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Do you have a child with a birthday that falls in the autumn? Here are some party ideas that work wonderfully in the autumn for many ages:

Pumpkin picking and decorating: Get a few parents to help you carpool the children to a nearby farm. Then, let them each pick out a pumpkin of their own. (To avoid spending too much, mention a maximum weight or show them an example of the perfect size.) At home, have some decorating supplies (paint, glitter, glue, googly eyes), and you’ll have many decorated pumpkins that can double as party favors. Older kids could try carving the pumpkins, too.

Corn maze: Search online for a nearby corn maze. Depending on the number of invitees there are, you can split the party into smaller groups and make it a competition, but it helps to keep everyone a winner.

• Root beer making: One of my favorite birthday parties was when my parents took a group of friends and me to Incredibrew, and we made our very own root beer! We got to design the labels ourselves, and each friend got a pack of four to take home and enjoy.
• Autumn-related mini-games: To supplement a party, you could fill a jar with candy corn and allow the guests to make a guess when they enter. Whoever makes the closet guess wins the jar! You also could have a contest to see how many words each child can make from P-U-M-P-K-I-N P-I-E or S-C-A-R-E-C-R-O-W. How about a round of pin-the-nose on the jack-o-lantern or pin-the-stem on the apple? And don’t forget the classic, bobbing for apples, but make sure the apples are sized relative to the guests. It may be impossible for a 5-year-old to pick up the same apple that would be the perfect challenge for a child that is a few years older.
• Costume party: Last but not least, if the birthday is close enough to Halloween one of the greatest sources of fun can be when the guests show up in costumes. Let them have a fashion show or a story-telling contest about their characters!