~ FALL FESTIVAL IDEAS ~


Bean Bag Leaf Toss- Submitted by Cheryl

Make several bean bags in leaf shapes, red, green, orange and yellow. Set a bushel basket a few steps away. The children stand behind a line and try to toss their bean bags into the basket.

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Pumpkin Seed Toss- Submitted by Terri

Number and line up 5 small baskets or crates; then have the children stand 3 feet in front of the first crate and toss seeds into the crates in sequence. Small prizes can be given for each of the crates they get their seeds in.

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Corn Husking Race- Submitted by Terri

Give each child 4 ears of unhusked corn and race to see who can have all of their corn husked first.

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Pumpkin Walk- Submitted by Terri

This is like a regular cake walk except instead of numbers, place pictures of several fall items on the floor for the children to walk on and call out the names of the items instead of numbers. Use fall themed music such as "Turkey In The Straw" or "Jimmy Cracked Corn".

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Floating Pumpkins- Submitted by Terri

Number the bottom of the small gourds that look like miniature pumpkins and float them in water for the children to choose one for small prizes.

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Picking Apples- Submitted by Terri

A regular sucker pull can become "Apple Picking." Make a large apple tree with lots of red apples out of construction paper; then connect the tree to some peg board. Mark the tips of the handles on only a few carmel apple suckers then poke them through the peg board holes; poke several unmarked suckers around the marked suckers; then let the kids pick an apple. Have prizes ready for those who get the marked suckers, but everyone gets to keep the sucker they pulled.

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Musical Bales- Submitted by Terri

Play musical chairs with bales of straw instead of chairs. A scarecrow in the center makes a fun decoration for this game. Turkey In The Straw Fill a wading pool with straw and hide a small picture of a turkey in it for groups to dig through to see who can find it first.

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The Squirrel Game- Submitted by Terri

Let the kids pretend they are squirrels gathering nuts for the winter. Give each of the kids a small paper bag, then toss out several unshelled nuts onto the floor and let the kids race to see who can collect the most. Older and younger children should be separated for this game. Another way to play this game, (if you have a way to corral a large quantity of leaves) is to hide nuts beneath a large pile of leaves and give the kids a set amount of time to find as many nuts as they can.

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Pumpkin Race- Submitted by Terri

Set up starting and finish lines and have the children race to see who can get their pumpkin over the finish line first using only their feet to slide the pumpkins along. (No kicking the pumpkins like footballs)

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Scarecrow Relay- Submitted by Terri

This game is a little messy, but a whole lot of fun! Divide the children into two equal groups and have each group form a line. Provide identical scarecrow costumes for each group consisting of a pair of bib overalls or an old faded pair of jeans with a rope for a belt, a flannel shirt, a straw hat, & a basket of straw or the softer version of strawlike material that is sold in craft stores. The first person in line is to put the scarecrow costume on over their clothes and stuff the straw under their hats and inside the flannel shirt or bib overalls. Once they are completely dressed they must go to the end of their line, remove the straw & costume and pass the items as they are removed up through the line to the person at the front of the line. That player can immediately start dressing in the costume as each piece to the costume is received, then once they are completely dressed will go to the end of the line. Repeat until each player has been dressed in costume. When the last player has finished passing up the pieces to the costume, have the first person in line lay the complete costume out on the floor in front of the line. The group that finishes first is the winner.

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Pumpkin Hopscotch- Submitted by Cheryl

Allow children to use their gross motor skills & number recognition by playing Pumpkin Hopscotch. Use 10 pieces of heavy cardboard, or posterboard. Number the cards 1-10, drawing the corresponding number of pumpkins. Arrange on the floor in the traditional hopscotch pattern. Tape the cards to the floor. Allow the child 2 or 3 turns.

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Pumpkin Toss Pumpkin Seed Counting- Submitted by Cheryl

Similar to egg tossing. Use a small pumpkin per two players. The two people toss the pumpkin back and forth to each other, each time stepping back away from each other. The person wins who does not drop the pumpkin.

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Pumkin Roll Race- Submitted by Cheryl

Let kids have race with medium sized pumpkins.

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Ring A Hula Hoop Around a Pumpkin- Submitted by Barb

Yes, a pumpkin can become a game piece, as the kids in my neighborhood discovered. In this version of ring toss, paint points on pumpkins, and arrange them with the highest score farthest from the starting line. Players stand on the line and try to toss a hula hoop around a pumpkin. Three tries for each child; the highest score wins.

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Pumpkin Push- Submitted by Cheryl

Place inflated, round, orange balloon at starting line. At signal, player kicks balloon to finish line.

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Hot Pumpkin- Submitted by Barb

Buy a small pumpkin. Have the children sit in a circle and play a Fall version of "hot potato".

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Leaf Blow- Submitted by Christi

Have the children blow a leaf across a table with a straw. Have a leaf race. See who can blow their leaf across the table first.

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Leaf Fishing Game- Submitted by Christi

Tie 3 feet of string to a wooden spoon. Attach a magnet to the end of the string. Cut and laminate many different colored, and sized leaves from construction paper (not too big though).

Attach a paper clip to each leaf. Spread the leaf shapes on the floor and let your child try to catch the leaves. Have them try to catch the red leaf.. or the biggest leaf. For a twist, label the leaves with letters or numbers. Ask the children to catch a specific leaf, or ask them which leaf they caught.

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Squirrel and Nut Game- Submitted by Terri

One child is chosen to be "it" & is given a nut to hold. The other children form a circle, sitting on the floor. They extend one hand & close their eyes. "It" tiptoes around the inside of the circle & puts the nut into one of the outstretched hands. The one who receives it jumps up & chases after the other until he catches "it". He/she then becomes "it" & the games proceeds as before. The children open their eyes as the chase begins.

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Guess the Weight of the Pumpkin- Submitted by Christi

Have a large size pumpkin sitting on a table. Have small pieces of paper on the table, so that each person can write down how much they think the pumpkin weights. Then the put thier guess into a box, the person who guesses closest to the actual weight of the pumpkin wins!

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Milk the Cow- Submitted by Terri

(Warm milk in a latex glove hanging from a stick between two chairs. Pinholes are placed in the glove, a bucket is underneath, and a cows head and tail are placed on the two chairs.

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Butter Making- Submitted by Terri

(Shake cream and salt in a jar)

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Ice Cream Making- Submitted by Terri

(Children roll coffee container back and forth to each other or a parent.) Cream, vanilla, and sugar are placed in a small inner coffee can . . .duct tape the lid on, so no rock salt can get into the ice cream. Place in larger coffee can, which has the rock salt and ice in it. Place lid on and duct tape again. Roll and roll and roll. It takes about half hour or so. Check occasionally to add additional ice as it melts. Later everyone gets a sample of the ice cream.

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