Fall Party Ideas

fall party napkin

Celebrate the changing of the seasons with a fall party. Decorate with beautiful colors of autumn and fill your house with the joys of the harvest. Gather friends and family and enjoy activities, games and food as you celebrate the festivities that come with fall equinox.


fall party napkin

Celebrate the changing of the seasons with a fall party. Decorate with beautiful colors of autumn and fill your house with the joys of the harvest. Gather friends and family and enjoy activities, games and food as you celebrate the festivities that come with fall equinox.



Fall Decorations

  • Decorate with fall colors – rust orange, nutmeg brown, yam yellow
  • Outside use a bale of hay or straw
  • Bunch and display colorful fall corn
  • sunflowers
  • Make or buy a pre-made scarecrow
  • Apples carved out with tea light candles inside
  • Decorate your table using a fall color table cloth
  • Use scented candles. Experiment with different shapes and colors and smells to find your favorite
  • Use wooden discs to accent and display items for centerpieces, food items, etc.
  • Use Raffia to wrap around many different items. This will help tie it all together
  • Have a balloon arch with fall colors accenting the food areas
  • Have plaid blankets to keep guests warm if necessary
  • Electric heater if your party is outdoors
  • Hang twinkle lights and an old chandelier to hold candles
  • Have lanterns both with candles (or artificial candles) and jar versions with mini string lights inside to accent your party areas.



Fall Party Activities

playing in leaves activity
  • Rake the Leaves - Where I grew up we had tons of leaves in the fall that we had to rake up. Once the pile was big enough, we would all take turns jumping in the leaves. This is also an activity that my own children enjoyed.
  • Go to a local fall parade and fall fair. In the country there are always lots of small town fall fairs. These are the best fairs, little line ups and all the fun of a large amusement park.
  • Enter your artwork, pie or vegetable to win a prize in a fair. This activity will bring more anticipation to the fall fair.
  • Go for a nature hike - There is no better time of year to go for a nature hike or bike ride. The trees are changing colors and the birds are flying south, etc. There are so many changes in nature to appreciate.
  • Plant a tree -The fall is an excellent time to plant a tree. This will teach children to appreciate their environment and bring beauty to the surroundings for generations to come.
  • Host a campfire (if bylaws permit) - Campfires are fantastic in clear crisp fall evenings. Campfires are great to play music by, relax and have a drink and of course roast marshmallows and make smores.
  • Go apple picking then make apple cider – yummy.
  • Go to a corn maze
  • Have a pumpkin carving contest



Fall Party Games

  • Three Legged Race - Either run a regular three legged race (tying your leg to a friends and running) or set up an obstacle course to race through.
  • Small Pumpkin Ring Toss - Find smaller pumpkins with a handle that are usually used for making pumpkin pie. Use these to make a unique ring toss game.
  • X & Os pumpkin style - Use mini pumpkins and paint Xs and Os on the side to play Xs and Os. 
  • Estimation Games - Have mason jars filled with different types of fall candy (mini pumpkins, candy corn, etc.). Have your guests guess the amount of candy in a jar. The closest guess wins the jar of candy.
  • Fall bingo and scavenger hunt
  • Outdoor bowling - Line your bowling course with bales of hay
  • Beer Pong (for the ‘of age’ of course) - Set up a table outside and you need a number of cups, ping pong balls and beer. The object of the game is to toss your ball into your opponent’s glass (multiple glasses are set up like a bowling pin triangle). If you are successful your opponent drinks the beer and the game continues until all the glasses are drunk. Hint: have lots of ping pong balls on hand.
  • Large backyard games like jenga, chess, scrabble, checkers, etc. 
  • Outdoor activities like horseshoes, washers, ladder toss, etc.
  • Click here for some country fair party game ideas



Fall Party Art Activities

Most fall art activities that come to mind revolve around apples and trees. Here are a couple of simple ideas.

Sandy Tree – In little cups mix fall colored paint with sand (from a beach or local craft store). The paint becomes thick and textured. On construction paper (with a Q-tip) first paint a tree trunk, next dot on colorful leaves. Every painting will look different depending on the age of the child

sandy tree craft

Season Tree – This is a really beautiful art activity, but it takes a long time. You need construction paper for your backdrop, tissue paper and white glue. Tear brown construction paper to look like a tree trunk and branches. Tear tissue paper, place around pencil and dip into glue to add leaves. And tear white tissue paper to add some snow. Make sure that your seasons go in order. It will look fantastic (5 year olds and older).

season tree craft

Colorful Hands – Have an arrangement of fall color paint. Paint the paint onto your hands and place your hands onto the paper to make your work of art.

colorful hands craft

Easy Apples – Pre-cut out the shape of apples. I would make these apple shapes red or green. Cut out littler shapes in red and green. Glue these shapes onto your cut out apple. Once you are happy with the look, use a hole punch to make a hole for your worms. Just use a brown pipe cleaner for your worm. Place your worm through the hole to complete your fall apple.

easy apples craft

Most fall art activities that come to mind revolve around apples and trees. Here are a couple of simple ideas.

Sandy Tree – In little cups mix fall colored paint with sand (from a beach or local craft store). The paint becomes thick and textured. On construction paper (with a Q-tip) first paint a tree trunk, next dot on colorful leaves. Every painting will look different depending on the age of the child

sandy tree craft

Season Tree – This is a really beautiful art activity, but it takes a long time. You need construction paper for your backdrop, tissue paper and white glue. Tear brown construction paper to look like a tree trunk and branches. Tear tissue paper, place around pencil and dip into glue to add leaves. And tear white tissue paper to add some snow. Make sure that your seasons go in order. It will look fantastic (5 year olds and older).

season tree craft

Colorful Hands – Have an arrangement of fall color paint. Paint the paint onto your hands and place your hands onto the paper to make your work of art.

colorful hands craft

Easy Apples – Pre-cut out the shape of apples. I would make these apple shapes red or green. Cut out littler shapes in red and green. Glue these shapes onto your cut out apple. Once you are happy with the look, use a hole punch to make a hole for your worms. Just use a brown pipe cleaner for your worm. Place your worm through the hole to complete your fall apple.

easy apples craft

Fall Party Food

  • Homemade soup of any kind
  • Chili bar
  • Homemade buns (so good and worth the effort)
  • Caramel / Hot Fudge Apple Nacho Bar - Warm fondue of caramel and hot fudge - have sliced apples that are topped with the caramel and hot fudge and then add toppings of your choice - M&Ms, nuts, marshmallows, candy corn
  • Apple cider
  • Coffee and hot chocolate bar
  • Apple pie
  • Smores - I like to use fudge shortbread cookies because the one side is all chocolate then you sandwich this with your warm toasted marshmallow  
  • Maple cookies in the shape of a maple leaf
  • Make a fall cake 
  • Click here for lots of fun cake ideas


  • Homemade soup of any kind
  • Chili bar
  • Homemade buns (so good and worth the effort)
  • Caramel / Hot Fudge Apple Nacho Bar - Warm fondue of caramel and hot fudge - have sliced apples that are topped with the caramel and hot fudge and then add toppings of your choice - M&Ms, nuts, marshmallows, candy corn
  • Apple cider
  • Coffee and hot chocolate bar
  • Apple pie
  • Smores - I like to use fudge shortbread cookies because the one side is all chocolate then you sandwich this with your warm toasted marshmallow  
  • Maple cookies in the shape of a maple leaf
  • Make a fall cake 
  • Click here for lots of fun cake ideas

Fall Party Favors

  • Scented candle – vanilla, apple or cinnamon
  • Wrap coffee or tee and attach cinnamon sticks
  • Apple cider
  • Individual apple pie wrapped with plaid ribbon with a single fork tied onto the ribbon