20 Fall Festival Game Ideas for Schools, Churches and Families

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Fall festival season runs all through October, and the game booths are what everybody remembers on the drive home. Whether you are planning a school carnival, a church fall festival or a neighborhood block party, you need games that are cheap to build, quick to explain and fun enough that kids line up for a second turn. If you want more seasonal ideas after this, my fall archive has crafts, recipes and printables.

These fall festival game ideas cover carnival classics, pumpkin and apple games, big group races and a few calm stations for the littlest guests. Most of them run on hay bales, pumpkins, buckets and things you can borrow from a garage, which leaves more of the budget for prizes.

Below you will find 20 games grouped by type, each with setup notes and the ages it suits best, followed by tips for running the stations and a list of prize ideas.

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Classic Carnival Booth Games

These are the booths people expect to see at a fall festival. Each one fits on a folding table or a patch of grass and needs only one volunteer.

Pumpkin Ring Toss

Line up pumpkins with tall, sturdy stems and let players toss rings from behind a hay bale. Pool rings or embroidery hoops work for little hands, and glow bracelets turn it into an after-dark game. Move the throw line back for older kids so it stays a challenge.

Duck Pond

Float rubber ducks in a kiddie pool and mark the bottoms with colors that match prize bins. Every child wins something, which is why this booth works so well for toddlers. Keep a towel nearby because little arms will end up wet to the elbow.

Fishing for Fall Fun

Hang a sheet or tablecloth over a doorway or between two chairs and let kids cast a pole with a clothespin on the end. A volunteer on the hidden side clips a small prize or a bag of candy to the line and gives it a tug. It takes almost no setup and the surprise is the whole fun.

Bean Bag Toss

Cut holes in a painted board or a big cardboard box decorated like a jack-o-lantern and give each player three bean bags. Assign points to each hole if older kids want to keep score. A cornhole set from someone’s garage works just as well with a fall sign taped to the front.

Spray Away Target Challenge

Set ping pong balls on golf tees pushed into a hay bale and hand out water squirt guns. Players race to knock every ball off before time runs out. Adjust the distance by age, and set this one up away from the cake walk.

Cake Walk

Tape numbered paper leaves or pumpkins in a circle on the floor and play music while players walk the loop. When the music stops, call a number and the person standing on it picks a baked good. Ask families to donate cakes, cookies or pumpkin bread ahead of time so the table stays stocked.

 

Pumpkin and Apple Games

Pumpkins and apples are cheap in October and they make the whole festival look like fall without extra decorations.

Pumpkin Bowling

Use small, round pumpkins as bowling balls and stand plastic bottles or mini hay bales up as pins. The lopsided roll is half the fun, and nobody can blame their score on skill. Pick pumpkins with short stems so they roll instead of wobbling sideways.

Pumpkin Roll Relay

Teams push a small pumpkin across the grass with a broom or a pool noodle, then hand off to the next player. It is harder to steer than it looks, which keeps adults laughing on the sidelines. This one is a good way to get parents and teachers into the game.

Donut on a String

Tie glazed or apple cider donuts to a string hung from a clothesline or a tree branch. Players keep their hands behind their backs and try to eat the donut without letting it fall. Have wet wipes ready, because there will be glaze on every face.

Apples on a String

This is a tidier take on bobbing for apples. Hang apples by their stems at mouth height and have players try to take a bite with no hands. Every player gets a fresh apple, so you skip the shared tub of water.

Guess the Weight of the Pumpkin

Set a giant pumpkin on a table with a sign-up sheet and let guests write down their best guess. Announce the closest guess at the end of the night and send the pumpkin home with the winner. It runs itself all evening and costs one pumpkin.

Big Group and Active Games

When a crowd shows up at once, these games keep a lot of kids moving with only a couple of volunteers.

Mini Olympics

Run a rotation of sack races, an egg and spoon relay and a three legged race in an open field. Kids can earn ribbons, stickers or extra game tickets for finishing. Run separate heats by age so the little ones are not racing middle schoolers.

Lawn Twister

Paint a giant Twister board straight onto the grass with marking spray paint, or use colored paper plates staked to the ground. One volunteer spins and calls out moves. It is big enough for a whole group to play at once.

Fall Scavenger Hunt

Send kids around the festival grounds looking for acorns, red leaves, a scarecrow or a hidden mini pumpkin. My printable fall scavenger hunt saves you from writing the list yourself. Hide a few bonus tickets along the route for extra excitement.

 

Hay Bale Obstacle Course

Arrange hay bales into a short course to climb over, crawl around and weave through, with a tire run or a cone zigzag at the end. Time each run and post the best score on a chalkboard. Check the bales for loose twine before anyone climbs.

Giant Tic Tac Toe

Lay out a grid with rope or painter’s tape and use small orange and white pumpkins as the Xs and Os. Two kids play while the next pair waits their turn. It is a good station to put near the food line.

 

Quiet Stations for Little Kids

Toddlers and preschoolers do better with a calm corner away from the races. These stations also give parents a place to sit for a minute.

Leaf Pile Treasure Hunt

Rake a big pile of leaves and bury plastic gems, small toys or wrapped candy inside. Little ones dig until they find a treasure and then take it to the prize table. Use leaves from a clean yard and check the pile for sticks first.

Pumpkin Decorating Station

Set out mini pumpkins with stickers, markers and foam shapes so kids can decorate one to take home. It doubles as a prize, since every child leaves with a pumpkin. These no-carve pumpkin crafts have more ideas for the table.

Corn Kernel Dig

Fill a shallow bin with dried corn and hide small fall toys or plastic spiders inside. Kids use scoops and their hands to find them. Put a tarp underneath, because corn will travel.

Photo Booth

A photo booth is not exactly a game, but it gets a line every year. Stack hay bales and pumpkins in front of a fall backdrop and set out a basket of props like hats, glasses and signs. Families leave with a picture and you get a crowd shot for next year’s flyer.

How to Run Fall Festival Game Stations

A little planning before the gates open keeps lines short and volunteers sane. These are the details that make the biggest difference for a school or church event.

• Use tickets: Sell or hand out tickets at one table so booth volunteers never have to make change.
• Staff every booth: Plan one volunteer per station and a few floaters for breaks, setup and cleanup.
• Check the ground: Walk the field for holes, uneven spots and loose cords before setting up.
• Keep water and first aid close: October can still be warm, so put a water station and a first aid kit near the active games.
• Separate loud and quiet areas: Put races and water games at one end and toddler stations at the other.
• Have a rain plan: Bean bag toss, ring toss, the cake walk and the fishing booth all move indoors easily.

Fall Festival Prize Ideas

Prizes keep kids coming back to the booths. Small and plentiful usually beats big and rare.

• Extra game tickets: The cheapest prize there is, and it keeps kids playing.
• Mini pumpkins: Easy to buy in bulk and they double as a take-home decoration.
• Fall treats: Bags of popcorn, candy corn or a candy apple for the big winners.
• Outdoor toys: Bubbles, jump ropes, foam balls and flying discs keep the fun going at home.
• Craft kits: Coloring pages, stickers and small craft packs for kids who like quieter prizes.
• Bakery prizes: Leftover cake walk treats make easy grand prizes at the end of the night.

Tip: Ask local businesses to donate gift cards or small items in exchange for a mention on your signs or flyer. Many are happy to help a school or church event.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Here are quick answers for parents, teachers and church volunteers planning fall festival games this October.

More Fall Activities for Families

• 50 Fall Activities for Families to Enjoy Together
• Fun Fall Family Traditions To Start This Year
• Free Fall Family Activities
• Fall Preschool Activity Pack

Fall Printables

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