Celebrate autumn with a harvest party full of seasonal food, outdoor games, and decorations made from nature. Everything you need comes from a farmers market, a pumpkin patch, or your own backyard.
Time: 1-2 hours
Difficulty Level: Easy
Materials
- Pumpkins, gourds, and colorful fall leaves (for decorations)
- Apples and apple cider
- Pumpkin or squash (for seeds and baking)
- Straw bales (optional, for seating and obstacles)
What to Do
Decorations
- Visit a farmers market or pumpkin patch and collect pumpkins, gourds, ears of dried corn, and other fall produce.
- Gather natural materials: colorful leaves, pinecones, acorns, and dried grasses from your yard or a park.
- Arrange a centerpiece on your table using the collected items.
Food
- Hot apple cider. Heat apple cider in a pot and add a pinch of cinnamon. Serve warm in mugs.
- Homemade applesauce. Chop apples, cook with a little water until soft, and mash.
- Baked squash. Cut a squash in half, remove seeds, and bake cut-side down until soft.
- Roasted seeds. Toss pumpkin or squash seeds with oil and salt. Roast at 350 degrees until golden.
Games and Activities
- Bob for apples. Float apples in a tub of water. Players try to grab one using only their teeth.
- Pumpkin bowling. Set up empty bottles or cans as pins. Roll small, hard pumpkins or gourds to knock them down.
- Pumpkin carving or painting. Provide carving tools or paint and brushes for decorating pumpkins.
- Scarecrow building. Stuff old clothes with straw and prop up a scarecrow as a party guest.
- Straw bale obstacle course. Arrange bales for climbing, jumping, and racing.
Grownup help needed: Heating cider, baking, and supervising games with water.
