Families can enjoy many activities at orchards and pumpkin patches, including corn mazes. Image by Angela K. Severn.
Autumn brings so many free and low-cost events to take advantage of! Below I’ve outlined my top three budget-friendly family activities to do this fall.
1. Pumpkin Patches and Apple Orchards
Most of these places have you-pick pumpkins, plus hayrides, farm animals to pet, corn mazes and don’t forget the donuts and hot apple cider!
Keep in mind that many of these places offer free or discounted admission, but the activities and food costs are additional, so to keep costs low, pack snacks or a picnic lunch.
Dress warm and spend the day outside with the family at one of your local patches or orchards; the state-by-state directories on PumpkinPatchesAndMore.com and PickYourOwn.org can help you find one.
2. Harvest Festivals
Most cities hold these festivals in late September and throughout October with activities such as arts and crafts, live entertainment, face painting, clowns and bounce houses for kids.
You can often score some really good food at these festivals when they have their chili cook-offs, homemade pie tastings or Oktoberfest fare for sale!
Check your local community calendars for upcoming events.
Nature bike rides and walks are a fun and healthy activity families can enjoy while the brisk fall weather lasts. Image by Shanita Brown for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
3. Nature Hikes and Bike Rides
Who doesn’t love the changing colors of the leaves in Autumn?
I know not all of you live in an area where the changing of the seasons is as dramatic as it is here in the Midwest, but for those of you that do, take advantage of this time to go exploring.
Find a local bike or hiking trail–sites like TrailLink.com and Trails.com can help–and take the kids to see the trees, leaves and wildlife before hibernation sets in.
Take pictures of everything your kids have found and later you can make a photo book to help them remember what they learned about the great outdoors.
Keep in mind, my oldest daughter is four years old and the twins are only two, so your family’s interests might differ from mine.
To help you brainstorm more fun ideas, I suggest checking out CouponCabin’s Local coupons section then choosing the Travel category and the Scenic & Sightseeing sub-category to find outdoor offers in your city, neighborhood or individual zip code.
In addition to the local coupon section, keep an eye out on the CouponCabin Newsflash blog for the newest seasonal offers and freebies!
