At Home Halloween

The days are starting to fill with smells of fresh baked goods (more often than not pumpkin treats) and spooky stories. As the nights get chillier more cobwebs fill the air. Halloween has always been a season of ghostly tales, pumpkin carving, late nights bundled in cozy embraces. As the years go by it is less exciting to gather and hoard a stashes of candy (though we hear a candy a day keeps the monsters away). The real thrills of Halloween come from gathering, laughter, and a little spookiness. A Halloween at home is the perfect fit - especially in the year of 2020. 

We have been thinking about our favorite Halloween festivities… aside from dressing up with silly costumes and wild face paint, we love playing a round of squash ring toss or squishing our hands into spider slime. We hope you will gain some fun ideas in this collection of spook-tacular Halloween at-home activities. 

Beware, some of these are so much fun they are almost scary! 

Squash Ring Toss

This game is perfect for the person dressing up as a flying squirrel. As you throw the rings onto the squash you will be able to show off your dazzling wings/ arms. 

Line the squash up and simply toss the ring around them. Throw one ring at a time per competitor. 5 points go to each ring around a squash, 3 points for each ring touching the squash, and 1 point for each ring 6” from the squash. Add up the points at the end of the game and reward the winner with a Mood ring band. They will always remember their impressive ring toss abilities. 

Apple Bobbing 

For the person dressed up as the Wicked Witch of the West, beware of this game - you might melt! Apple bobbing has been around for years. Typically the first person to bite the apple wins, various rewards have been given throughout the centuries. What will be yours? 

Fill a bucket nearly clear full of water. Snag a dozen or so apples and add them to the bucket. Once your contestants are lined up, challenge each of them to snatch up as many apples as they can with their teeth.. remember NO ARMS ALLOWED! Giving your contestants goggles might be extra fun!

Donuts on a String

Anyone dressed up as policemen at your party? This may be the perfect game for them . Begin by hanging a long rod several feet in the air. Tie a string through the hole in each donut. Tie the other end of the string to the rod. Line the contestants up and when the timer goes off have them race to the rod. With hands tied behind their backs, watch to see who can eat their donut completely up first. An alternative is to have individuals hold either end of the rod. While contestants are playing, those holding the rod can move it up and down, make the game more challenging. 

Spider Slime 

Spider-Man are you out there? We have found your secret lair where you keep your spider slime. It is incredibly fluffy! 

Use this fun recipe: 

• 1/2 cup of Elmers glue
• 3 cups of foam shaving cream
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp saline solution 
• Food coloring 

Mix all of the ingredients and watch the slime come to life! Add plastic spiders the to the slime to make it extra spooky.

Build a Haunted House

Your garage is a perfect place for this. Don’t worry about cleaning it up, use all the odds and ends as props in your haunted house. Store up old boxes or use blankets and tarps to create different sections to your haunted house. A great way to make it extra spooky is to have your attendees stick their hands in odd buckets. Perhaps cooked spaghetti is in the third tunnel, to enter the next room individuals must stick their hands in the slimy bucket. With dim lighting, no one will guess what they are immersing their hands into! Another great addition to your haunted house are our very one Wally Crawlies. These little guys will stick to the wall and slowly but surely make their way down to the bottom. Their sticky outside is sure to spook anyone, and they way the move down the wall will be terrifying. 

Pumpkin Cornhole 

One of the most popular games of the year is cornhole. It is simple enough that you think your throw should land in the hole every time. Unfortunately, few are that lucky. With a Halloween version of this game, you can throw pumpkins. Mini pumpkins will work best. Unless your goal isn’t to get them in the hole at all, the large ones will do (the surely will block your opponent from making theirs into the hole). Toss and throw these pumpkins to your hearts desire - or until you have only pumpkin seeds left. Make a bracket for the evening and the winner can take home this fantastic Corny Joke set. 

Magic Tricks

Now, not every magician tells their secrets, but youtube does leek a few. Have your teenagers study up before Halloween. On the night of prowling and spookiness have they perform a show. The little kids will be dazzled by their magic abilities - perhaps the adults as well. A little fog machine can add incredible effects to this performance. If you already know a magician, have them come and teach a few tricks. Drink a swig of our magic potion and watch your magic powers unfold! 

Toilet Paper Mummies

Do mummies like being mummies? Of corpse! 

Gather up extra rolls of toilet paper and split up into pairs. Each pair is responsible for transforming each other into the scariest mummy anyone ever did see. Once the mummy transformation has occurred line everyone up. Create a cross line on the other side of your yard. On the count of 3 watch the mummies race (or waddle) to the finish line as fast as they can go! Read the story Bonesville to learn more about these corpses. 

Neighborhood Costume Parade

After months of thinking, stewing, and sewing, those costumes deserved to be shown off! And what little kid doesn’t love the opportunity to show off their perfected costume with a fanciful wave? Organize a route for the children to go in and embark on a fun stroll around the block. You could even toss candy to kids as they walk by! 

Popcorn Palooza 

Popcorn is extra fun around Halloween time. Make your very own popcorn station full of odds and ends for toppings. Pop rocks are fun, so are zombie skittles. Pair the popcorn with zombie blood juice.

Eat, drink, and be scary!!