Source: Life123.com

Check out these great, fun and cheap autumn activities for you and your family to enjoy:

1. Apple cider is its best during autumn, and when heated it makes a wonderful hot beverage to warm little bellies up after they’ve been playing in crisp weather.
2. Bundle up, as the weather is getting colder. Just to be silly, have a contest to see how many layers of clothes your kids can put on at a time. Prizes can also be given for how quickly they get their extra clothes on and off.
3. Corn roasts can be particularly wonderful in early autumn when conducted with fresh sweet corn over a barbecue grill.
4. Drive to a place where trees are plentiful, just to observe the turning of the leaves.
5. Every autumn, some birds fly south for the winter. Notice what types of birds live near you and look up whether they migrate or stay put. See if you recognize any other kinds of birds in transit, like Canada geese.
6. Figure out how many days there are in autumn by counting the days on the calendar between the first day of autumn and the first day of winter.
7. Go on a nature hike at a state park, and bring along some popcorn and warm apple cider in a thermos.
8. Hay-rides are often sponsored by nearby farms or community groups. Look for one and join in the fun.
9. In the mornings during autumn, you can often see your breath when you walk outside. Help your kids look up why this happens and ask them to explain it to you.
10. Jump in piles of raked leaves, but make sure the rake is somewhere else first.
11. Kandy Korn is a favorite autumn candy. Fill a large jar with Kandy Korn and have your kids guess the number of pieces in the jar. You will have to count them beforehand and keep people from eating any.
12. Leaf rubbings can be made with a crayon and a piece of paper placed over a leaf. The leaves you make can then be decorated and hung up as an autumn decoration as well as a teaching tool for helping your children learn the difference between different types of leaves.
13. Make pumpkin loaves with your kids to give to grandparents, teachers or others as a wonderful autumn treat. Those of you who don’t bake well can fool everyone with boxed mix.
14. Nobody likes a spoilsport. Many sports are active during autumn, so take your children to a local school’s sporting event, like a basketball or football game. Cheer for a team and explain the object and rules of the game.
15. Oranges, reds and browns are prevalent during autumn. Call out one of the color names and have your kids make a list of everything they can think of which is that color. The child with the most things on their list wins.
16. Potatoes are incredibly versatile. Make a list with your kids of every way you can think of to cook a potato, and then have them help you prepare potatoes in each way down the list.
17. Quite appropriate also is to make lists together of sights, sounds and smells associated with autumn and help each child develop their list into a poem that can be read to their class at school or before Thanksgiving dinner.
18. Read your kids a spooky story like “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” “The Telltale Heart” or a Goosebumps book. Then you can make puppets and act out the story for grandparents.
19. Scarecrows can be silly or scary. Build a scarecrow with your kids out of household items and put it in the yard.
20. Turn all your clocks back one hour on the appropriate day, and explain to your kids why we have daylight savings time. Ask them to figure out whether you get one hour more of sleep or one hour less of sleep during the autumn.
21. Use strips of colored construction paper to weave interesting placemats for Thanksgiving dinner.
22. Very soon it will be Halloween. Have your kids draw pictures of what costume they’d like to wear this year, or have them cut out pictures from magazines and make a collage of Halloween-themed things.
23. Weathervanes are often depicted on the tops of farmhouses or barns. Find a weathervane near where you live, point it out to the kids and explain why it’s there. Then with tape, scissors, tin foil, cut up pizza boxes and cardboard rolls that come from paper towels, try to make one together.
24. X-amine the animals around where you live and see how their behavior changes with the seasons. Make a list of the animals you see and how they prepare for and endure colder weather.
25. You could make garlands for your outside trees by stringing together popcorn, cranberries or paper designs. You could also make birdfeeder ornaments by putting peanut butter on pinecones and hanging them up. This way, you’ll help the birds and squirrels prepare for winter as well as have fun decorating trees.
26. Zzzzzzz. When the weather is cold outside, it is blissful and relaxing to hide under a big comforter and take an afternoon nap with your kids.

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Source: The Dollar Stretcher

Are you looking for some autumn activities for the whole family that won’t cost a mint? Are you racking your brain trying to come up with autumn family fun ideas suitable for your three-year-old, as well as your 12-year-old?

Autumn is a great time of year to get outside, take in the crisp fresh air, admire the beautiful foliage, and appreciate the mild weather while it’s still with us. What better time to make a family date and do the following fall-like activities:

• Visit an apple orchard and pick your own apples. You can make a day out of this by not only picking apples but packing a basket and finding the perfect spot for a family picnic. First, plan to also visit the orchard’s country store (if they have one) to pick up some apple cider or other fall treats to add to the picnic basket. Don’t forget to store apples in a cool, dark place when you get home. Later on, you can have fun making caramel apples and apple pies.
• Invite friends and family over to have a raking or yard cleanup party. Ask everyone to bring their favorite seasonal dish and have a potluck while you’re at it. (Of course, you’ll want to coordinate this aspect of the party, as you don’t want to end up with four dishes of homemade applesauce.) This is not only a great way to clean up and winterize your yard but have a fun get-together at the same time.
• Take a nature walk in the woods and point out interesting trees, plants, and wildlife. If you’re not up on the names of trees and plants, you can check a book out of the library that will serve as a guide. Encourage everyone to pick up leaves to press later on. They can make collages or all kinds of pictures and crafts from them. (One year for an autumn-themed birthday party, we used pressed leaves under a clear table covering for an impressive look.)
• Likewise, make a trip to the pumpkin patch and then bake your own pumpkin pies. This is great fun for the kiddies, and they’ll enjoy baking and eating the pumpkin seeds, too. It’s the perfect time to begin teaching little ones about cooking and measurements, as well.
• If the kids are a bit older, consider taking a longer hike. Make sure everyone has the proper clothing and footwear, as well as food, snacks and drinks. It’s a great way to commune with nature and get out in the open. It’s great exercise, too!
• Get together with friends for a once-a-month (or more) autumn potluck. Make a heaping batch of beef stew, chili, or your favorite big batch meal, and call several family friends to join you with side dishes. Next month, let someone else do the same, and keep it up. Just think, if you do it more often, say once every two weeks, that cuts down on cooking for everyone!
• Research museums in your area. Plan a day trip to one that you’ve never been to before. This is an especially helpful hint for those rainy weekends that creep up during the autumn months, and it’s educational. It can also lead to new interests and new field trips.
• If you live anywhere near a farm, arrange a hayride for your family and friends. Later, bring them back to the house for hot cider, popcorn, pumpkin pie, and any other fall goodies you can dream up.
• Find a local festival or fair. These are always fun for everyone with all the sights, food and activities to partake of and they are almost always on a weekend for your convenience.
• Check out school and church bazaars as early as October and November to find very affordable holiday gift items. You’ll be surprised at some of the terrific sales you’ll get at these holiday markets. The children will be so pleased when they can find items that will fit in their budget, plus it makes for a fun day for everyone.

Autumn goes so quickly, so be sure to make the most of it by getting out and participating in some of the above activities.

Take the Next Step:

Autumn is a wonderful time of year, but it passes quickly. Start making some plans now, so you’ll be ready when the leaves start to change and the temperature starts to drop. There are many wonderful things to do. Maybe you’ll want to try one of the above activities or ask around and see what’s available in your neck of the woods.