Games add excitement to fall fairs.
A fall fair is a celebration usually held in September or October. Parent-teacher organizations at schools sometimes have fall festivals to raise money for educational programs, after school activities or sport clubs. Some Christian churches may hold a fall fair instead of a Halloween party. Often held outdoors, these events include a variety of games and crafts centered on a harvest theme.
Corn Shucking Relay
Use Indian corn for a colorful relay game.
To play this game you will need two pair of farmer-type overalls, two pair of work gloves, two straw hats, two pails and unhusked, dried ears of corn for each player.
Put the pails at the end of the playing area or at least 50 to 100 feet from the starting line. Make a pile of corn next to each pail.
Divide the children into two teams and ask them to stand in lines. Place the farmer's clothing at the beginning of each line.
The first person on each team must dress up like a farmer by putting on the overalls, work gloves and straw hat. He then runs to the pail at the end of the playing area, picks up an ear of corn and tries to remove the husk and all the kernels as quickly as possible. As soon as his corncob is shucked he can run back to his team and take off the farmer's clothing.
The next person in line then dresses like the farmer, runs to the pail and shucks one corncob. Play continues until all team members have shucked one ear of corn. The team that finishes its pile of corn first wins the relay.
Pumpkin Decorating Contest
Gourds and miniature pumpkins work well for this decorating contest
Set out a variety of craft supplies including markers, glitter glue, adhesive-backed craft foam, chenille stems, feathers, googly eyes and scraps of fabric. Give each child a miniature pumpkin and some glue. Tell the children they have 10 minutes to decorate their pumpkins using any of the materials on the table. When the time is up, award small prizes for craziest, happiest and scariest looking pumpkins. Everyone keeps her decorated pumpkins.
Guess How Many
Harvest mix candy also works for the Guess-How-Many game.
Fill a clear glass pumpkin-shaped jar with candy corn, counting each piece as you put it in. Set out the jar and let fair-goers try to guess how many pieces are in it. The person who guesses the number closest to the actual quantity wins the pumpkin jar and its contents.
Needle in the Haystack
To create this game you will need two bales of hay or straw and six large plastic needles in various colors. Use plastic needles with dull ends, like those found in children's cross-stitch kits.
Assign a specific prize to each needle color. Fall-themed prizes could include small bags of candy corn, scarecrow dolls, leaf sticker sets, orange silicone bracelets and simple craft kits.
Open the bales of hay or straw and fluff them up to create a large pile. Hide the plastic needles in a various places inside the pile. One child plays the game at a time. He has four minutes to find a needle in the haystack and win its associated prize.
Autumn Bingo
Give this traditional game an autumn twist by using bingo cards printed with pictures of harvest items like pumpkins, scarecrows and apple baskets. Older children can use cards printed with fall words. You can make your own picture or word bingo cards or download them for free from websites like DLTK-Kids or Bingo Card Creator. Give children candy corn or small colored leaves to mark their cards.
Tags: candy corn, plastic needles, bales straw, bingo cards, cards printed, cards printed with, fall fair