
If the desire is solely to get a pumpkin, there are many other options to consider, such as growing your own pumpkins, buying them at the grocery store or checking around local farms to see what they charge. There might be other local farmers looking to unload their crop of pumpkins, too.
While you may miss out on the experience that amusement parks provide, it is possible to recreate many other fun family experiences for a fraction of the price.
Enjoy Football
Few things scream fall more than football. Whatever skill level of football you prefer, there are ample opportunities to scratch the itch you’ve had for football all summer in the fall. Many people like to go to live games during the fall; the only problem is that can be quite costly if they’re major college or professional games.
Cheaper alternatives come when you live near a local high school or community college, as they can provide a frugal live football option. Many high schools and community colleges charge either nothing or less than $10 to attend their games. If weather and school policy permits, tailgating can even be thrown in as an option to get the true football fan experience.
Go for a Hike
A popular past time for many during the fall is to enjoy the leaves changing color. If weather permits, a great way to do this is to enjoy a hike as a family. The distance can vary, of course, but going for a hike most likely will be free and can be a great way to spend time with friends or family. Adding a picnic lunch or dinner in can make it into an enjoyable afternoon or early evening for little cost.
The fun doesn’t have to stop there either. After you come home from the hike, end it with a movie night at home, bake a warm apple pie together or enjoy some other fall treat. Not only will this provide for more fun together, but it will also be cheaper than buying something from the store.
Have a Backyard Festival
Part of the fun of the pumpkin amusement parks is that it’s like going to an actual amusement park. While they can be fun, which is why they’re popular, many of the same activities can be re-created at your or a friends’ home for a fraction of the cost. Brainstorm with some of your friends the activities you’d like to include and plan a date to hold the festival together. They can be things such as pumpkin or face painting, a scavenger hunt, bobbing for apples or sack races.
Really, the sky is the limit. Add to the fun with small prizes for the children for some of the events. By doing this with a number of families, the cost can be spread among all involved to help lower the overall cost.
There can be many ways to enjoy time together as a family during the fall. If you’re wise about it, many of those things can be done fairly frugally without compromising on the fun.
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4 Fun Fall Activities That Won’t Break the Bank originally appeared on usnews.com
