Halloween is just around the corner, so what better time to try some fun, themed activities? These ideas are great for breaking the ice at Halloween parties. Please note: Some of these activities are not suitable for young children.

Bobbing for apples

Bobbing for apples is a popular Halloween game that’s been a favourite for centuries. In fact, it’s thought to have been originated by the Romans! Begin by setting out a large container full of water. This could be a washing up bowl or even the kitchen sink. Just make sure whatever you use is clean and suitable for eating out of. Fill the container with water, stopping about five or six inches from the top (to avoid an overflow!). Place a selection of apples in the water, all of which should float on the surface.

Next, ask your participants to approach the bowl. Their task is to pick up an apple using only their teeth. If your container is large enough, you could have multiple people bobbing at once. In this case, it’s a race to grab the first apple. If your players are taking turns, add a competitive element by timing each person. As a word of warning, it’s a good idea to lay some towels down first and inform participants that their hair might get wet!

Melting witches

This is a simple, fun game that’s best enjoyed in the garden. Start by positioning a chalkboard, either on a wall or against another stable surface. Make sure there is enough room for people to stand a few feet in front of it. Next, draw a chalk witch on the board. Position your players a few feet away, armed with a bucket of water and several sponges.

Ask them to begin throwing the water sponges at the witch. As the water drips down the board, it will give the effect of ‘melting’ away the chalk. This is even better with multiple chalkboards, as players can race to melt their witch first.

DIY pretend blood

Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without a gory costume and some fake blood. There are lots of ways to create this effect. A simple option is to mix red food colouring with water. Whilst this is quick and easy to make, both components are liquid, meaning the result will be very thin. To make it thicker, mix half a cup of white corn syrup with two tablespoons of cornstarch. Then add a quarter cup of water and some red food colouring. The more cornstarch you add, the thicker the consistency of your fake blood.

If you find that the colour is too bright, add a little cocoa powder, to darken it. Be warned that although this fake blood will wash off of skin, it may stain clothes and other materials.

Monster knockdown

This is a fun water-based game for all ages. Prepare a selection of disposable cups, themed to look like monsters. The cups can be plastic or paper and you can use a range of simple, Halloween designs. Use a black felt tip to draw ghost faces on white cups. Green cups could be used for a ‘Frankenstein’s monster’ design. Similarly, a felt tip face will create a ‘pumpkin’ out of an orange cup.

Ask the kids to stack the cups into a one-dimensional pyramid. Each row should have fewer cups than the row below it, with a single cup at the top. Make sure the ‘monsters’ are all facing out, towards the kids. Next, give each child a water pistol and ask them to knock down the pyramid using the water. For younger children, this may be enough of a challenge (and enough fun!). For older kids, why not award points for hitting specific cups, or hitting them in a certain order? Can they knock the cups off one at a time, without toppling the whole stack?

We hope you use these games and have a frightfully enjoyable Halloween!

[Photo by oregongal]