These Free Fall Activities Deserve a Spot on Your Fall Plans

If you’re looking for free fall activities to make the most of the fall season, I’ve got you covered. Because you really don’t need to spend a ton of money, or anything at all, to take advantage of all of the cozy fall vibes and seasonal activities.

Whether you’re looking for something to do on the weekend, outdoor activities to enjoy the cooler weather, or something cozy to do on a rainy fall afternoon, here are some free fall activities you can do this season.

Free Fall Activities

1. Go on a Fall Picnic

One of my favorite free fall activities is heading to the park for a picnic. And what makes this completely free is bringing snacks or a meal that you were already going to eat anyway and simply changing the scenery.

So if you’re looking for an outdoor fall activity, especially during those early fall weeks. (when the weather is still slightly warm) Grab a blanket, head to your local park, and enjoy eating outside in the cooler weather.

2. Host a Game Night

If you already have board games at home, fall is the perfect time to pull them out and host a game night.

And you definitely don’t have to stick to regular board games. You could host a trivia night, play Minute to Win It games, divide everyone into teams for a Family Feud style game, or even put together your own Jeopardy night.

There are so many different directions you can take this idea. Which means you could have several game nights throughout the fall season without doing the exact same thing twice.

3. Have a Fall Movie Night

If you’re looking for indoor free fall activities, have a fall movie night.

Pick a movie, grab a blanket, make whatever snacks you have in the kitchen, and turn your living room or bedroom into your own movie theater.

4. Drive Around and Look at the Fall Foliage

If you live somewhere where you visibly experience the leaves changing, take advantage of it and go on a scenic drive.

Pick an area with plenty of trees, play a fall playlist, and drive around looking at all of the fall foliage.

5. Go Hiking

Another great outdoor free fall activity is going on a hike.

If you live near free hiking trails, parks, or mountains, fall is such a good time to take advantage of them; because it’s not too hot or too cold.

Find a trail, bring some water, and enjoy the walk. And if your trail leads to a scenic overlook, even better.

6. Attend a Free Fall Festival

During the fall season, there are so many community events happening, and some of them are completely free.

Check your city calendar or social media, to see if there are any free fall festivals happening near you.

You might find live music, local vendors, performances, or other seasonal activities without having to pay an admission fee.

7. Watch a Football Game

Fall is football season, so if you already love watching the game, add a football night to your fall plans.

8. Read a New Book

Whether you’re into fantasy, romance, nonfiction, thrillers, or anything in between, another great free fall activity is reading a new book.

You can look through the books you already own but haven’t read yet, borrow one from a friend, or head to your local library.

9. Have a Self Care Night

For those nights when you just want to relax, have an at home self care night.

And you don’t need to go out and buy a bunch of new products to make it feel special.

Use what you already have and take “an everything” shower, do your hair, paint your nails, light a candle, make a yummy meal, and put on your favorite show.

Overall, plan your ideal self care night around whatever helps you relax.

Best Free Fall Activities

10. Create a Fall Movie Calendar

Going back to fall movie nights, another fun idea is creating your own fall movie calendar.

Basically, pick out the movies you want to watch throughout the season and intentionally add movie nights to your calendar.

You could even give each month a different theme.

September could be slower cozy movies. October could have more mysteries and suspenseful movies. Then November could be filled with cozy classics and a few Thanksgiving movies or specials.

There really aren’t any rules. Just make the calendar yours.

11. Watch the Sunrise

With daylight savings time ending on November 1st, the sunrise starts happening a little later, which can make it easier to catch in the morning.

If you want to turn it into a fall activity, try doing this on a weekend. 

Wake up early, head to a scenic area, and find a good spot to watch the sun come up. 

Afterward, you can keep the morning going with another fall activity, like going for a walk or grabbing breakfast, and start your day with a little fresh air and vitamin D.

12. Start Journaling

Another one of my favorite free fall activities is journaling.

If you already have a notebook sitting around, pull it out and start writing. You can look up journal prompts or simply jot down whatever has been on your mind lately.

There are so many different prompts out there too.

You could answer deeper and more reflective questions about your life, write about your favorite things, create gratitude lists, or simply use your journal as one big brain dump.

13. Color

Coloring is another free thing that you can do. Especially if you already have crayons, markers, colored pencils, or a coloring book at home.

And if you don’t have a coloring book, look online for free printable coloring pages.

14. Try a New Recipe

Since we’re talking about free fall activities, challenge yourself to make a new recipe using ingredients you already have in your fridge and pantry.

You might be surprised by how many things you can make without another grocery store trip.

Maybe you make pancakes completely from scratch with ingredients you already have, bake banana bread with those bananas that are starting to get a little too ripe, or try making a homemade soup.

So try searching recipes based on ingredients you already have and see what you find.

15. Clean and Organize Your Home

Okay, I know this might not sound like the most fun fall activity, but trust me, it’s so worth it once you’re done.

Use the fall season as a time to completely reset and deep clean your space.

Open the windows, air out your home, clean, declutter, organize, and get your space ready for all of those cozier days spent inside.