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It’s the perfect time of year to seek out some fall bucket list family time! As soon as we start to feel cooler weather, it’s time to bust out the cozy sweaters and brainstorm all the fun fall activities to do as a family this season. Grab this free printable autumn bucket list by filling out the form below and check off all the fun things that make fall everyone’s favorite season!
Around here, we love fall most of all. That’s why I get so excited to hunt down all the best fall bucket list ideas for families every year. Creating a fall family bucket list is a fun way to make sure you check off all of your best fall ideas. It’s also a great way to make sure you include all of your favorite fall activities in the budget, so you don’t go too crazy as the crisp air and fall foliage starts to show up.
When the weather cools down, there are so many more options for cheap and easy activities that you can do with your family. Right now, we are hiding out from the triple digit Texas heat, but hopeful that the cool weather is right around the corner.
I can’t wait to start the fall fun! If you’re looking for the ultimate fall bucket list for your family, then this is the list for you! It wouldn’t be a fall bucket list without a festive free printable, so I’ve included that for you! Make sure to fill out the form at the bottom of this page to get your FREE printable fall bucket list delivered to your inbox. Hooray! Bring on the fall fun!
40 Family Fall Bucket List Ideas
Check out these 40 fall bucket list family ideas and make sure to scroll to the bottom to grab the free PDF printable bucket list to inspire you all season long!
Go on a Hay Ride
Is there anything more fun than riding around with the family on a bale of hay? You can usually find hay rides at local pumpkin patches during the harvest season.
Visit all the Pumpkin Patches in your area
Most local farms and even some churches and schools offer pumpkin picking this time of year. It’s one of our favorite activities! If you’re local to DFW you can find our favorite pumpkin patches here. It’s usually pretty easy to find a great place on Google or asking in your local neighborhood Facebook groups.
Roast marshmallows and make s’mores
Whether you fire up a large bonfire out back, or use a fun indoor s’more maker, there are several ways that you can roast marshmallows and make s’mores right at home!
Camp out with a bonfire
If you’re the outdoorsy type, take the whole family camping! It’s the best season to head to a local park (as long as camping is allowed) and set up a tent for some extra quality time with your family members.
Decorate Pumpkins
One of the most popular and fun activities to do in the autumn season is to decorate pumpkins! Pick the best pumpkins you can find, and gather the family to decorate, carve, and paint then use them to get your home in a spooky mood for fall.
Create a fall craft with the whole family
A favorite fall tradition is to create handprint and footprint art with a fall theme using your kids growing hands and feet! It’s so fun to look back on each year and see how much they’ve grown in the last year.
Attend a fall festival or haunted house
There are usually a plethora of outdoor festivals and haunted houses as the fall months roll around. Make sure to check events in your town, your church bulletin, and PTA sponsored events at your school so you don’t forget any fun (and possibly free) events for the family.
Go Trick or Treating
An obvious fall bucket list item is dressing up your family in the cutest costumes and heading out for a fun night of trick or treating. If you don’t have small children, make it an event to get into the spirit and hand out candy.
Construct DIY Halloween Costumes
If you’re on a budget this fall, get the family together and have a DIY costume party! You don’t need to spend a ton of money to have the best halloween costume each year. Bonus points if you pick a family theme for your costume! We do it every year!
Go Apple Picking at an apple orchard
Find a local orchard and see if they allow apple picking. Many apple orchards will also have fun gift shops where you can get a fresh apple pie or a jug of spicy apple cider.
Drink Apple cider
Gather up the family for a warm cup of apple cider and a spooky movie.
Brew up some Hot Chocolate
When the temperature drops my kids immediately start asking for me to make them hot chocolate after school. I love this tea kettle to heat up the water quickly, and it makes it easier to make several cups without having to microwave individual cups.
Make Apple Pie or caramel apples
When crisp fall apples are in season, that’s when a warm apple pie tastes best! Round up the crew for a fun baking session, or slice up some apples and have fun creating the cutest caramel apples with sprinkles, chocolate chips, and more like these here.
Visit a corn maze
You can usually find a fun corn maze at any local pumpkin patch during the fall season.
Plan a road trip to a National park or “staycation”
A family road trip can be a great way to bond and can be a very budget friendly vacation if planned well.
Watch a scary movie or a family friendly Halloween Movie
Make sure to grab this halloween movie bucket list so you can check them off as you cozy up and watch them with your family in matching pajamas!
Make a homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte
If you’re as “basic” as me, then you’ll definitely want to try making your very own pumpkin spice lattes this season. It’s much more budget friendly to try making them at home, and just as delicious!
Halloween Popcorn with candy corn for the neighbors
This halloween popcorn recipe is indulgent, fun, and easy to make in a big batch! Take a few bags around to get to know your neighbors, or make a huge bowl for your next spooky movie night.
Stop by the Library for Halloween Books
A fun way to encourage reading for your little ones is to head to the library and pick out a few seasonal books. You can even use them to decorate the playroom if you place the ones with the cutest covers on your bookshelf.
Shop the Dollar Store for a frugal DIY Decorating Challenge
I’m always surprised at the high quality holiday decor items tucked away at the dollar store. In fact, I have a couple of easy Halloween wreath tutorials using dollar tree items that you’ll love. Check out this witch wreath and bat wreath that can be made for less than 5 bucks!
Take the kids to a local farm
Put on some overalls and head to a local farm or petting zoo to allow your kids to interact with animals or see how the food we eat is grown.
Bake Pumpkin Pie
You’ll definitely want to try making some homemade pumpkin pie this holiday season! It’s one of the best things you can bake during pumpkin season.
Go for Long family walks (don’t forget the scavenger hunts!)
If you want to have a great time with your family this fall without spending a ton of money, nature walks, a bike ride, or even a scenic drive can be one of the best outdoor activities. Make it extra fun for the kids by grabbing this free printable fall scavenger hunt for the walk.
Visit the County or State Fair (bring your own snacks to save money!)
The county or state fair usually gears up during the fall months, so it’s a great time to gather up the family and attend. Make sure to get a corn dog and a funnel cake!
Rake your neighbors leaves (and jump in a pile of leaves!)
Do a good deed and rake up your neighbors leaves, but don’t forget to make it fun by jumping in the pile before you finish.
Make cinnamon rolls and watch College Gameday
I don’t know why this seems like the perfect fall tradition, but I’ve always loved making cinnamon rolls and lighting my first fall scented candle when the first weekend of football makes it’s big debut.
Attend a High School Football Game
Nothing says fall quite like a high school football game. Gather up the family, dress in your small town school colors and root, root, root for the home team!
Make a Fall Wreath
Create the perfect fall wreath for your front door to bring in the autumn season! Here are a few gorgeous ideas to get you started.
Pick up fresh fall produce at the Farmer’s Market
If you’ve never visited a farmer’s market to buy your fresh fruit and seasonal vegetables, now is a great time to add it to your bucket list.
Roast pumpkin seeds
After you’ve carved your pumpkin, and made pumpkin pie, don’t forget you can eat the seeds too! Roasting pumpkin seeds for eating is a fun and delicious family activity.
Explore parks and trails and go on a nature hike
When the weather cools down, you’ll want to be outside with your family as much as possible! This is the perfect time to check out local parks and trails, and don’t forget your fall scavenger hunt while you’re out.
Collect fall leaves and make leaf rubbings
Leaf rubbings are a fascinating fall craft for young kids, and can also be therapeutic and fun for older kids and adults as well.
Make gratitude journals or a Thankful Tree
Fall is the perfect time to think about all the things you are thankful for, especially with Thanksgiving coming up fast. Try making a thankful tree with your family, or these cool thankful pumpkins. It’s also a great time to start a gratitude journal practice.
Bake pumpkin bread
This is the perfect time of year to switch out your banana bread for something a little more seasonal! This pumpkin bread is the ultimate fall breakfast or afternoon snack.
Shop for a family in need and donate to a food bank
The fall months are also a great time to think about giving, before the season turns to Christmas craziness.
Grab some cozy blankets and camp out in the living room
If the outdoors isn’t exactly your thing, you can still get the full camp out experience by setting up a camp ground in your very own living room.
Enter or attend a chili cook-off
There’s nothing quite like a warm bowl of chili when the weather cools down.
Decorate the front porch with the perfect pumpkins
Decorating for the holidays can be a fun family event! We love to cover the front porch with piles of beautiful fall pumpkins.
Take fall family photos for your Christmas cards
Now is a great time to get a head start on your holiday cards. The fall leaves make the perfect natural photo backdrop, and most photographers will offer some kind of mini photo session at a great price this time of year.
Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
I can’t think of a better movie to add to your fall bucket list than this one!
Free Fall Bucket List Family Ideas
What are your favorite things to do in the fall that are budget friendly, cheap, or free? Would you add anything to these fall bucket list family ideas?
Let me know in the comments what you love to do with your family in the fall, and don’t forget to grab the free printables for the fall season so you can check them off as they are complete. Happy Fall Y’aLL!
These fall bucket list family ideas look like so much fun! I can’t wait until the weather cools off enough so we can finally enjoy the great outdoors once again and complete our favorite fall activities.
Make sure you grab this free printable fall bucket list family ideas list to hang on your fridge and complete together this season!
hi! I'm shannon
I’m a wife, mom of three, doctor, and blogger! In 2018, I decided to turn my mom blog, into a personal finance blog so others could follow along on our journey to pay off over HALF a MILLION dollars in student loan and practice start up debt. I hope you enjoy following along, and maybe even find some inspiration along the way.
