Free or affordable fall family activities

Fall is my favourite time of year, particularly early fall when the weather is still fairly warm. As a family and with our friends, we love getting outside and enjoying the warm days before the cold and rain set in. We live on central Vancouver Island, and there is so much to do and enjoy at this time of year. Here are some of our family’s favourite fall activities that are free or relatively affordable.

McNab’s Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch

Every year McNab’s, located down Yellowpoint Rd. about 5 minutes off the highway, has a family-friendly corn maze. A highlight of the experience is making your way to the massive pumpkin patch and finding just the right ones for carving, decorating and adorning the front porch. Once the winning pumpkins have been chosen, you can hitch a ride back on the hay wagon to the main entrance and rent a firepit ($10) to roast marshmallows for s’mores and fuel up after getting lost and tromping through the muck and mud. I recommend wearing your rubber boots for this one.

“Hitch a ride on the hay wagon back to the main entrance where you can rent a firepit and roast marshmallows for s’mores and fuel up after getting lost and tromping through the muck and mud.”

Farmer’s Markets

I love going to the farmer’s market and loading up my basket or wagon with fresh, local produce for the week. We used to go to the Cedar Market as a family most Sundays throughout their season, which runs from May to October. During a normal year visitors are welcome to lay a blanket down and sample in-season and homemade market treats while enjoying live music. With COVID protocols changing all the time, it has become a solo excursion for me. Hopefully next year it will return to its former glory and we can go again as a family.

Farm Stands & Petting Farms

Take a drive down a country road, minutes off the highway, and you’ll find dozens of cute little farm stands. Yellow Point Farms is becoming a favourite of mine. It’s steps away from McNab’s, so you can make a day of the maze and pumpkin patch, then stop for produce and to visit the animals on the way home. It’s $5 for the petting farm, which features goats, sheep, mini donkeys, mini horses and pigs/piglets. They are open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 10-4. Every farm stand will have different hours, so check in advance if you have your hopes set on visiting a certain one. Superior Farms in Lantzville is also fantastic. If you wind up there, say hello to Lucky, their attention-seeking goose, who is certain to follow you around the animal pen.

Ladysmith Storybook Walk

The Ladysmith Resources Centre’s program Adventures in Early Literacy (AEL) has pivoted brilliantly for COVID. It hosted a storybook walk at Brown Drive Park all summer, and got the go ahead, due to the overwhelming popularity, to keep it going until December. Every two weeks they share a new book. It’s a great excuse to get outside for 30-60+ minutes. Each story includes lots of thought-provoking questions and great physical literacy exercises. If the weather is nice enough, we stick around afterward for a playground frolic. Other Island communities have also done storybook walks. Check with your local library to see if there is one near you.

Hiking

We love getting out for hikes, and there are so many fantastic ones close to us, and all over Vancouver Island. I will have to do another post going into detail on our favourite hikes on the Island. In brief, I will say Holland Creek Trail, which is just behind our house in Ladysmith, is fantastic, and it’s not necessary to walk the entire 6 km with kids in tow. Sometimes we just walk from the RCMP station to the bridge and play near the river. Make sure to stop and rub the Buddha’s belly for luck. We also really enjoy Stoney Hill (Genoa Bay) with it’s majestic ocean views and stunning arbutus trees.

Making Scarecrows

For a few years now, we’ve gotten together with friends for a scarecrow-making party. We stick with our “bubble” families and keep it outside, so it has been a COVID-friendly party we feel comfortable continuing. We acquire a bale of hay and loop together bamboo sticks, then layer them with old costumes and accessories. The adults love this as much as the kids. And of course there are lots of yummy fall treats and beverages (like hot chocolate and spiked hot apple cider) to keep our tummies and spirits happy.

I would love to hear about your favourite ways to spend time with your littles in the fall, wherever in the world you are.