| TwinCitiesKidsClub.com

Fall is here! And with the drop in temperature comes piles of leaves, pumpkin spice, jack-o-lanterns, and fun party opportunities for kids. We know you're anxious to see the smiles of joy all around when your kids and their friends have a fun night at a Halloween party. However, before you start sending the invitations, you'll want to think of unique ways to make a lasting impression on guests with your spooky bash. These four fall party ideas for kids should help you get started with the planning. And if you want even more opportunities to bring smiles to your kids' faces, we have lots of fun activities and discounts for family-friendly events! Join Twin Cities Kids Club for FREE today for a discount card to local MN businesses. 1. Set the Mood The first step to having a great harvest party is the decorations. This is the first thing your guests will see when they arrive, and you want to wow them right away with plenty of colors. Of course, no Halloween party is complete without a few mummies, ghosts, witches, and vampires to greet guests. But it's also easy to create the right atmosphere for an autumn harvest-themed party: Press autumn leaf shapes onto construction paper and place them around the entryway. Set some small pumpkins by the door and consider painting them in a variety of colors. Buying or making your own jack-o-lanterns is also a good idea and can be a way to get your kids excited for Halloween. If you are going to have any part of your event outside, getting one or two hay bales looks great and gives you enough seating for kids. 2. Host a Pumpkin Carving Contest Carving a pumpkin and roasting the seeds can be a very special memory for kids, so we think having a small pumpkin carving contest is one of the best fall party ideas for kids. The best way to orchestrate this contest is by splitting the kids into about four manageable groups, so the action happens faster and everyone gets plenty of time to carve. Make sure you assign at least one adult per group of kids to supervise and advise on carving. Concerned this might be too dangerous for a big party? Another less messy and safer way to have a pumpkin contest is to have the kids paint the pumpkin instead! You may decide to have one winner, or you could offer prizes in multiple categories, like most creative, or most artistic, and scariest pumpkin. These categories could work for both carving and painting. And no matter who wins, everyone can take their work home. If you want to give kids even more opportunities to win, play pass the pumpkin with the pumpkins that won the contest! 3. Encourage Arts and Crafts Decorations are always admired during autumn — why not give your guests the chance to create their own beautiful decor? Head to your local craft store to pick up some supplies, and let the fun begin! Some crafts can be as easy as getting white faux leaves to make ghost decorations! Another really fun but potentially messy option is leaf paint impressions. Kids love to do these (probably because of the mess!), and they are super easy to get supplies for. If you like this idea but don't want to deal with the mess, you could also do leaf rubbings with crayons for easier clean-up later. There are many other things you can do with some leaves and construction paper. Try turning the differently shaped leaves into animals by drawing on them. You can also have the kids make leaf crowns by stapling leaves onto construction paper crowns or cutting out a leaf shape and making it into a crown. Putting together a scavenger hunt is one of the most exciting fall party ideas for kids because it ignites their sense of adventure. Lay a trail of sunflower seeds along the ground to point the kids towards the clues! 4. Fall Foods and Drinks Pumpkin pie, apple cider, and a caramel apple bar are must-do party ideas for kids. But there are also loads of other Fall-themed food and drinks to consider adding to your menu. One unique offering is pumpkin-shaped deviled eggs. Also, instead of having a cake like you would for a birthday party, what about pumpkin spice rolls with frosting that looks like spider webs? As for drinks, one easy way to give any beverage more Halloween spirit is to decorate the cups! If you have some sort of punch bowl, you should consider adding some dry ice to make it look like a potion. Just make sure none of the kids get any dry ice directly in their drinks. Let the Festivities Begin Overall, there are hundreds of unique ways you can host a fall or Halloween-themed party for kids. No matter whether you decide to excite guests with a unique scavenger hunt or spark creativity with arts and crafts, the options are unlimited, and you can customize events based on what you think your group will enjoy the most. If you need more ideas or decide to take your outing to a local spot in Minnesota, make sure to join Twin Cities Kids Club. You get discounts and insider tips on fun fall activities in the Twin Cities area!