If you need inspiration to get the family outdoors this fall, we've got it. Fall games and activities for kids are the perfect way to keep everyone active throughout autumn and get them in the spirit of the season at the same time.
Play the classics, try some new outdoor ideas, and even visit local farms, parks, and other seasonal attractions to experience the best of the season. Get ready to fall in love with these fun ideas!
Creative Fall Outdoor Games to Try
Autumn is the ultimate season for fun and comfortable outdoor activities. Make the most out of this cool and crisp time of year with these exciting fall games for kids and families!
Blowing Leaves
Create a fun relay race where each player has to walk to a specific target and then back to the starting line while keeping a leaf in the air using only their breath. Players start by placing the leaf on their mouth and proceed to keep it in the air by blowing at it. You'll want to choose light, smaller leaves and make sure the target line isn't too far from the starting line.
Frisbee Bowling
You've probably heard of Frisbee Golf, but maybe not Frisbee bowling! Set up six small sticks, large leaves, or stacks of rocks in a bowling pin formation. Players must then toss their Frisbee from the other end of the yard to knock down or break your makeshift fall bowling pins. As with regular bowling, each person gets two tries on a turn. Keep score to see who ends up with the most points for the win.
Apple Stackers
Gather a bunch of apples — variety and size don't matter. You'll also need a timer and one person designated as the referee. Players all start with piles of apples within reach. Set the time for one or two minutes and see who can build the tallest stack of apples that stands for five seconds on its own.
Players can stack apples using any technique they can think of, but the stack can only use whole apples for supports. If you don't have apples on hand, choose another fall harvest item like mini pumpkins.
Eyeball Race
Similar to the classic Easter game that features an egg and a spoon, this relay has players run to the finish line with an eyeball on their serve ware! Parents can make their eyeballs using ping pong balls and sharpies. Then, grab some plastic spoons and see who can make it to the finish line in the blink of an eye!
I'm Going on a Walk
You can play this group game on a walk, hike, or in your own back yard with just a few sheets of paper and pencils. Players take turns calling out an object they see nearby by saying "I'm going on a walk and I'm taking..." All the other players must look for that object then run and touch it.
Once every player has had one turn for small, young groups or two turns for larger, older groups, each person must write down all the items named throughout the game. The person who remembers the most items in the correct order is the winner.
The Mummy Wrap Race
This Halloween-themed fall game for kids requires a few rolls of toilet paper and for parents to mark a start and finish line. Players will split up into two teams, with at least two people required for each team. The goal is simple — wrap your mummy as fast as you can, covering everything but their eyes and feet.
Make sure that their "bandages" are wrapped just right. Too loose and they will fall off. Too tight and they might tear. Once the mummy is ready to go, they must race to the finish line without ripping their bandages.
Classic Fall Outdoor Games
The cooler temperatures and changing colors make fall outdoor games for kids tons of fun! Check out these classic autumn options that are fun for the whole family.
Bobbing for Apples
If you have several children at your house, why not have an old-fashioned apple bobbing contest? Fill a large bucket or tub with water and delicious red apples and set it on a picnic table. Let each child try to catch an apple with their teeth. Be sure you supervise the children, never leaving them alone with the bucket of water.
Pumpkin Roll
Give each child a pumpkin and see who can reach the finish line first by rolling their pumpkin across the lawn with their feet. Alternatively, if you live in a hilly area, place some round pumpkins at the top of a gentle slope and watch them roll down. Younger children can also take turns following the pumpkins' path by rolling through some leaves.
Capture the Pumpkin
Almost everyone has heard of capture the flag, but have you tried capture the pumpkin! The premise is the same, but instead of competing to snag a flag, you will be swiftly picking a pumpkin on the opposing team's side and bringing it back to your patch!
Leaf Maze
If you have plenty of trees in your yard, try holding off on the raking until the leaves have all fallen. Then, create a maze for children to meander through by raking the leaves into a maze of paths across your yard. Place a small prize such as a lollipop in the center to motivate them to go through the trails.
Leaf Jumping
What child doesn't love to jump into a pile of leaves? Tackle your yard work and entertain your kids at once. Rake up several piles all over the yard and let your children have a ball!
Obstacle Course
Create an obstacle course by either setting up items in the yard, such as cans, boxes, and hula hoops, or by using the items already in your yard, like swing sets, trees, bushes, and outdoor furniture. Be sure and tell the kids the order of the obstacles (you can label them if you like). Then, time for the kids to see who can travel over the course the fastest!
Ghostly Corn Hole
This is a festive spin on an old classic! Grab your drab corn hole boards and spice things up by heading over to your local craft store. Snag some black markers and two white poster boards that are big enough to cover the top half of your playing space.
Then, head home and draw a large ghost. Cut out a hole for his mouth and position your spirit so that the cutout goes directly over the corn hole! Finally, see who shouts boo-yah the fastest while you play a spirited game of bean bag toss!
Fall Family Outings
The cooler weather and crisp air that follow a muggy summer can inspire the whole family to get out and enjoy the outdoors. These are some of the top activities to check off your bucket list this season!
Geocaching
If you have older children and a hand-held GPS device, try geocaching. Fall is the perfect time for this because it gives the whole family an opportunity to take a look at changing leaf colors while you hunt for the cache. To take part in the cache hunt, visit the geocaching website to find the coordinates to a cache in your area. Program your GPS and set off. Don't forget to bring a trinket to leave behind you when you find the treasure.
Go to the Orchard
If you live near an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch, take your kids out to pick the season's fruit. Once you bring them home, you can have fun baking, carving, or making fun apple head sculptures and jack-o'-lanterns.
Visit a Farmer's Market
Fall is a great time to head out to the local farmer's market, where you will find a full harvest of local produce. Many markets also offer outdoor entertainment. Make a family day of your visit.
Make Your Way Through a Corn Maze
Visiting a corn maze is a quintessential fall activity that is fun for everyone! Follow the clues supplied by the farm and see if you can make it out before dark! Many of these locations also offer hay rides to the pumpkin patch, sunflower picking, carnival style food, and horse rides, making this another perfect way to spend a fall morning or afternoon.
Tour a Professional Pumpkin Display
Across the United States, there are spectacular pumpkin displays where families can explore villages made entirely of pumpkins! You will see gourd-geous exhibits that are made with all kinds of pumpkins and winter squash. Many are also carved and lit up, making this an excellent evening activity.
Take a Nature Discovery Walk
Find a wooded area, city park, or another nature-rich location near your home to take your kids to enjoy the changing of the seasons. Have each child bring a small notebook of unlined paper, a few crayons, and pencils.
Once you set off on your walk, ask your kids to note anything that seems different than it was in the summer, such as changing leaves, cooler temperatures, a need for a jacket, or falling acorns. Kids can also make leaf rubbings by placing a leaf beneath a sheet of paper and gently rubbing a crayon over it.
Outdoor Autumn Crafts
Are your kids already bored, claiming there is nothing to do? How about involving them in some fall crafts? Invite the neighbors, and hold a contest to judge the best, most unique, or even ugliest crafts!
You can award prizes such as gift certificates for ice cream or video games, or hand out small pieces of candy, inexpensive plastic medallions, or gold candy coins. Doing the crafts outdoors can make the clean up easier as well!
Seed Necklaces
You'll need some cording or string and a needle. Head outside to gather acorns and seeds from vegetable stalks, flower pods, trees, etc. Let kids string their treasures onto the cording to create seed necklaces and bracelets.
Stick Hats
Send the kids outdoors to gather an assortment of sticks for this project. The sticks should be between nine to 12 inches long. You'll also need string. Begin tying the sticks together, joining them at the bottom and at the top.
Keep adding sticks until the circumference of all the sticks fits around your kid's head. Pull the ends together and tie. If the sticks scratch your little one's head, glue a piece of felt to the inside of the stick hat for padding.
Pumpkin Painting
Have a pumpkin painting party by giving each child their own pumpkin and supplying plenty of paints for decorating. Doing this activity outside allows kids to be creative, and you won't have to worry about getting paint all over the house. Remember to set your finished creations out on the front stoop for everyone to enjoy once you're done.
For the parents who are looking to limit the mess on their deck, consider laying down butcher paper where you plan to hold your paint party! This makes clean up even easier!
Make a Scarecrow
Kids outgrow clothes so quickly that you probably have some old pants, shirts, and shoes lying around the house. Gather these up along with a pair of pantyhose. Tie off the shirt sleeves and legs of the pants, and stuff leaves into the clothing to create a scarecrow version of each child.
Stuff one leg of a pair of pantyhose for the face, and decorate with markers and yarn, and then add a hat to finish your creation. Prop him or her up by the front door with some cornstalks and pumpkins for a fun fall scene.
Make Pumpkin Centerpieces
This is a great autumn activity for older kids. For this craft, head to your favorite hobby store and pick up some of your favorite fall floral options — flowers, leaves, acorns, and greenery. You will also need to grab wire clippers or garden shears and a hot glue gun. Finally, snag a pretty pumpkin that you want to decorate!
All that is left is to cut off the stems of all the faux flowers you selected and glue them to the top of the pumpkin. This is a wonderful way to spruce up your home and have some fun at the same time!
While they won't last quite as long, my favorite way to do this craft is with live flowers! Make them just before you hope to display your pumpkin and they are guaranteed to get some compliments!
Fun Activities and Fall Games for Kids
No matter what activities you and your child engage in this fall, be sure to have fun together and to take some photographs. You'll be making memories that will last for many seasons to come — and your child will also learn a few facts about autumn by participating in these activities too.
