Pumpkin Patch 🍂👻🎃
Great for Autumn / Halloween 🍂👻
Focus: Colour matching, balance, coordination, spatial awareness, evasion
Equipment: Beanbags or balls (“pumpkins”), round cones (pumpkin patches), flat cones or tubs (collecting buckets), rackets, scarves & round cones/frisbees (“ghosts” & “ghouls”)
🧠 SETUP
Scatter beanbags or balls randomly across the floor.
Cover each ball/beanbag with a round cone to represent a pumpkin patch, similar to the set-up of Moon Mice.
Place collecting tubs or buckets at one end of the hall, colour-coded to match the pumpkins.
Keep a stash of scarves and flat cones/frisbees nearby – these will be your ghosts and ghouls!
👟 HOW TO PLAY
Children use their rackets to carefully lift the pumpkin (beanbag/ball) off its patch (under the cone).
They must balance the pumpkin on the racket while walking over to drop it into the matching colour collecting tub.
Coaches and assistants throw scarves (ghosts) and frisbee-style cones (ghouls) gently toward children to try and knock pumpkins off rackets or make them dodge.
Children must restart the collection journey if their pumpkin falls before reaching the tub.
Keep rotating – once all pumpkins are collected, reset the patch and start again!
💡 Progressions
Add time challenges – who can collect the most pumpkins in 60 seconds?
Add foot dribbling as a return challenge (e.g., dribble a ball back after delivery).
Use smaller rackets or wobblier balls for advanced balance control.
🪶 Feathers (Younger Players – Under 3s)
Use beanbags instead of balls
Children use upside-down rackets or hands to carefully pick up a "pumpkin" (cone on top of a beanbag or ball).
They walk slowly over to a collecting bucket to match the colour.
Coaches gently wave or toss scarves as friendly "ghosts" – but not too close to startle them.
Focus on: Colour recognition, matching, safe travel, and object manipulation.
🚀 Progressions (Older Players – 3+ years)
Children balance the pumpkin (cone + beanbag) on a racket while navigating through a “haunted” path.
Coaches throw scarves or soft cones across the space as obstacles ("ghouls") trying to knock pumpkins off.
Add a rule that if your pumpkin is knocked off, you must go back and start again!
Optional: Add throwing challenge at the end – throw the "pumpkin" (beanbag) into the matching coloured tub.
🌸 Seasonal Variations:
🎅 Christmas – “Elf Harvest”
The cones become Christmas puddings or presents, and the balls/beanbags are toys or decorations.
Coaches are Grinches or naughty elves trying to make deliveries more difficult by tossing scarves or “snowballs.”
Buckets become Santa’s sleighs or chimneys for toy delivery.
🐣 Easter – “Egg Garden”
Beanbags = Easter eggs, cones = nests.
Children balance “eggs” to take to the baskets or bunny dens at the far end.
Coaches toss scarves as swooping birds or frisbee “rolling logs” to dodge.
💘 Valentine’s Day – “Love Bug Hunt”
Beanbags = love bugs, cones = flower pots, buckets = Valentine mailboxes.
Scarves become flying love notes or petals blowing in the wind that distract or knock items off rackets.