Fall is one of those seasons that makes you want to do everything. Pumpkin patches, festivals, corn mazes, football games, Halloween events, and weekend trips can fill the calendar quickly, but they can also get expensive.

You don't need to spend every Saturday buying tickets somewhere to make the season memorable. Some of the best fall activities are simple things you can do at home, around your neighborhood, or with supplies you already have.

Here are 20 inexpensive fall activities to add to your family's bucket list this year.

1. Go on a Fall Scavenger Hunt

Make a list of things to find outside, like an acorn, pinecone, red leaf, yellow leaf, squirrel, pumpkin, spiderweb, and something shaped like a heart.

Take a walk and see who can find everything first.

2. Have a Backyard Tailgate

You don't need football tickets to tailgate.

Put a game on outside if you can, make hot dogs or nachos, throw a football around, and have everyone wear their favorite team's colors.

3. Make Homemade Caramel Apples

Grab a bag of apples and caramel and make your own version of the expensive ones you see at fall festivals.

Set out inexpensive toppings like sprinkles, crushed cookies, chocolate chips, or chopped pretzels and let everyone make their own.

4. Visit a Farmers Market

Walking around a farmers market is an activity on its own, even if you don't buy much.

Give the kids a small budget and let them choose one fall fruit, vegetable, baked good, or treat for everyone to try.

5. Make a Leaf Collection

Have kids collect their favorite leaves during a walk.

Bring them home and use them for crafts, leaf rubbings, bookmarks, or simply see how many different shapes and colors they can find.

6. Have a Soup and Movie Night

Pick an easy soup for dinner, grab blankets, and watch a family movie together.

Add grilled cheese, popcorn, or hot chocolate and you've got an inexpensive cozy fall night without leaving home.

7. Visit a New Park

Instead of paying for an attraction, choose a park or walking trail your family hasn't visited before.

Pack drinks and snacks from home and make an afternoon out of exploring somewhere different.

8. Have a Pumpkin Decorating Contest

Buy a few inexpensive pumpkins and use craft supplies you already own.

Paint them, draw faces with markers, add stickers, or create characters. Then give out silly awards like Funniest Pumpkin, Most Creative, and Most Likely to Scare the Neighbors.

9. Make a Fall Treat Together

Choose one simple recipe everyone can help make.

Try apple crisp, pumpkin muffins, cinnamon rolls, cookies, pumpkin bread, or another seasonal favorite.

Bonus: the house will smell like fall without buying another candle.

10. Go on a Halloween Decoration Hunt

Once Halloween decorations start appearing, walk or drive around the neighborhood and look for the best ones.

Have everyone choose their favorite spooky house, funniest decoration, best inflatable, and most creative display.

11. Have a Family Football Challenge

Head outside with a football and create a few competitions.

See who can throw the farthest, make the most catches, hit a target, or invent the best touchdown celebration.

Younger kids can participate too, and you don't need anything besides a football.

12. Make a Fall-Themed Dinner

Turn an ordinary dinner into something a little more fun.

Make chili, baked potatoes, grilled cheese and tomato soup, taco soup, or breakfast for dinner. Eat outside if the weather is nice or have everyone wear pajamas for a cozy night in.

13. Go Stargazing

Fall evenings can be perfect for spending a little time outside.

Bring blankets into the backyard, turn off as many lights as possible, and see what everyone can spot in the sky.

Add popcorn or hot chocolate and you've got another practically free family night.

14. Have a Fall Photo Challenge

Give everyone a list of things they need to photograph.

For example:

• Something orange
• A pumpkin
• A colorful leaf
• Something cozy
• A football
• A funny Halloween decoration
• Something that reminds you of fall

Compare everyone's pictures when you get home.

15. Make Your Own Fall Drinks

Skip the coffee shop for the afternoon and create a fall drink bar at home.

Make hot chocolate, warm apple cider, flavored coffee, or another favorite drink. Add whipped cream, cinnamon, caramel, or marshmallows if you already have them.

16. Have a Family Game Tournament

Pick three or four board or card games and turn them into a tournament.

Keep score throughout the evening and let the winner choose dessert, the next family movie, or what's for dinner another night.

17. Make a Fall Reading Fort

Grab blankets and pillows and build a cozy reading spot in the living room.

Have everyone choose a library book, turn on some lamps, make popcorn, and spend an hour reading together.

This is especially good for a rainy fall afternoon.

18. Have a Bonfire Night at Home

If you have a safe place for a backyard fire, make an evening out of it.

Roast marshmallows, tell stories, play music, and let the kids stay outside a little later than usual.

No elaborate party required.

19. Find Free Fall Events

Before paying for another weekend activity, check what's happening in your community.

Libraries, schools, churches, parks, downtown areas, and community organizations often have free or inexpensive fall festivals, outdoor movies, craft days, trunk-or-treats, and other seasonal events.

Pick a few throughout the season instead of trying to attend everything.

20. Have a Completely Unplanned Fall Saturday

This might end up being everyone's favorite.

Sleep in. Make pancakes. Watch football. Let the kids play outside. Make something easy for dinner. Take an evening walk.

Not every fall weekend needs a destination.

Make a Fall Bucket List Without a Big Budget

Sit down as a family and have everyone choose two or three things they really want to do this fall.

Mix one or two bigger activities, like visiting a pumpkin patch or attending a football game, with plenty of free and inexpensive activities at home. You'll still have a full season without feeling like you're spending money every weekend.

Making fall feel special doesn't require a packed calendar or a huge seasonal budget. Kids are just as likely to remember the night you made caramel apples, played football in the backyard, or drove around looking at Halloween decorations as they are an expensive attraction.

Pick a few ideas, repeat the ones your family loves, and leave some weekends completely open. Sometimes the easiest fall traditions end up being the ones everyone asks to do again next year.

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