Celebrate the rich colors, spicy scents, and delicious flavors of fall by throwing a harvest party!
by Kate Hofmann
MAKE IT YUMMY
Visit a farmers market and look for apples and apple cider, squash, pumpkins, and other harvest-time goodies. Ask a grownup for help in the kitchen to fix treats such as:
- Hot Apple Cider. Heat cider and add a pinch of cinnamon.
- Autumn Applesauce. Peel the apples, remove the cores, and chop them into pieces. Cook them in a pan with a little water, stirring now and then as they turn into sauce.
- Baked Squash. Cut squash in half, remove the seeds and pulp, and bake it until it’s soft.
- Roasted Seeds. Save the seeds from squash or pumpkins. Wash them, toss with a little oil and salt, and roast them in the oven at 350° F until they’re golden and crisp.
MAKE IT PRETTY
The farmers market is a good place to look for party decorations, too. Pick out some pumpkins and gourds. Take a walk in your neighborhood to collect colorful autumn leaves, pine cones, and other interesting things. Use your artist’s eye to arrange your finds into a beautiful table centerpiece.
MAKE IT FUN
Time to party! Try some of these just-for-fall activities:
- Bob for apples.
- Carve or paint pumpkins.
- Make scarecrows.
- Make a straw-bale obstacle course and play “Follow the Leader” through it.
- Have a pumpkin-rolling race (first pumpkin across the finish line wins).
- Play pumpkin bowling:
- You’ll need bowling pins and small, hard pumpkins. Set up the bowling pins on a hard surface. Draw a line on the ground where bowlers must stop before rolling their pumpkin.
- Recruit some keen volunteers to keep setting up the pins. It’s lots of work to keep setting up those pins for every bowler, but good fall exercise!
