Fall Festival Game Ideas
When the air turns crisp and the pumpkins start popping up on every porch, you know it’s go time , time for cozy sweaters, hot cider, and of course, all the Fall festival fun!
Whether you’re planning a school festival, a neighborhood block party, or just a backyard party for the kids, having a stash of go-to Fall games can turn a simple afternoon into the kind of memories they’ll talk about for years.
Here are some tried-and-true favorites plus a few new games that’ll make your Fall festival the talk of the town.
Classic Fall Festival Games
Lets start with the traditional games, they are classics for a reason!
Pumpkin Bowling
How to Play:
Line up empty plastic bottles (you can decorate them like ghosts or scarecrows if you’re feeling crafty) at the end of a “lane.” Kids roll a small pumpkin to try to knock down as many as possible!
Equipment Needed:
- 6–10 empty plastic bottles
- Small, round pumpkins (bonus points for funny-shaped ones!)
Tip: Pumpkins don’t exactly roll straight, which just adds to the giggles!
Sack Races (Fall Edition)
How to Play:
Participants hop their way to the finish line inside old potato sacks or pillowcases. First one to the end without falling on their face wins!
Equipment Needed:
- Burlap sacks or large pillowcases
- A finish line (rope or cones)
Warning: You might want to have a camera ready for all the hilarious wipeouts.
Apple Bobbing
How to Play:
Fill a big tub with water and float some apples in it. Players have to grab an apple using only their mouths! First one to snag an apple wins.
Equipment Needed:
- Large tub
- Water
- Apples
Hack: If you’re worried about hygiene (because hello, 2025), you can tie apples to strings and hang them from a tree branch, no sharing water needed!
Ring Toss (Harvest Style)
How to Play:
Set up cones or stakes and have players toss rings (or even glow necklaces!) to land around them.
Equipment Needed:
- Cones, stakes, or even upside-down pumpkins
- Rings (or glow necklaces)
Bonus: Do it after dark for a magical glow-in-the-dark twist!
Three-Legged Race
How to Play:
Pair up players and tie one of their legs together at the ankle. They have to coordinate and race to the finish line without face-planting.
Equipment Needed:
- Bandanas, scarves, or fabric strips
Fun for all ages, just remind everyone to stretch first, especially the Dads who think they’re 20 again!
Fresh and Fun New Games to Try!
If you’re planning a fall festival and thinking, “Do we really need to do another bean bag toss or bob for apples?”, you’re not alone. Don’t get me wrong, those games are classics for a reason. But sometimes, it’s fun to shake things up a little and bring in some new excitement, right?
Pumpkin Tic-Tac-Toe
How to Play:
Create a giant tic-tac-toe board on the ground (use tape, rope, or sticks). Players use mini pumpkins in two colors to play.
Equipment Needed:
- Mini pumpkins in two colors (paint them if needed)
- Materials to create a board (chalk, rope, tape)
You’ll be surprised how competitive a tic-tac-toe match can get at a festival!
Hay Bale Obstacle Course
How to Play:
Set up hay bales, cones, tunnels, and more for kids to climb over, crawl under, and race through.
Equipment Needed:
- Hay bales
- Cones, tunnels, pool noodles, whatever you can find!
Note: This one burns off so much energy.
Candy Corn Spoon Relay
How to Play:
Each player must carry candy corn on a spoon to a bucket without dropping it. Relay-style if you’ve got teams!
Equipment Needed:
- Spoons
- Candy corn (or ping pong balls for less stickiness)
- Small buckets or bowls
Bonus: Candy corn prizes at the end (because obviously).
Scarecrow Stuffing Contest
How to Play:
Teams race to stuff clothes with hay and build the best scarecrow in a set amount of time.
Equipment Needed:
- Old clothes (flannels, jeans, hats)
- Hay or straw
- Stakes (optional for standing scarecrows)
Warning: You will be finding bits of hay for a month. Totally worth it.
Pumpkin Ring Toss (but Make It Fancy)
How to Play:
Use pumpkins with long stems and have players toss rings onto them. Different pumpkins can have different point values.
Equipment Needed:
- Pumpkins with stems
- Rings (embroidery hoops work great!)
Pumpkin with the trickiest angle? Worth triple points!
Fall Flavor Taste Test
Let’s play: “What Fall Flavor is That?”
You’ll need:
- Tiny cups of different fall drinks or foods (apple cider, pumpkin spice latte, cinnamon milk, butternut squash soup, etc.)
- Blindfolds
How it works:
Players taste and try to guess what they’re drinking or eating. Keep score or just enjoy the reactions.
Silly prize ideas:
“Pumpkin Spice Pro” or “Flavor Flop.”
Autumn Bingo
How to Play:
Hand out Fall Bingo cards filled with fall-themed pictures (like acorns, pumpkins, sweaters). Call out the items. first to Bingo wins a prize!
Equipment Needed:
- Printable Bingo cards
- Markers (candy corn makes adorable markers!)
Perfect for keeping the little ones busy while the big kids are charging through the obstacle course.
Blindfolded Pie Face
This one’s a riot, and yes, it’s very messy!
How it works:
Blindfolded players have to smash their face into a whipped cream pie to find the hidden gummy worm or candy corn at the bottom. No hands allowed.
Perfect for:
Older kids, teens, and brave adults!
Tip:
Have towels or baby wipes nearby… trust me on this one.
Turkey Waddle Relay
This is one of those games that makes everyone look ridiculous, and that’s half the fun.
How it works:
Players place a mini pumpkin or ball between their knees and waddle to a finish line like a turkey. Then, they hand it off to the next teammate.
Great for:
Teams of kids, teens, or even families. It’s a total crowd-pleaser.
Kernel Count Relay
This is a silly one that works great for teams.
How it works:
Players must move corn kernels from one bucket to another using only a spoon. BUT,they have to run back and forth between the buckets without dropping any.
Add the pressure:
Use a timer and keep score. Drop a kernel? Gotta go back!
Pumpkin Pop
How to Play:
Fill orange balloons with tiny prizes (like stickers or candy) and inflate them. Kids get to pop a balloon to claim their prize!
Equipment Needed:
- Orange balloons
- Tiny prizes
- Push pins or safe popping tool
What’s in the Fall Feel Box?
Okay, this one is part spooky mystery, part sensory fun.
You’ll need:
- Boxes with hand holes (or brown paper bags)
- Fill them with “fall-ish” stuff like peeled grapes (eyeballs), cold spaghetti (worms), cooked rice (maggots), marshmallows (squishy brains), or even candy corn
Goal:
Players guess what they’re touching without peeking!
Add extra fun:
Have someone dramatically narrate the “creepy” descriptions before they reach in.
Candy Corn Count
This one’s super simple but keeps people engaged!
How it works:
Fill a clear jar with candy corn and have everyone guess how many are inside. Closest guess wins the jar.
Make it unique:
Use layered candy, candy corn, mellowcreme pumpkins, mini marshmallows, to make it trickier.
Acorn Hunt
Like an Easter egg hunt, but make it Fall!
You’ll need:
- Acorns (real or plastic)
- Sharpie or sticker numbers
How it works:
Hide the acorns around your yard or event space. Some have numbers that correspond to little prizes. Some are just for fun.
Extra idea:
Paint some gold and make them worth extra points or a special prize!
Harvest Scavenger Hunt
How to Play:
Create a list of Fall-related items to find around your yard or festival area: a red leaf, a pine cone, a pumpkin, etc.
Equipment Needed:
- Printed scavenger hunt lists
- Bags for collecting treasures
Great for encouraging a little quiet exploration (aka a break for us parents!).
Pin the Feather on the Turkey
A fall spin on a party favorite!
How to set it up:
Draw or print a big turkey on a poster and have colorful paper “feathers” with tape on the back. Blindfolded players try to pin the feather where it belongs.
Fall Photo Booth Challenge
Not technically a game… but if you make it into a silly contest, it totally counts.
How it works:
Set up a cozy photo booth area with hay bales, pumpkins, and silly props (mustaches, scarecrow hats, flannel shirts, etc.).
Then challenge people to take the:
- Goofiest group photo
- Sweetest fall couple shot
- Silliest scarecrow pose
Winners can be announced later with little prizes or printed photos as keepsakes!
Little Extras That Make It Even More Fun
Set up a Prize Table!
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, think stickers, little toys, Halloween pencils, or even mini candy bags. Kids love earning “tickets” at each game and cashing them in for goodies!
Create a Cozy Vibe:
Throw some plaid blankets around, hang string lights, play a little country music or classic fall tunes… it’s those little touches that make a festival feel magical.
Hot Cocoa Station:
Because let’s be real, no one ever says no to a cup of cocoa on a chilly fall day. Bonus points for adding marshmallows and whipped cream!
Fall festivals are all about making memories, laughing together, getting a little messy, and just soaking in the vibes of the season. You don’t need fancy stuff to make it magical. Sometimes all it takes is a few silly games, a handful of leaves, and a whole lotta fun.
So whether you’re organizing a big school event or just inviting the neighbors over for cider and giggles, I hope these ideas help make your Fall festival feel extra special.
