Leaves falling, chilly air, and the smell of bomb fires. There is something about fall I absolutely love. It is such an amazing time of the year, end of summer and right before winter glorious times for families.
There is always so much to do. Apple orchards and pumpkin patchs are full bloom. Sometimes you find too many things to do and spend too much money. So today I wanted to share with you some free things you can do with your kids.
1. GO FOR A NATURE HIKE
Nothing gets better than enjoying nature with your children. Crisp air, bare tree’s and falling leaves take the kiddos on a nature hike around a local lake or a trail. Many neighborhoods have trails that might be right in your neighborhood. My kids love to pick up pretty colored leaves and pine cones or even sticks that they think look cool.
2. FALL CRAFTS WITH KIDS
Take the leaves, twigs or pinecones that the kids collected on your nature walk and have a craft session. Pull out the glue, glitter and anything else you have. Let the children create fun fall decorations. The kids enjoy making the crafts while you enjoy their works of art.
3. DECORATE YOUR HOME
Use the items the kids found on the nature hike and make fall displays. You and the kids can find ways to display them all around the house. If you don’t want to use those nature items you can look on Pinterest on free ways to decorate your home for fall and get the kids involved.
4. TAKE FAMILY PHOTO’S OUTSIDE
Take advantage of the colorful season of fall with the gorgeous backdrop of nature. Get everyone ready and find a local park or historic area that will make amazing photos. You can use your iphone or if you have a camera you can use the self-timer on it. You could even ask a family friend to come along and take the photos for you. Having those memories for free is priceless.
5. GO TO FREE WORKSHOP AT THE HOME DEPOT
The Home Depot stores offer free and creative workshops for children the first Saturday of the month all year round, the theme is different each month. Kids get their own craft set and instructions with glue and paint. It’s a fun way to spend a Saturday, they only have so many sets per location so ensure you arrive early to participate in the activity.
6. BUILD A SCARECROW
Gather some old clothes and get the kiddos and make scarecrows to decorate your yard. Take advantage of all those leaves you want the kids to help you rake up then you get to use them for stuffing the clothes. Make sure you and the kids jump in the leaves first, it wouldn’t be fall without enjoying those leaves. Then when you are done playing in the leaves see how nice the yard will look plus you will have your scarecrow décor.
7. HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT OUTSIDE
Hang a white sheet over your fence to create a big screen. Gather up a bunch of pillows and blankets for the crisp air and snuggle up and watch a movie outside. Creating memories like this your kids will love to talk about. Watch Charlie Brown’s “It’s the great Pumpkin” movie under the stars. You could make movie night each week outside for the month of October.
8. BUILD A CAMPFIRE & TELL STORIES
Gather up some firewood and build a campfire. Then sit outside by the homemade campfire and tell scary stories. Grab some blankets and a flashlight. Make it fun have one person start the story then let the next person continue telling the story.
Having fun in the fall and making memories with your kids doesn’t have to cost you anything. I would love to here things you do for free with your children in the fall.