Guest Post: Fall Activities for Your Family

With the passing of the first day of fall, I was thinking about how much I love watching the trees turn colors! Here is a great post written by Meghan at Savvy Spending about fall activities for your family.

It's that time of year- the air is turning crisp, the leaves are changing colors, and the days are getting shorter. Are you wanting to take advantage of the beautiful Fall weather before winter comes roaring in? Here are some Fun (and mostly free) Fall activities to try:

1) Go apple picking! Visit an apple orchard and pick some apples. Then you can use these to make a whole bunch of yummy treats:

Apple Crisps (we made these last week and couldn't stop eating them): Core apples (and peel if you desire) and cut into thin slices. Place them on a baking sheet and cook at 250 degrees for one hour. They'll be a little bit crunchy and a little bit chewy- a mix between dried fruit and a fruit snack!

Apple pie: You'll need:
2 9-inch pie crusts (one for the top crust, one for the bottom crust)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash of salt
2 tablespoons butter
6 cups thinly sliced and cored apple

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, and salt. Stir in the apples.
3. Place into pie crust, dot with butter. Cover with top crust, and slit evenly to let steam escape. Seal the top crust to the bottom by pinching the edges together.
3. Cover edge of the crust with a three inch strip of aluminum foil.
4. Bake 40-50 minutes, until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through top.

Caramel Apples: Place 6 apples in the fridge overnight. Push craft sticks into the tops. You'll need to melt 1 package (14 oz) of individually wrapped caramels with 2 Tablespoons Milk in the microwave. Heat in the microwave for 2 minutes, stirring once. Allow to cool a bit. Then, dip and twirl the apples in the caramel sauce until coated. You can also top with nuts, Oreos pieces, sprinkles, graham cracker pieces, etc. Place on wax paper or buttered baking sheet to set. You could also place them back in the fridge to set.

2) Go on a hike: Visit a local state park or your city's walking trail. Look for pinecones to use to make a craft- you can turn them into Christmas ornaments with a little glitter glue or place in a large bowl for a pretty display.


3) Rake the leaves and play: You can have a jumping contest (parents- you can play too!) and then use the leaves to make your own scarecrow! Use an old shirt, sweats, pantyhose for the face, and stick for arms, and a hat to create your own lawn decor!

4) Have a picnic and game night: Now that it isn't as hot, take dinner outside and enjoy the cooler weather. Pack a picnic dinner and bring a game with you- frisbee, a board game, charades, etc.

5) Make Leaf Art: Go for a walk and find some colorful leaves. Then turn them into artwork you can display in your house. Go here to read how to do this.

6) Go the the Cider Mill: We have a few in our area, but our favorite has free admission, a free small petting farm, and lots of photo ops. You can pay a small price for a wagon ride, but this is a great way to spend some time outside with your family.

7) Have a bonfire: This may be your last chance until next summer. Roast hot dogs and s'mores over the fire. If you don't have a fire pit, ask a friend who does if you can use theirs (and share the goodies with them.)

8) Visit your neighbors. I love to bake in the fall, and most of my favorite recipes make more than enough for us. Make a big batch of banana bread, pumpkin muffins, or lasagna, and take some to your neighbors. If you're like me, you won't see as much of them in the winter as you did in the summer!
You could also visit the elderly at a nursing home or some shut in's from your church.

9) Go to a game: Now that school is back in session, go see a local high school football game, soccer match, or volleyball game. Root for your home team and then treat yourself to some yummy hot chocolate after the game!

10) Squeeze in some summer fun: Did you not get something checked off your summer "things to do" list? A trip to the zoo would be less crowded now. Some museums offer discounted rates on certain days. Your local Parks and Rec department probably offers some neat classes or fall events for free or cheap. If you never made it to the beach, you could still go in the fall. The weather may be too cool to swim, but you can collect shells and build castles. Ask your family what one thing they wished you had done over the summer and try to get it done this fall!

What are your ideas for frugal fun fall family activities?