Halloween Party Pranks and Games

Thiese games are tagged for Halloween, but could be played most any time. But for a fun-filled evening full of pranks, Halloween is the best occasion. The games use common household items, and avoid the mess of such well-known Halloween games as bobbing for apples.

The games are suitable for either children or adults, and can be easily modified as needed for either age group, including quite young children. (However, I don't recommend them for really young kids like toddlers, because of the need for fine motor skills and their low frustration tolerance.)

The weightless lift game

You'll need the following:

• a small table, such as a card table (if you don't have one, the dining or kitchen table will do)
• a blindfold
• an unbreakable bowl of about 2 quart capacity
• a bag of cotton balls
• a soup spoon
• a kitchen timer

To play:

Place the bowl on the table surrounded by scattered cotton balls. Each player, by turns, is blindfolded, given the spoon, led to the table, and allowed to feel where the bowl is, and then must put his or her free hand behind their back and keep it there!

Set the timer for 1 minute. The object of the game is to spoon up as many cotton balls as possible and dump them into the bowl. At the end of the minute, the number of pieces are counted and recorded as the player's score.

After each player, dump the collected cotton (if any--hee hee) back onto the table. When all have played their turns, the winner is the player who got the most cotton balls into the bowl.

This game is hilarious for the onlookers, as it is nearly impossible for the player to know whether or not they have actually scooped up anything, given the near weightlessness of cotton balls. Naturally, there will be all sorts of good-natured "helpful" comments shouted out, and much laughter.

The expression on the player's face when the blindfold is removed is usually photo-worthy as well, when they realize their careful efforts may have amounted to squat, or a mere one or two successful scoops.

The "don't fall on your nose" game

This game uses an empty small slide-out matchbox of the type that used to be found in some restaurants and hotels. (They measured about 2" long and a little over 1/4" tall and about an inch wide). and held small wooden matches, and I'm not actually sure whether or not they are still sold in the miniature version. The large 'standard' matchboxes will not work--it makes the game too easy, and there is no challenge.

However, if you can find one of the little boxes, this is a fun game for active people.

Open the matchbox about 1/2"

To play:

• Each player in turn gets down on all fours, places their elbows tight against their knees, palms flat out in front.
• At the very tip of thier longest finger, the open matchbox is stood on end, open-end up.
• Now, the player sits up, and clasps both hands behind his or her back, where they must stay.

The object:

The player must lean forward, balancing their weight until they can grasp the box with their teeth and pick it up without falling over. Fall, and you're out! (Only if falling may the hands come out from behind the back.)

Hint: Men will have a great deal more trouble with this than women, as their center of gravity is higher on the body. It is loads of fun to watch them try. Some will succeed, many will not.

Here it is: the grand finale you've all been waiting for! This one is for adults or older kids, and everyone must be a really good sport, and willing to take certain....."risks."

To pull off this prank requires some advance prep, and possibly a minor shopping trip. You also need a good-sized open area with a hard-surfaced floor. It can be a family room, garage, patio, etc. (Fair warning: do not play this prank on carpeting!)

The rest of the equipment is as follows:

• a music-playing device of some sort--it does not matter, as long as it can be heard by all, without earbuds or earphones.
• a single selection of slow-paced music
• A covered can in which are several live garden snails (some brave soul will have to have collected these earlier in the day and hidden the stash)
• several blindfolds (this is a multi-player-at-once prank)
• a package of miniature marshmallows
• a box of corn flakes

First, ask for volunteers to perform an interpretive dance: make up any excuse that may be believed by your group. Collect them in a group, and tell them they will be blindfolded and stocking-footed to better "feel" the music without distractions.

Just before you lead them to be blindfolded and remove their shoes, make sure the accomplice is seen opening the can and placing the snails here and there on the floor. No doubt the volunteers will shriek or cringe or have some such reaction--but, there is no backing out now!

As soon as they are out of the room, the accomplice picks up the snails and returns them to the can, later to be put back from whence they were collected.

The last thing to do is scatter the marshmallows and corn flakes about the "dance floor." At this point, the remaining guests should not laugh--they should start making comments such as "Ewwww!"" or "Oh, they're crawling!!"

Now, start the music, and lead in the victims---errrrr---volunteers, and watch the fun as they "dance" their way through this "minefield." The surrogate 'snails' will get stepped upon, so be sure you have the video camera running to captue the real dance!

After a few moments of this torture, thank the dancers, switch off the music and tell them they may remove their blindfolds. ...I hope you didn't shut off the camera yet....be sure and get their faces in the shot!

Whether or not to award prizes is totally up to you, and dependent in part on the ages of the players. For kids, you probably want prizes; for adults, perhaps a glass of wine would suffice.

In any case, the point is fun and laughter. For the prank, no prizes are required, as they are not competing. On the other hand--since they have been such good sports--surely a consolation prize is in order.

Have a very safe, happy and fun Halloween, and/or a peaceful and bright Samhain, one and all!