Dust off the cobwebs and put a unique spin on this ghoulish season. Host a fall festival with fun activities that will create lasting memories.
Get your fall festival started on the right foot. Create a tradition that symbolizes the beginning of a new season, like “the raking of the leaves.” It’s an easy, fun way to kick-start your fall festival. First, corner off a small section of your yard (preferably with heavy leaf activity) with some rope or cones. Once everyone arrives, gather them around the designated area and welcome them to the festivities with a “raking of the leaves” ceremony. In just a few minutes, you might just have the most immaculate yard on the street!
A Scarecrow Relay Race
Relay races are always a fun way for children and adults to bond together. You’ll need three or four old pairs of adult jeans or overalls, as well as some large button-down shirts and hay. (If a festivalgoer is allergic to hay, any kind of stuffing, like pillows, will work as well.)
- Line the pants on the ground as one station, and line the shirts near the pants as another station.
- On your mark, get set, go! Have the kids start at one end to belt up the pants, then have them run to the next station to put on the shirt, and at the last station, one adult (to each child) is in charge of stuffing hay in the shirt and pants.
- Whoever makes a scarecrow first, wins!
Decorate Your Own Goblet
Encourage the kids to make their own ghoulish goblet with empty bottles – just tear off the label and begin. Set up an area with different colored paper, scissors, markers, glitter, stickers and even fake jewels from the local craft store.
Witches’ Brew
Potion-making may only be taught at Wizardry School, but there is no reason why your festival can’t use a little magic. Grab a large pot (or something cauldron-like), and encourage the kids to walk around the yard grabbing leaves, sticks and grass throughout the festival. Each time they approach the “cauldron” with their “magic ingredients” ask them what they are throwing in. Dragon’s blood, eye of a snake or hair of a unicorn might just be some of their answers. Toward the end of the party, pour a colorful drink, like pink lemonade, into their goblets and voila – their very own Witches’ Brew.
Making Fall Memories
After the day’s events – the raking of the leaves, the scarecrow relay race and the potion-making class – the family album is going to be filled with some fun fall memories. In keeping with the theme of autumn, decorate your album with an array of colorful leaves picked at the festival and glue them on the cover. This is a fun activity to share with your kids. Don’t forget to have fun and be creative!
