children's games for a festival

Our local farmer's group is trying to organize a harvest festival this fall. I volunteered to help with kids entertainment, but I need ideas. I figured permies are very creative, so who better to ask. Thanks for any suggestions.

I remember a bean bag toss game where a 4ft X4ft piece of plywood was painted to look like a clowns face with the mouth open.
The mouth was cut out so you could throw the beanbags through.

A fishing game. Kids get a pole with a closepin attached as a hook, they "cast" the hook over a bed sheet which hides a willing volunteer who hooks a prize on and pulls on the line. Every kid is a winner!

A corkboard covered with ballons . Kids throw the darts. If a balloon pops they get the prize that is written on a paper that was attached to the board behind the balloon.

Ring toss. set up some bottles and have kids toss a ring . If the ring goes over the bottles neck theyget a prize.

Same for a bunch of bowls or small plates. Toss something and if it stays on the plate they win.

Miles Flansburg wrote:I remember a bean bag toss game where a 4ft X4ft piece of plywood was painted to look like a clowns face with the mouth open.
The mouth was cut out so you could throw the beanbags through

I've just been 'in charge' of a game like this. Totally basic, and kids love it.
Big kids way back, wee ones really close. I had a plain board, which suited me: clowns freak me out!

Apple bobbing-if the weather's good. Sodden kids do not a happy festival make
Vegetable carving. Pumpkins of course, but weird gourds, marrows etc are fun
Sack races
Egg and spoon races
Three-legged races

If the set up is right for doing races like three-legged race and egg-in-spoon, another fun one we do along with those, but only in warm weather, is racing with a small can of water on your head. We have a local name for it, but it needs a name in English.

One of the local farmer's markets had the kids decorate a zucchini squash, put wheels on it and then they raced them down a slanted board/track. It was really fun for the kids! You can make cheap wheels by slicing a round stick/log, around 3" thick would be good & drilling a hole in the middle. Use bamboo or sticks for the shaft, just poke it right through the zucchini.

Feeding stuff to animals is always a hit too. See if you can borrow some baby pot belly pigs for that. Or kid goats, but watch that they don't get sick from too much rich food!

This is a bigger kids game, but my kids and I used to paintball with wrist rockets in the woods.  It was a lot of fun and both guys and gals joined in.  Limiting it to wrist rockets made the game a little more cerebral because if you shot and someone was fast (like my oldest), they were on top of you, nailing you at close range before you could get another paintball loaded.  Besides, you know without limits, someone would bring a paintball machine gun or something.  

All that's needed are safety glasses, wrist rocket and paintballs (this a dial down from my childhood game, when we used little green pinecones and wrist rockets.  Everyone agreed that shooting someone with a rock was a wrong, but somehow we figured those rock hard, little green pinecones were legal).  During the game, I don't really feel any pain, although later the bruises show probably I should have.  I guess you could wear a jacket.

We do our annual Rock the Flock event every year and have found a bounce house does wonders for the kids. It only costs $100 for the day and is quick to set up and power.

Here's an awesome resource for games and activities for groups of kids!
http://intergalactic-childcare.weebly.com/curriculum--activities.html