Your
Ghosts and Goblins are sure to find the “Trail of Terror” Halloween
party delightful. The advantage of this house-to-house party is that
youngsters can be out of doors part of the time, which gives them
active exercise that fulfills yearnings for a rip-roaring good time.
The following tips will help make this a party success.
The
young guests may be asked to come, masked, to Pumpkin-Face Inn. The
address must be that of the first house on the trail. The guests upon
their arrival are given a small sack of buttered corn and four
crackers. Here each guest submits to the "Ghost Test" which consists of
eating the four crackers and then whistling. Try it sometime and see
what a feat it is. The first successful whistler is given a lollypop.
The
group is then told that there are paper pumpkins hidden throughout the
house. The guests are divided into four groups, each with a leader.
Each leader is provided with a string on which to put the paper
pumpkins when found. Each group chooses a signal such as barking,
meowing or crowing. No one except the leader is allowed to pick up a
pumpkin. When one of the others finds a pumpkin he places his finger on
it and barks or meows or does whatever his group is supposed to do
until the leader comes to pick it up. The group, whose leader has the
longest string of pumpkins, wins. This game is very hilarious and
youngsters love the noise that they can make while playing it.
The
party then proceeds to the second house, which is completely dark. An
adult ghost (or two) accompanies the group from house to house. The
second place is called Haunted House. The leader raps on the door three
times; a ghost opens the door and instructs the guests to form a
lock-step line and to follow him. Amid shrieks and groans the guests
are led through the house and finally into a dimly lit room and told a
ghost story.
After the ghost story the youngsters are provided
with paper sacks, crayons and scissors with which to construct a mask.
The best one is chosen by popular applause and the winner awarded a
prize. Each youngster is then given a pocketful of peanuts and they all
proceed to Witch's Cavern.
Here there is an old witch with a
cauldron full of cookies and fortunes. The children are greatly
delighted with the fortunes given them by the witch. They are then
conducted to the kitchen of the home. Here apples bob in a tub full of
water. Each child tries his luck at bobbing for apples. An apple is the
reward for the guest who is able to rescue an apple from the water with
his teeth. The one or two unsuccessful youngsters are then given apples
before they proceed to the next house.
The Hideout is the last
of the four houses. At the Hideout the guests are seated on the floor
with a bowl of slippery pumpkin seeds in the center. Each child is
given a needle and thread. At a given signal the children all begin to
string the slippery pumpkin seeds. At the end of ten minutes a prize is
given the youngster with the most seeds on his string.
Then the
children are presented with a ball of Witch's Yarn. The first child
unwinds the ball until he finds a slip of paper with his fortune on it.
He then throws the ball to another child who unwinds until he finds his
fortune, etc. Enough fortunes have been tied in the ball of yarn so
that each guest will receive one.
The children are then served
Halloween Sundaes. Halloween Sundaes are orange ice cream over which
chocolate syrup is poured, topped off with imitation black spiders and
chopped nuts.
The youngsters thoroughly enjoy this progressive
Halloween party. Best of all it is not a great deal of work or expense
for any one family, for the four families in the neighborhood who give
the party share the work and expense. Perhaps you'd like to try this
plan in your neighborhood.
About the Author
Mitch
Johnson is a regular writer for http://www.kids-games-n-crafts.com/.
His articles have also appeared on http://www.hubforcostumes.info/ and
http://www.interactivecostumes.info/
Here's some fun activities that are sure to be a hit!
Mummy Wrap Relay
Divide
the players into groups. Three or four per group works best. Each group
needs a player that is the “mummy” and the other players are the
“wrappers”. Provide each group with a roll of toilet paper. The first
group to wrap a mummy using the entire roll of tissue wins.
Catch the Doughnut Party Game
Hang
mini-doughnuts from the ceiling or a tree with string. The first to eat
the doughnut without using hands wins! Plain doughnuts are the safest!
Pumpkin Pass Along
Make
some jack-o-lanterns using orange rubber balls (about the size of
oranges) and a permanent marker. You’ll need one for each team. Divide
the players into teams. To start the game, place the “jack-o-lantern”
under the chin of the first player. That player passes the
“jack-o-lantern” to the next player without using hands and then to the
next player and so on. The first team to pass the pumpkin all of the
way through the line wins.
How Many?
Fill
a jar with candy corn and have each guest write down their best guess
as to how many candies are in the jar. This is a good game to play at
the beginning of the party, as guests filter in. Announce the winner at
the end of the party--They win the jar! Try candy bars instead of candy
corn - much tastier!
Halloween Treasure Hunt
Hide
a plastic pumpkin filled with goodies and prizes. Use hidden mini
pumpkins with clues pinned to them. Each clue will lead to the larger
prize!
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