Inexpensive Children’s activities for Fall

Fall is such a magical time to be a child! The leaves changing colors and the weather getting cooler provide many opportunities for fun and imaginative play indoors and out. These ideas for inexpensive children’s activities for fall will help get your creative juices flowing so you can keep your little one busy and happy!

Take back to school photos

Back to school time varies widely from place to place, but at some point in August or September school aged children will head back to the classroom. Make sure to take back to school photos, even if you only have your cell phone camera!

First day of school pictures are such a classic tradition and a great way to see how much your child has changed over the years.

Read a book

There’s nothing like curling up with a good book on a cool fall day! Help share the gift of reading with your children while teaching them about fall by selecting fall-themed book. Even the littlest members of your family can enjoy the season with one of these board books for toddlers about fall.

To help make the experience more enjoyable, especially for younger children, be animated with your reading. Make silly faces, different voices, or even hand gestures. It’s also okay to stop reading in order to discuss what’s happening or the pictures. These things can make reading a lot more fun for you and your child!

Take a walk

Walking is always good for your health and mood. Most young children love the outdoors, and fall is such a great time to explore! Fewer bugs and cooler temperatures make autumn the perfect season for a nature walk. Bring a basket along to gather pine ones, acorns, or leaves for crafts!

Feed the squirrels

People usually try to keep squirrels out of their bird feeders, but it can also be fun to feed the squirrels on purpose as they make their final preparations for winter. Put out a pile of bird seed or deer corn then watch from a window to see how many you attract!

Make your own Halloween costume

Making your own Halloween costumes is a great way to practice being creative and have some fun! There are so many DIY Halloween costume ideas on Pinterest - just head over and do a quick search! If making costumes with or for your kids feels a bit daunting, start with a homemade costume for your pet.

Decorate for Halloween

There are many easy, inexpensive Halloween decorations you can make with your children.

For example, you can save empty milk jugs to make ghost lanterns. Make sure the jugs are clean and dry, then use a permanent marker to draw ghosts or ghost faces on the jugs. Put holiday string lights inside for a light up ghost lantern!

It’s also easy to decorate with construction paper and craft foam. Simply cut them out in Halloween shapes, like ghosts, pumpkins, or witch hats. For more complicated shapes, look for free patterns like these printable bat templates. Use construction paper or cardstock for indoor decorations, craft foam for outdoor decorations. Punch a hole in the top of each cut out and string it up!

Footprint ghosts are another popular kid’s Halloween craft. Put white craft paint on your child’s foot, then press it in place on a piece of black paper. Once the paint is dry, use markers or black paint to draw on a ghost face.

Pick apples

If you live near a u-pick apple orchard, head out for some tasty fun picking apples! Freshly picked apples are so delicious and it provides a great learning opportunity for your children. Many children today are unaware of how food is grown and harvested. Visit a farm to make sure your kids know where food really comes from!

No matter how you decide to celebrate the fall season with your children, if you spend quality time with them, they’re sure to enjoy it!

Natasha is a certified high school history teacher and blogger at The Artisan Life where she shares her love of crafting and gratitude.