Fall Party

What You Need:

• Card stock
• Tissue paper
• Markers
• Leaves from outside
• Tempera paints in fall colors
• Construction paper
• Clear-drying, non-toxic glue
• Glitter
• Chocolate cupcakes, homemade or storebought
• Apple pie, homemade or storebought
• Pumpkin-based desserts and snacks
• Rakes
• A pumpkin
• Index cards

What You Do:

1. First, make a invitations using card stock, tissue paper and markers.
   • Fold a piece of white or cream-colored card stock in half horizontally from top to bottom.
   • Draw or trace a leaf onto the paper with the side or top meeting the edge of the fold. Use a leaf stencil or seasonal cookie cutter for a pattern if needed.
   • Make anything from oak to maple to more general oval-shaped leaf. Cut your leaf out (you will be cutting through two pieces of paper as it is a folded card). Make sure to keep the top attached at the fold to keep the card shape.
   • Decorate the outside of the invite with cut tissue paper in fall colors such as yellow, orange, brown and red. Cut, or tear, apart different shapes of tissue and glue onto the front of the invitation, overlapping at the edges. Once dry, open the card and write important logistic information inside. Be sure to include items such as the reason for the party, RSVP phone number or e-mail, date/time and address.
2. For crafts, you can give your guests the option of a few different crafts with a fall theme.
   • Make leafy prints using natural materials, tempera paints, and paper. Weather permitting, you can ask each guest to find one fallen leaf from your yard. If this is not possible, collect a bag of leaves beforehand and allow your guests to choose their own. Use a paintbrush to coat the leaves with fall colors of tempera. Have each guest press his or her leaf onto a piece of construction paper to transfer the print. (This project will be quite messy. It is best to cover your work surface with newspaper or a similar barrier before making the art.)
   • Create a leaf collage using real leaves, glitter and colored paper.
   • Allow your guests to choose their favorite fallen objects from your yard.
   • Use clear, non-toxic glue to attach the leaves to a piece of construction paper.
   • Add festive glitter in fall colors such as red or orange for an added punch of color.
3. Prepare a menu of fall themed munchies. Here are a few ideas:
   • Chocolate brown and orange frosted cupcakes to go along with the season
   • Create an entire leaf-shaped cake. Add leaf decors on top for a sprinkle of fun.
   • Draw upon fall favorites: Apples! Bake a traditional apple pie, sliced apples with caramel dip or in a fruit salad.
   • Draw upon fall favorites: Pumpkins! Bake a fresh pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread.
4. Try some of these fall-themed games to entertain your guests:
   • Obstacle course: Set small piles of leaves around the yard for an obstacle course. Divide the group into teams and have them race in and out, or over and through, the leaves.
   • Pumpkin Bowling: Cut the stem off of one small, round pumpkin. Set up ten more (or less if you want) gourds in a staggered triangle shape like bowling pins. Have the kids roll the stem-less pumpkin towards the gourds for bowling fun! Make sure to do this activity outside as it can get very messy.
   • Leaf scavenger hunt: Help your guests to become mini-scientists. Glue individual leaves to index cards and write the name of the tree that it fell from on the front. Hand cards to the guests and ask them to find more of the same throughout the yard.