Halloween Party Games

DownFanatic · October 27, 2010, 01:10:28 PM

Having a Primary School aged prize giving which will incorporate Halloween party games. Anybody any good ideas for party games?

Gaaman · October 27, 2010, 01:18:10 PM

Hi DownFranatic

Long time viewer first time replier. I was reading a magazine at the weekend and it showed some simple ideas for Hallowe'en decorations for kids. One was a simple lolly pop that had a tissue tied around the pop, with an elastic band, to make a wavy ghost. Was simple but very good.
Another one was a Dairy Milk Bar (other chocolate available) wrapped in a sheet of white paper with googly eyes stuck on it. Again for a ghost.

Not too sure of games that could be played bar the usual duncking for apples, apple of a string etc

Suppose you could alter games like duck duck goose to tie into the theme ie wizard wizard wizard witch
Also instead of pin the tail on the donkey, you could do put the bolt on Frankenstein.

ziggysego · October 27, 2010, 01:22:29 PM

Bobbing for apples was an old favourite in the Ziggy Household back in the 80s. Another one, was hiding sweets and chocolate bars and having a search for them.

Another was we did, was trying a toffee apple to a piece of string and have someone suspend it. We all had turns in trying to get a bite from it. Couldn't use hands on push it against any surfaces (like Daddy). All down to who had the best bite.

Doogie Browser · October 27, 2010, 03:05:01 PM

Quote from: ziggysego on October 27, 2010, 01:22:29 PM
was hiding sweets and chocolate bars and having a search for them.

"Wherever you hide them they'll always find them"

Rois · October 27, 2010, 03:24:31 PM

Quote from: ziggysego on October 27, 2010, 01:22:29 PM
Bobbing for apples was an old favourite in the Ziggy Household back in the 80s. Another one, was hiding sweets and chocolate bars and having a search for them.

Another was we did, was trying a toffee apple to a piece of string and have someone suspend it. We all had turns in trying to get a bite from it. Couldn't use hands on push it against any surfaces (like Daddy). All down to who had the best bite.

Sadly my new teeth mean I can't either bob for apples or have the apple hanging from the string. These days kids wouldn't thank you for apples!

My favourite was the one where the (wrapped) sweets were hidden in a bowl of porridge oats and you had to stick the nose in to get them out with your teeth.

We used to go to the Ulster American Folk Park every Hallowe'en and it was brilliant - fortune telling, pumpkin pie, popcorn, a ghost running about the place in the dark...we were very lucky.

ONeill · October 27, 2010, 04:01:18 PM

Used to steal gates and torture the elderly. Those were the days.

supersarsfields · October 27, 2010, 05:41:43 PM

Quote from: Rois on October 27, 2010, 03:24:31 PM
Quote from: ziggysego on October 27, 2010, 01:22:29 PM
Bobbing for apples was an old favourite in the Ziggy Household back in the 80s. Another one, was hiding sweets and chocolate bars and having a search for them.

Another was we did, was trying a toffee apple to a piece of string and have someone suspend it. We all had turns in trying to get a bite from it. Couldn't use hands on push it against any surfaces (like Daddy). All down to who had the best bite.

Sadly my new teeth mean I can't either bob for apples or have the apple hanging from the string. These days kids wouldn't thank you for apples!

My favourite was the one where the (wrapped) sweets were hidden in a bowl of porridge oats and you had to stick the nose in to get them out with your teeth.

We used to go to the Ulster American Folk Park every Hallowe'en and it was brilliant - fortune telling, pumpkin pie, popcorn, a ghost running about the place in the dark...we were very lucky.

I was just mentioning this to someone the other day as well. We used to go to the Folk park for Halloween when we were young. Used to be a great nite's craic with the Irish ghost stories, Fortune telling (Did they do the one with the mirror and the young girl seeing her future husband over her soulder??) the tradional Irish Halloween dishes.

That said I don't know if kids now would be as in to it.

Tip. When doing the Halloween games do not bob for apples and then go to the sweets in Oats!! It can leave an awful mess on your face!!

pintsofguinness · October 27, 2010, 06:00:22 PM

Halloween is not halloween unless you spend months begging/stealing tyres and cutting whin bushes for a big kick ass bonfire. Oh the joy when someone offered you an oul couch they were looking rid of.

So I say build a bonfire.
There's not many bonfires these days is there.

ross4life · October 27, 2010, 06:08:01 PM

Quote from: pintsofguinness on October 27, 2010, 06:00:22 PM
Halloween is not halloween unless you spend months begging/stealing tyres and cutting whin bushes for a big kick ass bonfire. Oh the joy when someone offered you an oul couch they were looking rid of.

So I say build a bonfire.
There's not many bonfires these days is there.

I thought bonfire's was 23rd June in Ireland or 5th Nov in the UK i can't remember any bonfire around Roscommon on Halloween night when i was a kid

Fireworks were a halloween thing but they seem to be a thing of the past now as well $:-\$

pintsofguinness · October 27, 2010, 06:12:48 PM

No, bonfires were halloween night and there's plenty of fireworks about

ONeill · October 27, 2010, 07:47:43 PM

As Pints says, for me Hallowe'en = bonfire. You'd have built the base beforehand but that morning it was straight out to build the beast.

supersarsfields · October 27, 2010, 08:14:37 PM

Yip bonfire every Halloween as well. Usually start collecting for it from middle of Sept!!

ross4life · October 27, 2010, 08:30:39 PM

Ever heard of this? "Blind Date: Blindfolded local girls would go out into the fields and pull up the first cabbage they could find. If their cabbage had a substantial amount of earth attached to the roots then there future loved one would have money. Eating the cabbage would reveal the nature of their future husband - bitter or sweet!"

supersarsfields · October 27, 2010, 08:39:37 PM

Couple of other Irish traditions.

The Ivy Leaf: Each member of the family places a perfect ivy leaf into a cup of water and it is then left undisturbed overnight. If, in the morning, a leaf is still perfect and has not developed any spots then the person who placed the leaf in the cup can be sure of 12 months health until the following Halloween. If not.....

The Pumpkin: Carving Pumpkins dates back to the eighteenth century and to an Irish blacksmith named Jack who colluded with the Devil and was denied entry to Heaven. He was condemned to wander the earth but asked the Devil for some light. He was given a burning coal ember which he placed inside a turnip that he had gouged out.

The tradition of Jack O'Lanterns was born - the bearer being the wandering blacksmith - a damned soul. Villagers in Ireland hoped that the lantern in their window would keep the wanderer away. When the Irish emigrated in millions to America there was not a great supply of turnips so pumpkins were used instead.

Halloween Costumes: On Halloween night children would dress up in scary costumes and go house to house. 'Help the Halloween Party' and 'Trick or Treat' were the cries to be heard at each door. This tradition of wearing costumes also dates back to Celtic times. On the special night when the living and the dead were at their closest the Celtic Druids would dress up in elaborate costumes to disguise themselves as spirits and devils in case they encountered other devils and spirits during the night. By disguising they hoped that they would be able to avoid being carried away at the end of the night. This explains why witches, goblins and ghosts remain the most popular choices for the costumes.

Snap Apple: After the visits to the neighbours the Halloween games begin, the most popular of which is Snap Apple. An apple is suspended from a string and children are blindfolded. The first child to get a decent bite of the apple gets to keep their prize. The same game can be played by placing apples in a basin of water and trying to get a grip on the apple without too much mess!

The Bonfire: The Halloween bonfire is a tradition to encourage dreams of who your future husband or wife is going to be. The idea was to drop a cutting of your hair into the burning embers and then dream of you future loved one. Halloween was one of the Celt 'fire' celebrations.

Blind Date: Blindfolded local girls would go out into the fields and pull up the first cabbage they could find. If their cabbage had a substantial amount of earth attached to the roots then there future loved one would have money. Eating the cabbage would reveal the nature of their future husband - bitter or sweet!

Another way of finding your future spouse is to peel an apple in one go. If done successfully the single apple peel could be dropped on the floor to reveal the initials of the future-intended.

Anti-Fairy Measures: Fairies and goblins try to collect as many souls as they can at Halloween but if they met a person who threw the dust from under their feet at the Fairy then they would be obliged to release any souls that they held captive.

Holy water was sometimes anointed on farm animals to keep them safe during the night. If the animals were showing signs of ill health on All Hallows Eve then they would be spat on to try to ward off any evil spirits.

gerry · October 27, 2010, 08:42:17 PM

Halloween- the only day of the year I feel comfortable being seen in public with my wife.