3 Fall-Inspired Birthday Party Ideas

I received the following text from a friend last week:

‘Thinking of you as I plan a possible apple picking birthday party celebration with the family. Any fab ideas?’

It absolutely tickles me that when she’s in party planning mode she sends me notes like this. I have lots of ideas for fall birthdays, despite not having any children born in the months between September and December, and think the natural backdrop of an apple orchard or pumpkin patch is the perfect setting for an autumn birthday celebration.

Here is what I suggested to her for the party, plus two other ideas for the season that are as sweet as they are simple:

Apple Picking Party

Invite party guests to meet you at a local orchard.
Pick apples for the first 30-60 minutes, then scour the place for a picnic table and set up a buffet of soup (take in thermoses) and sandwiches.
Cover tables in red and white gingham tablecloths and use squares of burlap for napkins.
Cut some of the apples you’ve picked and serve them with caramel sauce for dipping.
Purchase fresh cider and apple fritters (most orchards sell both) and stack the sweets on a serving platter to create a donut birthday cake.

Little Pumpkin Picnic Party

Invite party guests to meet you at a local pumpkin patch.
Try to find a place that has corn mazes and hay bales for climbing—these can be the party activities.
The natural backdrop of a pumpkin patch provides plenty of photo opportunities (haystacks, corn stalks and pumpkins) so be sure to take lots of pictures.
Cover picnic tables with a kraft paper tablecloth and use squares of burlap or plaid fabric for napkins.
Serve simple sandwiches cut into pumpkin shapes with a cookie cutter.
Make a pumpkin-shaped birthday cake (DIY to come!)
Find a large grassy area and use pumpkins to make the shape of the age that the birthday boy or girl is turning. Get the child to lie on grass beside the number and take a photo.

Harvest (Thanksgiving) Themed Birthday Party

Make cute gourd place settings
Serve tiny turkey sandwiches in disposable berry baskets
Make a fun apple + gumdrop turkey (DIY to come!)
Serve apple cider in rustic melamine mugs (for the adults)
Decorate the party space with mini pumpkin, squash, and gourds
Rake leaves into a pile for some leaf jumping fun
Let older kids in attendance (siblings, cousins) bob for apples
Set up a sweets table with an assortment of fall treats like mini pumpkin and apple pies.

Are you planning any fall parties this year? I’d love to hear all about them!