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Of course, you want to gather together for a day of fun, but it’s not always easy to plan out and decide what kind of activities to include. If your harvest celebration needs a boost or just something new to get any returning guests excited, you’re sure to find something in these categories that’s perfect!

Food

There’s no better place to start than food, and it brings people together more than anything else. It can also potentially be the most expensive part of your celebration, so it’s definitely a time to invite those attending to bring something to contribute.

Your main meal should consist of good hot food that even the kids will eat. Things like potatoes, corn, and rolls will fit into your theme and everyone’s bellies with few complaints. You can go easy with hamburgers and hotdogs as your main portion or have some fun with barbecuing, too.

Don’t forget the snacks and sweets that everyone will be coming back through the line for all night long. Pie is a classic must have, but sneak in some cookies, brownies, and other neighborhood favorites so there’s something for everyone.

Contests & Prizes

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Depending on the length of your celebration, it’s a good idea to plan a few activities where your guests can get involved and bring out their competitive spirit. These can be spread out throughout the event or ongoing contests like those you would find at a carnival.

Also, keep in mind the age span you’re entertaining and what restrictions need to be put on certain games. A shooting contest may be exciting for everyone to watch, but you want to be clear about how old you have to be to participate, as well as designating spaces only competitors can enter.

But there are still plenty of fun games to choose from that everyone can take part in. Host a baking or an eating contest, set up relay races that incorporate silly items like blindfolds and pumpkins, plan a scavenger hunt, or invite everyone to dress up in costume for the chance of winning a special prize.

Crafts

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Plenty of your guests will love to watch these games going on, but they might prefer to keep it to that, so a few non-competitive activities will be a necessary complement to any contests. These craft areas will be especially attractive for any young children in attendance.

If this is something you’re really excited about, you can get creative with craft supplies like feathers, glue, and popsicle sticks for children to piece together in festive decorations they can take home. Looking for something a little more low-key? It’s easy to print out themed coloring pages from the internet and grab a few boxes of crayons and colored pencils.

You may want to do something a little more out of the ordinary, too, so hiring someone to paint faces next to your space for painting and carving pumpkins would be a fun addition that keeps the kids from making too much of a mess.

Entertainment

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With so many interactive activities to choose from, you may be feeling overwhelmed, but don’t worry. You can pick a few of your favorites and fill the bulk of your event with some classic entertainment.

Designate an area for music and dancing. You can hire a local music act or pull out the speakers and make your own playlist. Guests can get a breather with intermittent performances spotlighting their talents of singing, acting, or reciting poetry.

It’s also a great time to let people just talk amongst themselves admiring your harvest, discussing your new dome storage from https://www.dometechnology.com/applications/wheat-storage/, and catching up on one another’s families. It really doesn’t have to be overdone, but a few well-placed activities can make your harvest festival that much more memorable.

The post Ideas for Your Next Harvest Celebration appeared first on InstantELLA.

1. Thankful Tree

Gratitude and giving thanks is what this holiday is all about. Try this fun little thankful tree from The DIY Mommy this Thanksgiving season. Let your littles explore outside for the perfect fallen branch to be the base for their tree. Find a cute bucket or vase to place it in, filled with marbles, moss or dirt. Help them cut out leaves on which they can write down the things they are thankful for. Hang the leaves on the tree and you’re done! You can even have your child think of one thing they are thankful for each day and add a leaf every day.

2. Paint Chip Turkey

This is a fun one. Pick up some paint chips from the store, or let your kids pick out some color. Then use those for the turkey’s tail feathers. Have your kids write or draw what they are thankful for on the paint chips. You can pull these out at the Thanksgiving dinner table to have each child read off what they are thankful for this year. Find the full tutorial at Preschool Alphabet.

3. Wreath of Gratitude

Make a wreath with your child like this one from Parents.com. Pick up some colored paper and a styrofoam wreath from the dollar store. Have your kids write down or draw what they are thankful for and pin their leaves to the wreath. You could even go on a nature hike and find real leaves to add to this project.

4. Thankful Dry Erase Boards

With this craft, let your child pick out a picture frame and frame a paper that says “Today I am thankful for…” with some space to write what they are thankful for. Each day have them write down with a dry erase marker what they are thankful for. Let them decorate the frame with pompoms, glitter, leaves, or whatever their little minds can imagine. You can find some free printables for this craft at Bren Did.

5. Thankful Pie

With this fun craft, all you need are some paper plates, a bracket, paint (or markers), and something to write with. Turn one of the plates into a pumpkin pie with the paint, cut out a “piece” of the pie, and write the words “I am thankful for…”. On the bottom plate, have your child write the things they are thankful for. Attach both plates with a bracket in the center so they can turn the plates to show what they are thankful for each day.

6. Grateful Rocks

Find some rocks on a hike, or pick some up from a craft store, and let your child paint, write, or draw what they are thankful for on them. This is a great activity for the entire family to participate in. For a fun activity afterwards, you can even let your kids hide the rocks around the house (inside or outside) and try to find each other’s rocks. Find the tutorial for these rocks at Teach Kids Art.

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