Pumpkin Golf Game
Set up miniature pumpkins as obstacles on a simple putting green made from green felt or carpet, and you have a Halloween golf game that preschoolers can play with a pool noodle "club" and a plastic ball. It is active, competitive, and filled with the kind of good-natured frustration that makes young children absolutely determined to try again.
What You'll Need
- Small decorative pumpkins — 5–8, as course obstacles and holes
- Green felt or outdoor mat — laid flat as the putting green
- A plastic or foam ball
- Pool noodle cut in half — as the putting club
- Masking tape or chalk — to mark tee areas
- Optional: paper flags on toothpicks for each hole
How to Do It
Step 1: Design the course. Lay out the green and place pumpkins in various configurations: some in a line to putt through, some as the final target to putt against, some as side barriers.
Step 2: Mark the holes. Use a small paper flag or chalk X to mark where the ball should end up for each "hole." Place flags in creative spots: behind a pumpkin, through a pumpkin gap, at the end of a curve.
Step 3: Mark the tee. Put a small tape mark or chalk line where each player begins each hole.
Step 4: Play. Players place their ball at the tee and putt toward the target flag. Count how many strokes it takes to reach the target. The player with the fewest strokes at each hole scores a point.
Step 5: Keep a simple scorecard. Draw stick figures for each player and tally strokes. For preschoolers, celebrate each completed hole regardless of score.
Skills Your Child Will Develop
Hand-eye coordination — Hitting a stationary ball toward a specific target is a foundational sports skill.
Spatial planning — Choosing the best angle to putt around or through obstacles develops spatial reasoning.
Counting and scorekeeping — Recording strokes per hole practices number sequence.
Tips & Variations
- Use glowing ball and glow stick flags for a nighttime Halloween golf game.
- Add a cardboard tunnel to putt through for a miniature golf feel.
- Play as a relay: one person sets up obstacles, another putts, then they switch.
My Two Cents
Pool noodle clubs cut to about 24 inches produce the best control for preschoolers — full-length pool noodles are too long to swing with accuracy. Cut one noodle into three clubs for a group.
