An Old Fashioned Halloween Party - Game Ideas

Bobbing for Apples- It must be a Halloween Party!

To continue with the old fashioned Halloween theme this week, here are some game ideas perfect for your Halloween party. Some may bring back memories from your childhood, or even your parent's childhood!

Bobbing for Apples
This is a great traditional game. I'd suggest doing this game on a warmer fall day since kids can get wet! Get out that large bucket, or tub, fill with water and apples, and there you have it!

I have heard in the past, that some folks (i.e., parents) are wary of this game since it may pass along nasty germs. (This would be a perfect candidate for a Myth Busters episode-- don't you think?)  An alternative to bobbing for apples is to hang the apple from a string and have the kids try to eat it. You can hang an apple for each child, so they have their own. The person to eat the most of their apple in, say, 5 minutes, wins!

Scavenger Hunt for a Witches Brew
Come up with a fun witches brew recipe and get kids on the hunt to find the ingredients! The items could be silly toys, or could be edible. Hide the items around your yard, or house, and provide clues to find each item... Be sure to include enough of the items at each stop for each child. Here are some brew recipes for your scavenger hunt:

Witches Brew #1: Toy Delights

• Lizard Tail (plastic toy lizard)
• Frog Legs (plastic toy frog)
• Handful of Hair (could be pieces cut from a pretend wig)
• Green Slime
• Eyeballs (toy eyeballs)
• Vampire Teeth (toy vampire teeth)

Witches Brew #2: Edible Delights

• Worms (candy chew worms)
• Eyeballs (eyeball candies available during Halloween time)
• Hair (licorice laces)
• Teeth (candy corn)
• Dirt (brownie crumbs)
• Bloody Juice (red fruit punch juice box)

Pumpkin Carving
Pumpkin carving has come a long way since when we were kids. There are so many creative ideas and kits out there it's almost overwhelming! Depending on you party size, and the guests' ages, I advise you can go either the "advanced" route, or "back to the basics" route.
"Advanced" Pumpkin Carving
With so many ideas abound on the internet, as well as free printable stencils to make intricate designs, I thought I'd gather a bunch of links here so you have plenty of ideas to prepare or print out for your guests pumpkin carving fest

• Pumpkin Carving Ideas from BHG
• Pumpkin Decorating Ideas from Family Fun
• Pumpkin Decorating Ideas from Country Living
• Pumpkin Templates from Martha Stewart

"Back to Basics" Pumpkin Carving
Tell your guest the are limited to the basic shapes only (i.e., triangle, circle, square, mouth shape/half circle), and see what folks come up with! You may be surprised how different the pumpkins will look using the same basic shapes!

Another option, which can be great for young ones, is to just decorate the pumpkin with markers or stickers. This is a great alternative to avoid having to use a knife.

Fortune Teller
A simple gypsy fortune teller can add a lot of fun, mystery, and excitement to your party. Buy a vintage palm reading card or this retro Fortune Tellers Kit, put on a gypsy outfit, set up a table and let your fortune telling career begin! Silly fortunes will be a hit with young ones!