15 Fab Fall Games for Teens (That’ll Get Them Off Their Phones)
Feeling the fall blues creeping in? Tired of hearing “I’m bored” on repeat?
Well, I’ve got 15 fall games for teens up my sleeve that are so fun, your teens might actually forget about their phones for a hot minute. (I know, I know, miracles do happen!)
Wanna find out how to turn those eye-rolls into high-fives?
Let’s get started!
15 Awesome Fall Games for Teens (That They Won’t Hate)
1. Pine Cone Bocce Challenge
Overview: Get ready to toss your way into fall fun with this nature-inspired twist on classic bocce!
Objective: Throw pine cones as close to the marker as possible.
How to Play:
- Toss a marker (anything will do, even your little brother’s sock)
- Decorate your pine cones (go wild, make ’em sparkle!)
- Throw those bad boys as close to the marker as possible
Why It’s Fun: It’s like traditional bocce, but with a rustic, autumnal twist. Plus, you get to unleash your inner artist by decorating pine cones!
Bored with Basic Board Games this Fall?
Shake things up with this Fall Candy Dice Game – the perfect blend of sweet treats and thrilling chance! Toss the dice, win the treats (or steal or swap or make other people trade the treats?)- it’s that easy AND that much fun. DOWNLOAD this fun, fall game now.
2. Nighttime Flashlight Tag
Overview: It’s tag, but with a spooky, after-dark twist!
Objective: Avoid being caught by the person who’s “it” while navigating in the dark.
How to Play:
- Choose a spacious outdoor area
- Set boundaries
- One person is “it” and chases others with a flashlight
- If you’re caught in the beam, you’re the new “it”
Why It’s Fun: It combines the thrill of tag with the excitement of hide-and-seek, all in the dark!
If your teens are still craving more autumn action, I’ve got you covered. Hop over to our candy corn challenges and apple party adventures for an extra boost of seasonal excitement. Your teens will be too busy having fun to even think about their phones!
3. Candy Corn Stack Attack
Overview: Start stackin’ those candy corn snacks!
Objective: Make the tollest tower of candy corn within a 60 -second time limit
How to Play
- Give each player a big pile of candy corn.
- Set a timer for 1 minute.
- Players try to stack their candy corn as high as they can.
- The player with the highest stack when time’s up wins.
Why it’s Fun: This game is very funny and messy, especially when you play with excited friends. It’s really hard to stack these small candies, so everyone will make silly mistakes and laugh together a lot.
4. Glow-in-the-Dark Charades
Overview: Classic charades with a luminous twist!
Objective: Act out words or phrases using only glow sticks.
How to Play:
- Grab some glow sticks and dim the lights
- Take turns acting out words or phrases
- No talking allowed!
- Teams guess within a time limit
Why It’s Fun: It’s charades, but cooler – literally glowing with excitement!
Tell the teens to use nature to their advantage! Hide behind trees, bushes, or that weird garden gnome your neighbor loves.
5. Harvest Relay Race
Overview: A fast-paced relay with a fall twist!
Objective: Be the first team to complete the relay without dropping your pumpkin.
How to Play:
- Form teams of 4-6 players
- Run with a small pumpkin or seeds
- Pass to teammates
- Add obstacles for extra challenge
Why It’s Fun: It combines speed, teamwork, and the constant threat of dropping a gourd!
Ever had a game night where the only thing organized was the chaos? Same.
This Facebook group is like that one drawer full of random stuff in your kitchen; it’s a bit of everything and somehow EXACTLY what you need. Dive into the treasure trove of laughs, printable games and tips for moms who wish “winging it with style” was a recognized party planning strategy.
6. Scarecrow Tag Frenzy
Overview: A fall-themed version of freeze tag!
Objective: Avoid being tagged and turned into a “scarecrow”.
How to Play:
- Choose a few players to be “it”
- If tagged, freeze like a scarecrow
- Other players can unfreeze you
- Set a time limit
Why It’s Fun: It’s like a weird game of freeze tag meets Wizard of Oz, perfect for burning off that pumpkin pie!
7. Glow Stick Bowling
Overview: Bowling gets a neon makeover!
Objective: Knock down as many glowing “pins” as possible.
How to Play:
- Fill plastic bottles with water and glow sticks
- Set up like bowling pins
- Use a glow-in-the-dark ball to knock them down
- Play indoors or outdoors in the dark
Why It’s Fun: It’s like a rave met a bowling alley and had a neon baby!
Teens feeling competitive? Form teams and keep score. Or don’t, who cares? The point is, you’re bowling with freaking glow sticks!
8. Capture The Pumpkin Showdown
Overview: It’s like capture the flag, but with a gourd-geous twist!
Objective: Steal the other team’s pumpkin and bring it back to your base.
How to Play:
- Split into two teams
- One team guards the pumpkin, the other tries to snatch it
- Get tagged? Off to jail you go!
- Your teammates can rescue you
Why It’s Fun: It’s a perfect blend of strategy, teamwork, and good old-fashioned pumpkin thievery.
9. Ghost In the Graveyard
Overview: It’s hide-and-seek meets horror movie, minus the actual horror!
Objective: Find the “ghost” and make it back to base without getting caught.
How to Play:
- One person is the “ghost” and hides
- Others count at “base” then search with flashlights
- If caught by the ghost, you join their side
- Last person caught becomes the new ghost
Why It’s Fun: It’s thrilling, spooky, and perfect for those crisp fall nights.
10. Leaf Stepping Competition
Overview: A race across a course of paper leaves!Objective: Complete the course as quickly as possible without stepping off the leaves.How to Play:
- Lay out a course of paper leaves
- Race through, staying on the leaves
- Add obstacles or balancing acts for extra challenge
- Time each player or team
Why It’s Fun: It’s a test of speed, balance, and not looking completely ridiculous (spoiler: you will).
11. Leaf Blower Challenge
Overview: A breath-taking race (literally) using straws and leaves!
Objective: Move leaves across a field or a living room floor using only your breath through a straw.
How to Play:
- Give each player a straw
- Set up a course with leaves and obstacles
- Race to move leaves to the finish line
Why It’s Fun: It’s hilariously challenging and will leave you breathless (in more ways than one).
12. Pumpkin Pulp Scooping Contest
Overview: A messy, gooey race against the clock!Objective: Scoop out as much pumpkin pulp as possible in the given time.How to Play:
- Choose a spoon or scoop
- Pick your pumpkin
- Set the timer (1-3 minutes)
- Scoop like your life depends on it
- Dump your pulp in a bowl
Why It’s Fun: It’s gloriously messy and oddly satisfying.
13. Candy Corn Relay
Overview: A sweet twist on the classic relay race!
Objective: Transfer the most candy corn to your team’s container using only a spoon.
How to Play:
- Use a small spoon to scoop candy corn
- Run to your team’s container and dump it in
- Pass the spoon to the next player
- Continue until time’s up
Why It’s Fun: It’s hilariously challenging and involves candy – what’s not to love?
Bored with Basic Board Games this Fall?
Shake things up with this Fall Candy Dice Game – the perfect blend of sweet treats and thrilling chance! Toss the dice, win the treats (or steal or swap or make other people trade the treats?)- it’s that easy AND that much fun. DOWNLOAD this fun, fall game now.
14. Apple Jack Threading Race
Overview: A cereal-ously challenging dexterity game.
Objective: Thread as many Apple Jacks onto a chenille stem as possible in the given time.
How to Play:
- Give each player a pipe cleaner and Apple Jacks
- Set a time limit (maybe a minute?)
- Thread as many as possible using only one hand
Why It’s Fun: It’s frustratingly addictive and hilarious to watch.
Want to mix it up? Adjust the time limit or apple jack count. Feeling extra sadistic? Make it a team event! Nothing says “bonding” like collectively failing at threading cereal.
15. Candy Corn Pictionary
Overview: Guess the treats, beat the clock!
Objective: Use candy corn to draw and guess words or phrases.
Materials:
- A bunch of candy corn
- A flat table or floor
- A list of easy words or sayings
Setup: Divide players into teams and give each team a bowl of candy corn.
How to Play:
- Pick someone to go first.
- They choose a secret word from the list.
- They use candy corn to make a picture of the word on the table.
- Their team tries to guess what the picture is. If they guess right, the team gets a point! ?
- Give extra points for really cool or funny pictures!
Why It’s Fun: This game is a blast because you get to be creative, guess fun things, and play with candy all at once! Plus, you can eat the candy corn when you’re done! ?
There’s no need to be a great artist – the sillier the candy corn pictures, the more fun everyone has!
Creating a Cool Autumn Vibe (That Teens Will Actually Love)
Ready to win some major points with your teens? Let’s transform your backyard into an Instagram-worthy autumn hangout:
- String up some fairy lights (because teens love that aesthetic)
- Set out some fall-scented candles (nothing too strong, you don’t want to cramp their style)
- Scatter a few pumpkins and leaves (subtle, but effective)
Comfort and novelty is key for keeping those teens engaged. Toss out some cozy blankets and set up a hot chocolate bar.
Trust me, even the most “too cool for school” teens can’t resist a good cocoa setup.
Safety’s still important (even if they roll their eyes at you). Clear any tripping hazards and keep a first-aid kit on the down-low.
Create a “phone parking zone” to encourage some real face-to-face time.
| Category | Teen-Approved Must-Haves |
|---|---|
| Atmosphere | Fairy lights, subtle fall scents, low-key pumpkin decor |
| Comfort | Soft blankets, hot chocolate bar, comfy seating spots |
| Safety | Discreet first-aid kit, clear play area, flexible boundaries |
| Tech | Phone parking area, selfie spot (with good lighting, of course) |
Game On: Adapting for Your Teen Crowd
Whether you’re dealing with a small squad or the whole crew, we’ve got you covered:
1. Small Squad (2-5 teens)
Focus on individual challenges or simple team games. Keep the energy up with multi-stage competitions that’ll hold their interest.
2. Medium Crew (6-12 teens)
Stick to classic rules, but mix it up with team rotations or paired challenges. Keeps things fresh and avoids any awkward groupings.
3. Big Bash (13+ teens)
Go all out! Set up multiple game stations for a fall-themed Olympics or organize a massive Capture the Flag (or should we say, Capture the Pumpkin?) game.
Remember, it’s all about keeping things fun and low-pressure. Adapt games to suit different skill levels and mix up the teams to avoid any social drama.
Here’s how to tweak your games for any teen group size:
| Group Size | Teen-Friendly Game Plan |
|---|---|
| Small (2-5) | Quick challenges, simple team games, multi-round competitions |
| Medium (6-12) | Classic games with a twist, rotating teams, pair challenges |
| Large (13+) | Mini-tournaments, multiple game stations, epic group games |
Now go forth and be the coolest parent/leader ever! Your teens might not say it, but they’ll appreciate the effort.
Your Turn (Let’s Get Social)
If you had to choose a theme song for your teens attempting “Candy Corn Stack Attack,” what hilariously inappropriate song would it be? (Don’t worry, I won’t tell them you still know what’s on the radio!)