Thread: Party question...

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We host an outdoor scary movie, complete with bonfire, costumes, decorations, loud music, food...everything a teenager could want, right?

Last year we did the tempt your fate game. The kids loved it and we got some rather good pics

We have our Halloween party every year and have for about 4 years now. My teenage daughters have become known for it. They both have had people already asking if we were doing it again this year. My 14 year old has made some new friends recently and they asked her if they were getting an invite as they have been told she is the one with the killer parties (Pats herself on the back and smiles smugly)

I need something to top last years party and I am at a loss. Need some great ideas for a teenage party to make it even more memorable than the last. Think high school....

We will be showing Trick R' Treat and the 5 teenage hostesses are dressing as fairy tale characters.

Expecting 100 kids...yikes! Anybody wanna help chaperone? LOL

Got any suggestions?

TIA
Kaye

How about a treasure hunt. Set out markers and clues and see who can find the treasure...have a phony treasure as your trick that is hidden also...Trick or Treat!

Hmmm....wow, that's hard to beat. I figure if it's not broken, leave it be. = ) Just choose really good movies - by the way, I think they would love the Thai (not US) version of "Shutter."

The scavenger hunt would be a good idea, with or without a false treat....I've also heard of hunts that ended in kids being attacked with silly string by actors in the end. Could also make a big treasure box at the end filled with all kinds of things. But you could also make an egg hunt, maybe using those printable Halloween coffins instead of eggs, or something else. Could always make it a Halloween dance? You could have a bonfire, (but check to see if your county needs a permit first. I know they were making people in Georgia get permits before lighting outdoor fires, especially since the drought. ) But anyway, gather around the fire and roast marshmallows, or hotdogs and start a chain story, or if you have as many kids as expected, have the story tellers of the group give good stories. Just my two cents

I could help chaperone...lol.

I'll be watching this thread too. Nov 1st, the evening after our adult party, our son will be inviting his friends over (he'll be a senior at HS). Looking for fun games, but things they will WANT to do, not forced on them.

Scavenger hunt would be good, especially with a scary surprise at the end !!!

You could get some college kids from a drama club to dress up and tell ghost stories by the fire, or if you have friends who theatric. = )

Wanting to show Trick R' Treat as our outdoor movie.

Thinking something along the lines of superstitions might be interesting.
Anybody done any activities before based on superstitions?

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1. Candles on Halloween
If a candle flame ever turns blue on Halloween, a ghost is nearby. If a flame ever goes out by itself, a ghost has come to call.

2. Jack O' Lanterns
Everybody knows that candles in Jack O' Lanterns are meant to keep spirits at bay, but if you gaze into the flame, you can peer into your future. It works best if you burn a new orange candle from midnight to sunrise, and it'll give you good luck. However, if you burn a Halloween candle at any other time of year, bad things will happen to you that you can't control.

3. Seeing your future husband and children
A girl who carries a broken egg in a glass to a stream can catch a glimpse of her future husband and children if she mixes some of the spring water in the glass on the day of Halloween. That night, she must return to the stream with a lamp and she'll be able to see her future husband's reflection. Another legend involves a girl emersing herself in a dark room with a single candle as her only source of light. She must place the candle in front of a mirror and peer into it while either eating an apple or combing her hair. After a few moments, the face of her future husband will appear over her shoulder.

4. Omens of Death
If you hear footseps behind you on Halloween night, don't look back because it could be Death himself. Staring Death in the face is sure to hasten your own demise according to ancient folklore. It's also said that if you cast a headless shadow or no shadow at all, you will die within a year.

5. Bats
If a bat flies around your house three times on Halloween night, it is foretelling a death. If it flies into your house, a ghost is approaching (or maybe the ghost let it in). However, if bats come out early and start flying around playfully, it's asign of good weather in the near future.

6. Warding off ghosts and evil spirits
Bury animal bones or place a picture of a beloved animal near every doorway of your house. This is said to keep unfriendly entities out.

7. Spiders
If you see a spider on Halloween, don't kill it!!! It just might be the spirit of a departed loved one watching over you.

8. Bonfires
It is a Celtic tradition to have bonfires every Halloween. Once the fire was burnt out, a member from each family that helped build the fire would place a small stone within the circle of ashes. The next day, if any stones were displaced or damaged, it was believed that the owner of the stone would die within a year.

9. Lighting the Witches
In Lancashire, people used to carry candles from eleven till midnight. If the candles kept burning, they were safe. If they burned out, however, it was a bad omen. This tradition came to be called "Lighting the Witches".

10. Mashed potatoes on Halloween
Make up a huge batch of mashed potatoes on Halloween. Place a ring, a penny, a button, a heart-shaped charm, a shell, and a key. Mix everything in so the items are well hidden. Turn out the lights and give everyone a big heaping spoonful on their plate. Ideally, everyone will have an item hidden in their mashed potatoes. According to legend, the one who gets the ring will marry first, the penny signifies wealth, the button - bachelor or spinsterhood, the heart charm - passionate love, the shell - a long journey, and the key is an omen of great success and power. Make sure everyone digs the item out with their forks before chowing down. You don't want anyone choking on a penny!

Halloween Mom!! We need to put our heads together-we are in the exact same boat, it's almost eery!!

This year will be our 5th Annual Halloween Spooktacular. My boys are 14 and 11. I usually make 80 invitations, with about 50 showing up. I'll try to summarize...

3rd party - did the haunted hay ride. have a old mine road, by my house, dirt...hide friends all along this road. we had 60 kids that night, so took 2 loads. Had someone on the trailer telling a ghost story I had made up about a miner, that got buried under when the mine collapsed back in the 1800's. We even had it rigged that one kid knew he would be dragged off the trailer - I think that really scared some of them!! LOL However, AFTER the party, my boys (12 and 9) were like, that was so LAME mom, GAWH. It hurt my feelings so bad, I said I wouldn't have the party again.

4th annual - I was sticking to not doing it, when around mid Sept they start asking if we're going to have it. They said, they wanted to just be able to run and play. So, I created 3 competitions - a Football throwing one, Free Throwing one, and Goal kicking one - with prizes for the winner in each one. That was fun. The kids loved it. It wasn't very Halloweenish, but hey, they had a good time. This year we omitted the bonfire as the prior year not ONE person was ever around it! It wasn't missed.

5th annual - The other night, I asked them what they wanted. My little one said, the hay ride!! I was shocked!! Then the 14yo says, yeah but make it scary. Well hell! I don't have $1,000 to put into really good scare stuff on a dirt road! LOL I then suggested a costume contest as all 4 prior years, I made it NO costumes. At first they were like naaahhh, then I said, well we could have a theme, like 80's or Rock stars - then they got more excited about it. So this year, I think we will do the costume contest (still not sure of the theme) and a hay ride. Also, this will the FIRST year girls are invited.

I always handmake all the invites - I've had several moms tell me they keep them every year because they love them so much!! Our party has become a tradition, I thought no one would miss it- but maybe they would!

I would like to try the treasure hunt one year...but that'll take a lot of thought!! I thought about the outdoor movie too - but I swear, these boys all they want to do is run and play football and tackle each other!! Like a bunch of hooligans!!! WHEN will they outgrow that?!?! LOL

BevAnn: I hear ya sister! I have tried the "we're not having it again" thing a couple of times already because mine would start complaining about having to do work, but I just can't "not" do it. LOL. My kids say it's my party, not theirs and that I am not going to cancel my own party...they have me figured out.

The outdoor movie would be great for you. I will tell you a little secret...it keeps them calm and quiet for 90 mins Your boys would not be running around while the movie was playing. It's a new experience and all the kids are in awe by it. There's nothing like watching a really scary movie in the woods. You should give it some thought, if you have a projector or can get your hands on one. I can PM you with more info if you decide to do this. Also, if you are inviting girls this year, there will be much less ripping and running

We started requiring costumes last year. The ones that didn't wear a costume got dressed by the hostesses. We had varsity football players wearing fairy wings. LOL It was all in good fun and the kids loved it.

We also did our own version of the tempt your fate game. We put our truth or dares in balloons and blew them up. The kids stomped on their balloon to see if they had a truth or a dare. We kept them age appropriate, but borderline. Embarassing and funny. They loved that too.

I think mine are at the age now where they just want to hang out with friends, eat junk food, listen to loud music and socialize. Our haunted trail was "lame" last year and we worked on that stupid thing for months. The kids really do enjoy the movie though. We let the kids hang out until about 9:30 or so, play the first movie, then hang out...most go home by midnight, but there are ALWAYS some that want to stay for a second movie and we will show another scary movie. It's usually nearly 3 AM before my yard empties entirely.

I don't think my kids care if it's "better than last years" because they have all become so excited about the outdoor movies, but I still try to come up with something new and fun. Haven't quite figured it out yet for this year. I have soooooo many decorations that I told my husband I wasn't buying anymore this year...well, at least until the clearance sale, but "shhh" don't tell him that I am thinking of hiring a DJ this year, a really cool DJ with lights and all and one that will wear his/her costume...that's a thought.

Kaye