Old Fashioned Halloween Party Games & Activities

I grew up in the country, where Halloween Trick or Treating was impossible as well as impractical. Not only were neighboring houses half a mile apart, we had neither sidewalks nor street lights so children could safely navigate the roads.

In our corner of the county, Halloween parties were popular events on October 31. Families would take turns hosting a Spook-tacular neighborhood party in their barns or other outbuildings. There would be colored streamers, lots of straw and Jack O 'Lanterns and tables of fun Halloween food. For entertainment, there would be music and dancing, and an evening's worth of old fashioned Halloween Games.

Over the years, Halloween has turned a bit more macabre in terms of entertainment and games. With everyone trying to out scare everyone else, some of the silliness and prank pulling of old-time Halloween festivities has fallen by the wayside. For something a little different this year, why not try hosting an old fashioned Halloween party for your children and their friends? You might be pleasantly surprised at how much fun it can be!

Eats and decorations

Old time Halloween decorations are amazingly simple. Some bales of straw, carved pumpkins, and orange & black crepe streamers is all you really need. Keep the decorations away from the center of the room; you'll need the space when it comes time to get those Halloween games started!

For food, keep it simple as well and serve up snacks and finger foods, punch, and bowls of Candy Korn. With this old - fashioned Halloween party, your guests will be constantly on the move. Easy to eat and portable food is a must.

And what about the entertainment? In addition to dancing to silly songs such as the "Hokey Pokey" and the "Monster Mash," there's all sorts of old fashioned Halloween Games that will have your guests giggling. And don't forget the prizes! With each game, there should be a prize for the winner. When I was a child, prizes usually included small bags of caramel corn, pomegranates, or bags of hand-pulled taffy. For consolation prizes, the hostesses handed out frosted pumpkin cookies.

Old-fashioned Halloween Party games