Drenched Pumpkins (K-6)

Two carved pumpkins
Four water spray bottles
four to six votive candles
Matches
Plastic backdrop
Masking tape

This game is ideal for outdoor play. Sine it involves lit  candles and spray bottles, be sure to check with your school to see if these items may be used indoors or outside. A parent must always be at this station.

1. Purchase two pumpkins of the same size.

2. Carve out jack-o-lantern style, giving each a big mouth.

3. Place a votive candle inside each pumpkin.

4. Mark your starting line with masking tape.

5. Form two teams. Give each team a water-filled spray bottle.

6. Light the  candles.

7. Depending on the power of the spray bottles, the children may need to be one to three feet away from the pumpkins. The kids take turns squirting water into the pumpkin's mouth trying to extinguish the flame.

8. If played inside, use a backdrop behind and under the pumpkins to catch the water.

Note: It is best to have one parent helper supervising the game while a second helper continuously reloads water into additional spray bottles. Also, it is best to have extra votive  candles in case the wax on the originals gets too wet to re-light.

Silly Pumpkin Relay  (K-6)

Orange construction paper
Marker
Masking tape

1. Think of lots of different relay race activities the kids can do such as: Walk backwards, walk like like a caterpillar, leap, ski, hop, do a cartwheel, jump like a bunny and do a somersault.

2. Make pumpkin shapes out of construction paper (one per student). Dividing the number of pumpkins in half, write a different activity on each pumpkin in the first group. Repeat this procedure with the second group so that you have two sets of the same activity.

3. Form two teams and mark your starting line with masking tape.

4. The pumpkin shapes are placed in two piles on the floor across the room with one pile opposite each team.

5. The first child on each team runs to that team's pile of pumpkin shapes, picks one up and performs the activity while heading back towards the child's team.

6. The next team member goes.

7. The first team to finish wins.

Pumpkin Shootout (K-6)

Plywood or orange poster board
Paints
Crossbow/foam shooting arrows
Masking tape

1. Before the party, draw five pumpkin shapes of different sizes on the plywood or orange poster board. Cut them out. If you use plywood, paint it orange. (This wood version can be saved for many years of use.)

2. Give each pumpkin-shaped opening a point value.

3. Using masking tape, designate a line behind which participants stand when shooting.

4. Give each player three tries to shoot eh objects into the cut out pumpkin holes.

5. Add the pint values. The highest total winds.

Pumpkin Hop (K-6)

Orange construction paper (about 20 sheets)
Marker
Masking tape

1. This game can be played with one team or more.

2. Place six to ten large pumpkin cut-outs (made from construction paper) per team in a crooked line on the floor. It is best to tape these down so there will be no shifting.

3. Designate starting and finish lines with masking tape.

4. Have each team line up at its starting line. The children will hop from the first pumpkin to the last pumpkin in the order they were placed on the floor. If a child misses the pumpkin they go back to the starting line and starts over.

5. When a child reaches the finish line, the next team member may go and repeat the process.

6. The first team to finish wins.

7. For younger children, place the pumpkins closer together and have the kids hop on two feet.

8. for older children, place the pumpkins farther apart and have the kids hop on one foot.

9. It helps if the pumpkins are marked with consecutive numbers or alphabet letters. This way the younger students can practice counting or reciting the alphabet. For older grades, spell the numbers in different languages or use math problems to direct them. An example of a math problem: "two times three plus four equal ten."

Pumpkin Toss (K-6)

Six carved pumpkins (all the same size) or
Six plastic pumpkins (all the same size)
Three ping pong balls
Masking tape

1. Carve six pumpkins jack-o-lantern style with their lids removed. Or use plastic pumpkins. Place them directly behind one another in a line.

2. Determine a starting line marked with masking tape.

3. Mark the pumpkins one through six.

4. Give the player a ping pong ball to toss into the first pumpkin.

5. If the player succeeds provide a prize and have the player continue on to the pumpkin number two, and so forth. Give a prize each time the ball makes it into a pumpkin. If the player misses a pumpkin, the player's turn is over and the next person tries.

6. This came can also be played for points by putting a number on each pumpkin--for example, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25.

7. Prizes can be stickers, stamps on their hands, books, candy, trinkets, etc.

Variation: Scatter the pumpkins instead of placing them in a straight line. Let each child have three balls to toss. Add up the points at the end of each player's turn.

Ballroom