Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year! Between the cooler weather, pumpkin-flavored everything, and the gorgeous leaves changing colors, there’s so much to love. And if you’re like me with three energetic boys bouncing off the walls, you know that planning activities to burn off that energy is basically a full-time job! That’s why I’ve put together this list of fall festival games for kids that won’t have you running to the craft store seventeen times or spending your entire budget on supplies.
These games are seriously easy to set up and have been tested by my own crew of wild ones! Whether you’re organizing a classroom party, a backyard gathering with friends, or just want to make a regular Saturday feel special, these fall festival games for kids will keep everyone entertained without stressing you out. Let’s dive in!
Pumpkin Ring Toss
This game is an absolute winner at our house! I grabbed a few pumpkins from the grocery store (the real ones, not the fancy decorative kind), and we used some glow sticks bent into circles as our rings. You could also use embroidery hoops or even make rings out of rope if you want something more permanent!
The setup couldn’t be easier – just arrange your pumpkins in a row or triangle formation on the ground, with varying distances to make it challenging for different age groups. My youngest is four, and he stands pretty close, while my eight-year-old has to stand way back! Each player gets five rings to toss, and you can assign different point values to different pumpkins based on size or distance.
What I love about this game is that it works for literally any age. Even my toddler can participate and feel successful! You can make it more festive by painting numbers on the pumpkins or decorating them with stickers. We keep score on a little chalkboard, and the winner gets to pick what we have for snack time. Trust me, this simple game will keep kids busy for way longer than you’d expect!
If you want to kick it up a notch, try using different sized pumpkins and assigning higher points to the smaller ones since they’re trickier targets. You could even use mini pumpkins as the rings themselves and toss them onto larger pumpkin stems! The variations are endless, which is why this is one of my go-to fall festival games for kids.
Apple Bobbing Station
Okay, I’ll be honest – apple bobbing is messy! But it’s also hilariously fun and such a classic fall activity that I couldn’t leave it off this list. My boys think it’s the funniest thing ever, and watching them try to grab apples with their teeth never gets old!
Here’s how I set it up without creating total chaos: I use a large plastic storage bin instead of a traditional bucket because it’s wider and shallower, which makes it easier for kids to actually succeed. Fill it about halfway with water (not too full or you’ll have water everywhere), and add about six to eight apples. The apples will float, and that’s exactly what you want!
Pro tip from a mom who’s learned the hard way – have towels ready! I lay out a plastic tablecloth under the bin and keep a stack of towels nearby for drying off faces. You might also want to have kids wear smocks or old t-shirts that you don’t mind getting wet. I also take out the apples and give them a good wash before we start, because nobody wants dirty apples!
For younger kids who might get frustrated or are nervous about dunking their faces in water, you can modify this game by having them use their hands to grab apples while wearing oven mitts! It’s still challenging but less intimidating. Or try the fishing variation where kids use their teeth to grab apples suspended on strings – no water required! However you play it, apple bobbing remains one of those fall festival games for kids that creates the best memories and photo opportunities!
Scarecrow Toss
This game is absolutely adorable and so easy to make! I created a simple scarecrow face on a large piece of cardboard with three holes cut out – one for the mouth and two for the eyes. You can get as creative as you want with decorating it! We used markers, construction paper, and raffia to make ours look super festive.
The goal is to toss beanbags through the holes, and let me tell you, it’s trickier than it looks! I made our beanbags by filling old socks with dried beans and tying them off, but you can also use small stuffed animals, balled-up socks, or buy actual beanbags from the dollar store. Each hole can be worth different points – we made the smaller eye holes worth more points than the bigger mouth hole.
What makes this one of my favorite fall festival games for kids is how customizable it is! You can make your scarecrow as simple or elaborate as you want. If you’re not into crafting, you could even just draw a scarecrow face on a cardboard box and cut holes in it. The kids honestly don’t care if it’s Pinterest-perfect – they just want to throw things!
I prop our scarecrow board up against a fence or wall, or if you want it to be sturdier, attach it to a large cardboard box base so it stands on its own. We usually do three rounds, and each kid gets five tosses per round. The competitive spirit really comes out with this game, and my boys will play it over and over again! You could even create a whole scarecrow theme and have kids dress up as scarecrows while they play.
Pumpkin Bowling
Who knew pumpkins could double as bowling balls? This game is pure genius and requires almost no setup! All you need are small to medium-sized pumpkins and some empty plastic bottles or cans to use as pins. We save our empty water bottles and soup cans throughout September just for this game!
I set up ten bottles in the traditional bowling triangle formation, and each kid gets to roll a pumpkin to try to knock them down. The pumpkins don’t roll perfectly straight because of their shape, which actually makes the game more fun and unpredictable! My middle son thinks it’s hilarious when the pumpkin goes completely sideways.
To make the pins more festive and visible, we decorate them with Halloween stickers or wrap them in orange and black paper. You could also fill the bottles with a little sand or water to make them more stable and challenging to knock over. If you want to avoid the pins blowing over in the wind, this is definitely the way to go!
One thing I’ve learned is to choose pumpkins that are relatively round and not too heavy for little hands to lift. Those long, tall pumpkins don’t work well for this game! We usually have each player bowl twice per turn, just like real bowling, and keep score if the kids are interested in that. This is one of those fall festival games for kids that works perfectly for mixed age groups because you can adjust the distance based on ability!
If you want to make it extra special, create a little bowling alley lane using fallen leaves or hay bales on the sides. You could even paint numbers on the bottles to make it more exciting. And here’s a bonus – after the festival is over, you still have perfectly good pumpkins for decorating or carving!
Corn Hole with a Fall Twist
If you already have a corn hole set, you’re halfway there! This classic game fits perfectly into any fall festival theme with just a few simple additions. We have a basic wooden corn hole board that we decorated with fall stickers and some orange and brown paint to make it more festive!
The traditional game is simple – players take turns tossing beanbags at the raised board with a hole in it, trying to get the bags through the hole or at least land them on the board. Bags that go through the hole are worth three points, bags that land on the board are worth one point, and bags that fall off are worth nothing. First team or player to 21 points wins!
What I love about incorporating this into our fall festival games for kids is that it’s something the whole family can enjoy together! Even my husband gets competitive with this one. The kids love it because they feel like they’re playing a “grown-up” game, and I love it because it actually helps with their hand-eye coordination and counting skills!
If you don’t have a corn hole set, don’t worry! You can make a simplified version by cutting a hole in a large cardboard box and decorating it with fall themes. Draw pumpkins, leaves, or scarecrows all over it! For the beanbags, you can use the same ones from the scarecrow toss game or make simple ones by filling small fabric squares with dried corn kernels (how appropriate!) and sewing or tying them shut.
To make it more fall-themed, we sometimes use mini pumpkins instead of beanbags, though I’ll warn you – they don’t throw quite as predictably! You could also create different themed boards like a turkey, a pile of leaves, or a big pumpkin face. Set up multiple boards if you have a larger group so more kids can play at once and nobody gets bored waiting for their turn!
Leaf Pile Treasure Hunt
This game makes use of something you probably already have in abundance during fall – leaves! And let me tell you, my boys could spend hours in leaf piles anyway, so turning it into an actual game is just brilliant. Plus, it gives them permission to make a mess, which they absolutely love!
Here’s how it works: rake up a big pile of leaves (or several smaller piles if you have the space), and hide small toys, plastic pumpkins, or wrapped candy throughout the pile. I usually use about fifteen to twenty small items depending on how many kids are playing. Then let the kids dig through the leaves to find the hidden treasures! It’s like an Easter egg hunt but with a fall twist.
What makes this one of the most exciting fall festival games for kids is the element of surprise! They never know what they’re going to find, and the rustling leaves add to the fun. I like to use small plastic spiders, rubber snakes, bouncy balls, small cars, and individually wrapped candy. Just make sure whatever you hide can handle getting a little dirty!
Safety tip from a mom who’s been there – check your leaf pile before the kids dive in to make sure there aren’t any sticks, rocks, or other hazards hiding in there. I learned this the hard way when my youngest found a pinecone with his knee! Also, if you have kids with allergies, this might not be the best game choice, or at least make sure they have their medication handy.
You can make this game competitive by setting a timer and seeing who can find the most items in three minutes, or keep it collaborative where everyone works together to find all the hidden objects. We usually let each kid keep what they find, which means I need to make sure there’s a relatively equal number of items scattered throughout. After the festival, the kids can help rake the leaves back into a pile for jumping, so it’s a win-win!
Mummy Wrap Race
This game is absolutely hilarious and perfect for burning off energy! All you need are several rolls of toilet paper or white streamers, and you’re set. Trust me, the kids will be laughing so hard they can barely stand still, which makes it even funnier!
Here’s how we play: divide kids into teams of two or three. One person is the “mummy” and stands still while their teammate(s) wrap them up in toilet paper from shoulders to ankles. The first team to completely wrap their mummy wins! You can also do it relay-style where teams race to wrap and then unwrap their mummy the fastest.
The chaos that ensues is pure entertainment! The toilet paper tears, kids get tangled up, and everyone ends up giggling uncontrollably. My middle son takes his role as the mummy very seriously and stands perfectly still, while my youngest can’t stop wiggling and ends up looking like a very messy mummy! It’s one of those fall festival games for kids that creates the absolute best photo opportunities.
Pro tip: buy the cheap toilet paper for this game! The expensive stuff is too strong and doesn’t tear as easily, which kind of defeats the fun. Also, have a trash bag ready because there will be toilet paper everywhere when you’re done. The good news is that cleanup is super easy – just gather it all up and toss it!
You can add variations to keep it interesting! Try having kids wrap the mummy with their eyes closed, or while hopping on one foot, or while the mummy is doing silly poses. You could also turn it into a costume contest after everyone is wrapped and judge which mummy looks the best or the silliest. Some families even incorporate this into a freeze dance game where the mummy has to dance without breaking their wrapping!
Time to Start Planning Your Fall Festival!
There you have it – seven super fun and easy fall festival games for kids that won’t stress you out or break the bank! I’ve used all of these games multiple times with my own boys and various groups of their friends, and they never get old. The best part is that most of these games use materials you probably already have at home or can pick up for just a few dollars!
Remember, the goal isn’t perfection – it’s making memories and having fun together! Kids don’t care if your scarecrow board is a little crooked or if your pumpkin bowling pins are mismatched cans. They just want to play, laugh, and enjoy the beautiful fall weather with you. So grab some pumpkins, rake up those leaves, and get ready for an afternoon of autumn fun! Your kids will be talking about it for weeks, and you’ll have successfully earned yourself the “cool mom” title. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go break up a fight over who gets to be the mummy first!
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