Autumn Will Be Here Before We Know It
Are you planning an autumn birthday party? Or perhaps you’re planning a church festival or neighborhood Halloween party? No doubt you’ll need to keep the youngsters entertained and are in need of some children party ideas. There’s no better way to keep kids amused than with some fall or harvest games! These games use popular items from fall like pumpkins, seeds, apples, hay, dried corn and gourds. Although these games are suited for children in the 5-9 age bracket, the games can be easily altered for a younger or older age group.
Games For All Ages
The Great Harvest Hunt: Using harvest baskets, fill them up with hay or dried seeds. Hide at least ten plastic mini apples in each basket and give a basket to each child. It’s a race against time and each other to see who can find all their apples the fastest! You can also use tiny, plastic scarecrows or pumpkins.
Gourd Bowling: Gather together ten empty two-liter soda bottles and set them up at one end of the yard. If you prefer, you can weigh down the bottles with some water or seeds. Let the kids try to knock over the “pins” using a bumpy, round gourd for a ball. Highest score wins.
Harvest Dash: This is a relay race so the kids will need to be in teams. Have big containers filled with birdseed at one end of the yard and at the other end, place smaller, clear, empty cans. Kids form teams and each child takes their turn filling a cup with birdseed from the large containers, running to the end and pouring the birdseed into the empty can, then running back and handing the cup off to their teammate. The winner is whichever team fills their empty can with birdseed first! Don’t worry if the seeds fall all over the place, that’s half the fun and the birds will eat up what’s spilled after the party’s over. For the older kids—or just to make it more challenging—give them an over-sized ladle rather than a cup. For low-priced clear cans, go to a dollar store; during the fall season you can normally find clear, plastic containers in pumpkin or apple shape.
Pass the Apple: Here is another team game that kids will love! Kids stick an apple under their chin and hold it in place by gently squeezing it between their chin and chest or shoulder. The child races to his/her teammate and passes the apple to them, but without using their hands. If a child drops the apple, they can use their hands to tuck the apple underneath their chin again. First team to make it across the finish line wins. Depending on the age group, you can use tiny pumpkins, little gourds or fall squash.
Autumn Gourd Roll: Find a round gourd that has an abundance of bumps on it to make the fun even zanier! Each child gets a chance to roll the gourd down a small hill or slanted driveway. Whichever child’s roll is the longest is the winner.
Hot Apple: You’ve heard of “Hot Potato”, right? Well, this is the same game but just switch out the potato for an apple. This game will also work well with corn or small pumpkins.
Fall Obstacle Course: There aren’t any limits to this game—except your imagination and space! Arrange pumpkins to run around, balloons filled with seeds to pop, hay bales to climb or jump over, apple strings to crawl under and so much more. You can hang fall-themed fabric on bamboo poles for the kids to run through. Link big cardboard boxes together to create tunnels with dried apple rings hung inside. Include some playfulness on the course with some child-sized scarecrows from the dollar store.
Harvest Corn Throw: Lay many apples on the ground in the form of various sizes of circles. Line up each child behind a line drawn with chalk on the ground and let them try to throw decorated ears of Indian corn at the apple circles. The child that has the most corn in the apple circles wins the game.
The Grand Popcorn Eating Contest: This game is so much fun and anyone who likes popcorn will love this game! All the kids will get their own popcorn bowl and whoever eats all their popcorn first is the winner. However, the catch is that the kids can’t use their hands or any utensils! Be sure to have a large quantity of apple cider on hand because the kids will be quite thirsty when the game is complete.
Looney Scarecrow Dress and Dash: Supply over-sized weird pants, plaid shirts, floppy hats and any other foolish kind of clothing that a scarecrow may wear. Put together piles that contain one of item and place the piles at the other end of the yard; how many piles will depend on how many kids/teams are going to race. Get the kids lined up and then the game begins! The kids run to the pile, put on the ensemble and race back to the starting line. If the children have formed teams, the first child will have to change the attire with their teammate who then races out and then runs back. The winner is the first team that has their last member clothed as a scarecrow.
Apple Grab: This is a lot like bobbing for apples, but without the water. Tie a string between two trees—or you can make use of your clothesline if there’s no laundry drying! Take a bunch of apples and secure some string around the stems and then dangle all the apples on the clothesline. The children, using only their teeth, will try to grab the apples. Whoever has the most apples wins.
Guess the Candy Corn: Using an autumn-themed container, like a harvest bucket, pour in a certain amount of candy corn. Then have the kids guess how many pieces of candy corn are in the bucket; the child that comes closest to the actual number of candy corn pieces in the bucket wins the bucket of candy. What a great ending to a fantastic autumn party!
If you use your inventiveness and imagination, you’ll be able to come up with lots more games for the children’s party or festival. Don’t forget to look at our website for decorations and other items you’ll need to make your party really stand out.