• Scarecrows decorations can add fun to fall parties.scarecrow party image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
  
  There are many reasons to plan a Fall Harvest party. Your child might have a fall birthday or your child's school may combine Halloween, Mid-Autumn Festival and Thanksgiving into one big party. With a little planning and a few supplies, fall parties can be filled with games to make children happy.
  
  

Pumpkin Rolling Relay

• A Pumpkin Rolling Relay is a great team game where children are divided evenly into small groups of around five players each. The game area needs a start line and each team needs a cone or marker about 20 feet from the start. Each team also needs a medium sized pumpkin. The goal is for each team member to roll the pumpkin to the marker, around and back to the start line. The next player does the same until all the team members have had a turn.
  
  

Pumpkin Decorating Contest

• Provide each child with a small pumpkin and paints or permanent markers. Allow children to paint and draw on their pumpkins for fifteen to twenty minutes. Give small prizes or ribbons for the silliest pumpkin, scariest pumpkin, most original pumpkin and any other categories you can think of.
  
  

Harvest Ring Toss

• Select five objects that are fall related, such as a mini hay bale, decorative corn or a small scarecrow. Find these fall items and more at craft stores and party supply stores. Set the items in a row, about 2 feet apart. Using small hoops, such as embroidery hoops, children try to ring as many of the items as possible.
  
  

Turkey in the Straw

• Use a small plastic pool or contained area on the playground and fill with hay. Hide a small turkey figure or picture in the straw for children to find for special small prize. You can also use a scarecrow figure if you want. Alternatively, hide letters that spell the location or name of the next activity or the menu for a special lunch.
  
  

Bean Bag Toss Game

• There are two ways to play the bean bag toss game. One idea is to use thin plywood or thick cardboard and draw or paint a turkey, scarecrow or other fall picture covering the board. Cut holes in the board for children to toss bean bags through the holes. Another idea would be to cover five small empty coffee cans with scarecrow or turkey pictures. Stack the cans in a pyramid for children to knock down the with bean bags.
  
  

Printable Games

• Harvest bingo, jigsaw puzzles, memory games and dominoes can be printed free from the Internet. Word searches, decoding puzzles, word mining puzzles, word scrambles, crosswords and coloring pages, also available for free, can be copied and stapled together for a great party favor or prize.