Fall festival games: 28 ideas for schools, churches and communities

A fall festival (also called a harvest festival or autumn fair) is a community event held between September and November, with games, food and seasonal crafts. Most of the fun comes from the games.

Here are 28 fall festival games for a school, church or community event, grouped by who will play. Each has a supplies list, a prize idea and a safety note, and the tables show ages, set-up time and estimated cost. It also has a plan for school and PTA organisers and a section on running the vote and raffle with AhaSlides.

Updated October 2026. Costs are rough US planning estimates, so check local prices.

How to choose your games

Pick at least two games from each group so that every age has something to do, and keep one indoor backup for rain. Here is the whole list at a glance.

For more toddler-friendly ideas, see our list of physical games for preschoolers.

Fall festival games for little kids (ages 2 to 6)

Keep games for this group short, soft and close to a parent.

1. Mini pumpkin hunt

A gentle opener for the little ones while older siblings wait for bigger games.

• Supplies: 20 to 30 mini pumpkins or painted gourds, small baskets, a few hay bales or a tarp of dry leaves
• Prize idea: A sticker for every pumpkin found, or one mini pumpkin to take home
• Safety: Keep the pumpkins whole: seeds and loose stalks are a choking risk under five.

How to run it

1. Hide the pumpkins in the hay or leaves while the children wait outside the area.
2. Give each child a basket and let them hunt.
3. Hand out a sticker for every pumpkin found.

2. Pumpkin bean bag toss

Cut a big pumpkin face into a sturdy board or box and let children toss bean bags through the mouth and eyes. Paint it once and it will last for years of festivals.

• Supplies: A large cardboard box or plywood board, paint, a craft knife for the adult who cuts the holes, 6 bean bags
• Prize idea: A pencil or sticker for each bag that goes through
• Safety: Mark a throw line well back from the board and let one child throw at a time.

3. Scarecrow dress-up relay

Oversized clothes make everyone laugh, and parents get good photos.

• Supplies: 2 sets of old adult shirts, hats and gloves, 2 cones
• Prize idea: A “best scarecrow” rosette for both teams
• Safety: Skip long trousers and scarves that could trip a child, and run on level grass.

How to run it

1. Split the children into two teams and put a set of oversized clothes at each start line.
2. Each runner pulls the clothes on, runs to the cone, takes them off and tags the next player.
3. The first team to finish wins; give both a rosette.

4. Leaf pile treasure dig

Bury small treasures in a pile of dry leaves, or a tub of them, and let children dig them out with their hands. It is quiet and tactile, and good for children who find noisy games too much.

• Supplies: A paddling pool or tub, bags of dry leaves, 20 plastic acorns or small toys
• Prize idea: Keep one treasure each
• Safety: Use treasures too big to swallow, and skip damp or mouldy leaves if a child has asthma or allergies.

5. Pumpkin bowling

Roll a small pumpkin or a light ball at ten painted bottles and count how many fall. Draw ghost or spider faces on the bottles and the booth sells itself.

• Supplies: 1 small pumpkin or light ball, 10 empty plastic bottles with a little sand or water inside, tape for the throw line
• Prize idea: A sticker for each strike
• Safety: Use a light ball if the pumpkin is heavy, and keep toes behind the line.

6. Leaf fishing pond

The calm, dry answer to bobbing for apples.

• Supplies: 20 card leaves with a number on the back, large metal washers, 4 sticks, string, strong magnets, a blue sheet or empty paddling pool
• Prize idea: A small prize matching the number
• Safety: Fix each magnet firmly so it cannot come off, and use washers rather than paper clips.

How to run it

1. Number the card leaves on the back and scatter them face up in the pond.
2. Each child fishes for one leaf with the magnet rod.
3. They read the number on the back and collect the matching prize.

7. Hay bale hop

Line up a few low bales as stepping stones for a short obstacle path: hop, step and climb over. Add a “hay hopper” stamp at the end.

• Supplies: 6 to 10 small square bales, a mat or straw underneath, a stamp or stickers
• Prize idea: A hay hopper stamp or sticker
• Safety: Keep every stack one bale high with an adult at each end, and ask parents about hay fever.

Fall festival games for school-age kids (ages 5 to 12)

Children this age want to compete, so give every game a clear finish line. Run races in small heats.

8. Sack race

Run two or three lanes at once and the whole field cheers.

• Supplies: One burlap sack or pillowcase per racer, cones, a whistle
• Prize idea: A ribbon for each heat winner
• Safety: Run on flat, short grass, never on concrete, and leave wide lanes so sacks do not tangle.

How to run it

1. Mark two or three lanes with cones.
2. Racers hop to the cone and back with both legs in the sack.
3. Run small heats and give a ribbon to each heat winner.

9. Three-legged race

It rewards teamwork more than speed, which suits mixed-age pairs.

• Supplies: Soft fabric strips, cones
• Prize idea: A team medal or sweets for both partners
• Safety: Tie below the knee with a soft strip, not too tight, and tell pairs to walk before they run.

How to run it

1. Pair players up and tie their inside ankles together with a soft strip.
2. Tell pairs to walk first, then run to the line.
3. Time each pair or run heats of four to six.

10. Egg-and-spoon race

Our egg-and-spoon race guide has rules for teams and relays.

• Supplies: Spoons, hard-boiled or plastic eggs, cones
• Prize idea: A small prize for the cleanest run
• Safety: Never use raw eggs: egg allergies and salmonella make hard-boiled or plastic eggs the safer choice.

How to run it

1. Give each racer a spoon and a hard-boiled or plastic egg.
2. Racers carry the egg to the line and back without dropping it.
3. A dropped egg means a restart from the start line; the cleanest run wins.

11. Apple on a string

Hang apples from a rail on strings at mouth height and race to take a bite with hands behind the back. It gives you the bobbing-for-apples moment with no shared water.

• Supplies: 10 apples, string, a rail or washing line, wet wipes
• Prize idea: An apple treat or a sticker
• Safety: Wash the apples, check for allergies and watch for choking. Skip it for children with loose teeth.

12. Pumpkin ring toss

Players toss rope rings over pumpkin stems or bottle necks. Score more for the smaller target and hand out prizes by points.

• Supplies: 6 rope or plastic rings, 6 mini pumpkins with sturdy stems or 6 bottles, a line marker
• Prize idea: A prize bracket by score, from a pencil to a mini pumpkin
• Safety: Use light rings only and keep onlookers behind and beside the thrower.

13. Candy corn count

Guests guess how many candy corns are in a jar. It sits at the front desk all afternoon and needs no volunteer.

• Supplies: A large sealed jar, one bag of candy corn, entry slips, pencils
• Prize idea: The whole jar to the closest guess
• Safety: Keep the jar sealed, list the ingredients beside it for allergies and count the corn in advance.

14. Pumpkin tic-tac-toe

Players take turns placing mini pumpkins marked X and O on a grid. A winner stays on, which keeps the queue moving.

• Supplies: 5 mini pumpkins marked X and 5 marked O, a grid drawn with chalk or tape on a mat
• Prize idea: A sticker for each win
• Safety: Play on level ground so rolling pumpkins stay away from feet.

15. Hay bale maze

If you have the space, stack bales in rows to form winding paths and dead ends, with gaps wide enough for small children. Hide a stamp at the exit so everyone has a goal.

• Supplies: 30 to 50 square bales, helpers to move them, a stamp or prize at the exit, rope and signs
• Prize idea: A finish-line stamp or sticker
• Safety: Keep walls one bale high and tightly packed, leave clear exits and put an adult marshal at the entrance.

Fall festival games for teens and adults

Older guests will join in if the game feels like a contest with a real prize. Run these at set times. For more ideas, see event game ideas.

16. Pumpkin carving contest

Run the crowd vote live with a poll and the winner is clear within seconds.

• Supplies: One pumpkin per entrant, pumpkin carving kits, spoons, newspaper, bins, towels, battery tealights
• Prize idea: A trophy and a place on display at the main entrance
• Safety: Use carving saws made for pumpkins rather than kitchen knives, carve on a steady table and light with battery tealights, not candles.

How to run it

1. Hand out pumpkins, carving kits and newspaper, and set a 30-minute timer.
2. Display the finished pumpkins together.
3. Open a live poll so the crowd can vote for the spookiest, funniest and most creative.

17. Pie-eating contest

The messier the better, and it needs only pies and a tarp.

• Supplies: One soft pie per contestant, a tarp, wet wipes, towels, a timer
• Prize idea: A trophy, or the chance to choose next year’s pie
• Safety: Label allergens on every pie, offer a plain alternative, and stop the contest if anyone coughs or chokes.

How to run it

1. Seat the contestants at a table covered with a tarp, one soft pie each.
2. Start the timer and have them eat with hands behind their backs.
3. The first to clear the pie wins; stop the contest if anyone coughs or chokes.

18. Scarecrow building contest

Teams get straw, old clothes and twine and 45 minutes to build a scarecrow. Display them along the path and let guests vote.

• Supplies: Stakes or chairs, straw, old clothes, twine, markers, a table for judging
• Prize idea: Bragging rights, plus a trophy chosen by crowd vote
• Safety: Keep wire and tools off the table, anchor the scarecrows so they cannot topple and clear straw from walkways.

19. Cornhole tournament

A single-elimination bracket runs itself with a volunteer scorer. The outdoor games for adults list has more yard-game ideas.

• Supplies: 2 cornhole boards, 8 bean bags, a score sheet or whiteboard
• Prize idea: A trophy or a gift card for the winners
• Safety: Keep spectators behind the throwing line and away from the sides of the boards.

How to run it

1. Set two boards facing each other and draw a single-elimination bracket.
2. Pairs throw four bags each per round, and a volunteer keeps score.
3. The bracket winners play the final.

20. Chilli and bake-off

Neighbours bring a pot of chilli or a bake, and guests taste and vote with a token or a score slip. It fills the middle of the afternoon without a single volunteer game master.

• Supplies: Tables, tasting cups and spoons, labels, score slips, power for slow cookers
• Prize idea: A ladle or rolling-pin trophy
• Safety: Label every ingredient for allergens and keep hot pots out of children’s reach.

21. Fall photo scavenger hunt

Teams photograph autumn items such as a scarecrow, a red leaf or a hay bale. Our scavenger hunt ideas give you more list items.

• Supplies: Phones, a printed list of 15 items, a set start and finish time
• Prize idea: A gift card or a trophy for the best set of photos
• Safety: Set clear boundaries and a return time, and send teams out in groups of three or more.

How to run it

1. Print a list of 15 autumn items and set a start and finish time.
2. Send teams of three or more out with their phones.
3. Teams return by the deadline and the best set of photos wins.

Wet-weather indoor fall festival games

Book a hall, gym or church room as a rain plan before the day. These seven games run in a small space, need very little kit and work for mixed ages.

22. Cake walk

A classic that needs only music, numbered squares and donated cakes. Draw the number with a spinner wheel for extra drama.

• Supplies: Paper squares numbered 1 to 20, a speaker, cakes, a hat of numbers or a spinner
• Prize idea: A cake from the donated table
• Safety: Label every cake for allergens and keep bags and coats off the walking circle.

How to run it

1. Number paper squares from 1 to 20 and lay them in a circle.
2. Players walk around the circle while the music plays.
3. When it stops, draw a number from the hat or spinner; the player on that square wins a cake.

23. Autumn bingo

Guests mark pictures of leaves, apples, pumpkins and scarecrows as the caller shows them. Print the cards in advance and a single volunteer can run the room.

• Supplies: Printed picture bingo cards, large counters, a bag of picture tiles
• Prize idea: A small prize for each line
• Safety: Use large counters, not buttons, for children under five.

24. Pumpkin pass

Musical chairs without the chairs.

• Supplies: 1 mini pumpkin, a speaker
• Prize idea: The last player wins a mini pumpkin
• Safety: Pass gently with two hands and sit on the carpet rather than chairs.

How to run it

1. Seat the players in a circle on the carpet.
2. Pass the mini pumpkin around to music.
3. Whoever holds it when the music stops is out; the last player wins.

25. Guess the weight of the pumpkin

Guests guess how much a big pumpkin weighs, and you check it on kitchen scales at the end. Display it near the entrance and collect guesses all afternoon.

• Supplies: One large pumpkin, kitchen scales, entry slips, a pencil
• Prize idea: The pumpkin goes to the closest guess
• Safety: Place it on a stable table and use two people to lift it.

26. Duck pond

Players pick a rubber duck from a tub and read the number on its base to win a matching prize. Add a screen with a duck race for the finale if you have a projector.

• Supplies: 30 rubber ducks numbered underneath with a marker, a shallow tub, a prize box
• Prize idea: The prize that matches the duck’s number
• Safety: Keep the tub dry, or use no more than an inch of water with an adult always beside it.

27. Pin the stem on the pumpkin

The classic pin-the-tail game with a pumpkin poster and paper stems.

• Supplies: A large pumpkin poster, paper stems, sticky tack, a soft scarf
• Prize idea: A sticker for the closest stem
• Safety: Use a loose cloth blindfold, keep the path clear and let an adult guide each child with a hand on the shoulder.

How to run it

1. Stick the pumpkin poster to the wall at child height.
2. Each child spins once, then walks to the poster with a scarf over their eyes and an adult guiding them.
3. They stick on the stem; the closest one wins a sticker.

28. Fall trivia booth

Show 10 true-or-false statements about autumn on a screen and let guests answer on their phones. It suits older children and is the quickest way to give a rainy-day crowd something to do.

• Supplies: A screen or projector, Wi-Fi, 10 True or False questions
• Prize idea: Sweets for the top three scores
• Safety: Let parents hold the phone for younger children and keep the queue short.

Planning a school or PTA fall festival

These steps keep a school festival manageable, and our event planning checklist covers the wider event.

1. Set the date and a rain plan first. Book the hall or gym at the same time as the field, and pick two indoor games from the list above.
2. Draw a booth map. Put noisy games such as races and ring toss away from the quiet corner for little kids, keep food near the exit, and leave a clear lane for first aid and a lost-child point.
3. Staff every booth with two volunteers on 30-minute shifts.
4. Sell tickets, not cash, at the booths. One ticket per game keeps the queues short and the money in one place.
5. Plan for allergies. Label all food, offer a nut-free table and keep prizes and sweets in sealed packs.
6. Check the rules. Ask the school office or the local council about insurance, volunteer checks and any permit for food or hay bales.
7. Keep the budget low. Start with the games that cost under $10 and use donated pumpkins, hay and prizes where you can.

Running a church or community festival? The same layout works: choose games from each age group and keep a quiet table for families who need a break. More seasonal ideas: our quiz questions for kids and, for the next holiday, virtual Thanksgiving party ideas.

Run the contests and raffle with AhaSlides

AhaSlides can run the event layer around your games: the votes, the photo entries and the prize draw.

• Poll for the crowd vote on the best pumpkin or scarecrow. Guests scan a QR code and the result appears on screen straight away.
• Photo Share for photo entries. Guests send a picture of their carved pumpkin or scarecrow from their phones, and you can download every photo from the report afterwards.
• Spinner Wheel or Duck Race for the raffle. The wheel picks one name from your entries, and in Duck Race every player who joins becomes a duck and luck decides the winner. See making a spinner wheel game.
• True or False for a trivia booth. Our Halloween quiz questions give you extra ideas.

The Party Spinner: Dares, Prizes and Roles template has a prize spinner you can fill with your raffle entries, and the Duck Race template is ready to run as it is.

The Free plan is capped at 50 participants per presentation, with 5 quiz questions and 3 poll questions, so a festival crowd larger than 50 needs a paid plan. Check the current limits on the pricing page before the day.

FAQ

How do I run a fall festival on a small budget?

Choose games that use things you can borrow: sack race, three-legged race, scarecrow relay and pumpkin pass are each estimated at $0 to $10. Ask a local farm to lend hay bales and parents to donate pumpkins and prizes.

What are safe alternatives to bobbing for apples?

Shared water spreads germs, so try apple on a string, the leaf fishing pond or a duck pond with a dry tub instead.

Sources and notes

This guide cites no statistics. Costs are the AhaSlides Team's rough US planning estimates, not supplier quotes. Stock photos are licensed from Freepik.