Outdoor Fall Games for Children

It’s fall! Time to have some fun!

There's no better way to celebrate the arrival of autumn than with a host of outdoor fall games for children. You and your kids can welcome the brisk feeling of this favorite time of the year by getting outside and having some fun. We’ve got lots of great game ideas. Don’t forget to check out our many other activity articles, including Fall Activities for Kids, Outdoor Activities for Kids, and Children and Family Entertainment.

Types of Outdoor Fall Games for Children

Outdoor fall games for children can include organized sports or just impromptu play. You can play the old standbys, like hide and seek, kick ball, and freeze tag. You could also have a scavenger hunt, camp out, marshmallow roast, or hay ride. Don’t forget to check out any local corn mazes that might be in your area, or create your own leaf maze by raking leaves to create paths for younger kids to enjoy. All of these are fun games to enjoy on a beautiful autumn day or night. For more ideas, keep reading.

Outdoor 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, even ugliest crafts! You can award prizes such as gift certificates for ice creams or video games, or simply hand out small pieces of candy or inexpensive, plastic medallions or gold candy coins. Check out the following crafts, which are easy and inexpensive to make.

Seed Necklaces

You’ll need some cording or string and a needle. 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.

Faux Fossils

If your kids are like most, they are probably fascinated with fossils. Let them create their own faux fossils. You’ll need clay, an assortment of objects, and plaster of Paris. Flatten the clay and press the object (leaf, rock, stick, etc.) into the clay. Remove the object and prepare the plaster of Paris. Spoon the mixture into the impression, making sure to fill in all of the cracks. Allow the plaster to dry for up to an hour, then peel away the clay. There is your fossil.

Stick Hats

You’ll need sticks and string for this project. The sticks should be from 9 to 12 inches long. Begin tying the sticks together, joining them at the bottom and at the top. Keep adding sticks until the circumference of all of the sticks fits around your kid’s head. Pull the ends together, and tie. If the sticks scratch your little guy’s head, glue a piece of felt to the inside of the stick hat for padding.

More Game Ideas

We’ve got more great outdoor fall games for children. Try the following games with your kids.

Stuff the Scarecrow

You’ll need old clothing and hay or straw. For the head you can use a hollowed out pumpkin or a Halloween mask. You can make a contest out of this game. Hand each participant enough clothes and hay to create a scarecrow. You might need to let kids work with partners. Now, time them to see who can create a scarecrow the quickest!

Name That Leaf

Gather an assortment of leaves from various trees in your yard, the neighborhood, or a local park. Let kids work individually or in pairs to try and correctly identify the leaves using books from the library or by accessing the computer.

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 the kids to see who can travel over the course the fastest!

For more great game ideas, check out Disney Family and Family Fun.