The days are getting shorter, leaves are changing color, and Halloween candy is in stores. And there's still plenty of time for your kids to enjoy the outdoors, whether that means playing on their swing sets, some pick-up games at their backyard basketball hoops, or bouncing on the trampoline.
Or, they may be in the mood for a new game. If that's the case, look to this list of fall outdoor games we've collected from the home and garden website The Spruce, designed to provide you and your children with some fall outdoor fun.
1. Feed the Pumpkin
For this game, you'll need a large poster board and three ears of fall corn.
Start by drawing your best jack-o-lantern face on the poster board, and then cut out hole where the mouth was.
Prop up the poster board so it stands up, angled in a way that objects can pass through its mouth. Give each player three ears of corn. Have them stand a few feet away from the poster, and try to toss the corn through the mouth of the pumpkin. Score one point for each ear of corn that the pumpkin "eats."
2. Pumpkin Broom Race
This race can be a one-on-one competition or a relay in cases where you have several players divided into teams. The object is to roll a pumpkin from one end of the course to the next, using a broom. The first player/team to cross the finish line is the winner.
3. Leaf Pile Race
You'll need two rakes and two hula hoops for this game, and a lot of leaves. It may need to wait until later in the autumn, or at least until you have a lot of leaves raked and collected.
Divide players into two teams, with the two hula hoops on the ground. Give each team a rake, and time them. Whoever can rake, carry and pile the most leaves inside the hula hoop within the allotted time is the winner.
4. Obstacle Course
Another fall outdoor fun classic: the obstacle course, only with an autumnal flair, using hay bales, scarecrows and pumpkins.
You could make a maze out of the hale bales, use the pumpkins as hurdles, and have them run around the scarecrows. Have players do the obstacle course one at a time. Whoever finishes fastest wins.
5. Candy Corn Spoon Race
Fill two baskets with candy corn, or another small, fall-themed item, such as pumpkin seeds. Place the baskets on the ground side by side and divide players into two teams.
Each team should line up behind the baskets. Place two baskets – empty – on the ground at the end of each line.
Give every player a spoon, and set a timer for five minutes. When you say "go," the first players in line scoop out a spoonful of candy corn, then pass it from spoon to spoon down the line. The last person in line dumps their spoon in the empty basket. This goes on until time runs out. The winner is the team that gets the most candy corn in their basket.
For more fall outdoor fun suggestions, read our blog, where we discuss many different outdoor play activities that can be adapted for any season.
And if you're looking to add swing sets, basketball hoops or a new trampoline to your backyard, be sure to visit our website, or stop by one of our stores. We're confident we'll find something your kids will treasure, this fall and for many falls still to come.
