Fall Festival Ideas

[dbsam]

I’m looking for ideas for a school fall festival. The school is an environmental place-based school in a wooded setting and I was hoping to have projects/events that fit the school’s theme. I am not on the festival committee but heard today of some of their ideas. I would like to offer alternatives as I feel there are other options that are more appropriate for the school. E.g. they wanted to have carnival type games and pass out candy as prizes, have a ring toss with two-liter bottles of pop with the pop being the prize, have a bouncy house-all children love bouncy houses but I felt we could do something different. Some of their ideas that I liked were: guided hikes with rangers, scarecrow decorating contest, and taffy apple decorating.

So…Any great fall crafts, games, activities? We will have indoor and outdoor space available and the event is being held on a Sunday afternoon.
TIA

[ollyoxenfree]

How about lantern-making? It's appropriate to the season. There are a bunch of different tutorials: check some Waldorf blogs. One involves re-using jars and covering them with tissue paper. Another uses painted watercolour paper.

Corn husk doll-making is another nice craft this time of year.

Mobiles made from deadfall branches and tissue or construction paper leaves? Maybe with some acorns and pinecones and maple keys that the kids collected on their guided forest walk?

I guess bobbing for apples is out these days. I heard my first H1N1 news story the other day. Instead, how about a Needle in the Haystack game? Might be messy, but have a small haystack or 2, and bury small prizes (apples?) inside - enough that every kid can find something. You'll probably have to replenish often.


HTH

[dbsam]

Ollyoxenfree,
Thank you for the response. I especially like the lantern idea. I forwarded it, along with a few ideas I found online, to one of the festival committee members. (and if they choose not to include it in the event, we will make lanterns at home!)