Nov 29, 2009

Fall Festival Tutorial

I am on the Children's Committee at our church and this year, we decided to try our hand at a fall festival. It was completely free, a way to outreach to the community. I was in charge of the activity booths. Here are a few suggestions for your own fall festival!
Bobbing for Donuts
String the donuts up from a rope suspended between 2 poles and adjust the length so that each child can easily reach the donut with their mouth. When you say "GO" the players will have to try to be the first person to eat the whole donut without using their hands. If you have set a time limit, then the person who has eaten the most wins the game.


Lollipop Pull
Large round hay bale is filled with dum dum suckers. Some have painted ends. If you pull a lollipop with a painted end, you get a prize!

Feed the Elephant
Construct a ply wood or cardboard elephant with a hose for the trunk. Children feed the elephant unshelled peanuts by putting them in the trunk and lifting it. A person should be behind the elephant to receive the peanuts and then send a prize back out to the child as a reward!

Fishing
Construct a pond out of a large sheet or cardboard. Cane pole for the fishing pole with a clothes pin attached. The child fishes behind the backdrop for treats.

Bean/ Corn Pool
Children play in a small pool filled with dried corn and beans.

Face Painting and Temporary Tattoos


Ping Pong Ball Shoot
Balance ping pong balls on decorated soda bottles. The children attempt to squirt the balls off with their water gun.

Pony Rides

Cupcake Walk


Golden Ticket
Information about the church and the Weekday School. Small display of exciting could-be prizes. Children will collect a “golden ticket” that they will bring to church the next day to collect their prize!
Pumpkin Ring Toss
Set up several pumpkins of various sizes. Have small rings for larger kids and large hula hoops for smaller kids. They toss the rings around the pumpkin stems for prizes.
Hair Make-Over Booth
Colored gel can be used on the boys to spike up hair. Girls can have braids or other things done to their hair.
Seed Game
Small cups, large pumpkin seeds, small straws. The children suck the seeds to the bottom of the straw and deposit them in the cup.
Gourd Bowling
Set up 'bowling' using empty two-liter soda bottles. If preferred, the bottles can be weighted with seeds or water. Use a round, bumpy gourd as the ball.
Balloon Fishing
Set up a canopy filled with helium balloons. Use a mylar balloon with tape on it to fish down another balloon. If the balloon is marked, they get a prize!
Football Toss
Construct a backdrop with 2 holes large enough for a football to pass through. If the children get the football through, they get a prize.

5 comments:

Kelli W said...

Sounds like a great fall festival! I really like the lollipop pull! I've never seen that game before and it is SUPER creative!

Sara @ Domestically Challenged said...

Great games! I am especially a fond fan of the donut game! I so so want to try it!

Liz {Learning To Juggle} said...

Those are some great ideas! I love the lollipop pull and the donut game!! So fun!!

~ A Moxie Mom said...

That sounds like so much fun! Those were great birthday party games too. I love how creative they are.

Jenners said...

If I am ever foolish enough to sign up for something like this, I will totally use these ideas! Such fun!

I might also steal them for a birthday party for my son .. he was born in late September so I think it would work!