Thread: Need "wow" factor for senior high kids...

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We have an awesome party every year. It's tradition. Usually 50-100 teenagers. We hold it outside in the woods, with music, firepit, and an outdoor scary movie on a 12 x 9 big screen. Two years ago, we added a "haunted" trail, to which it just didn't scare the teens. This past year we ditched the idea of doing the trail again and we didn't even really put that much into decorating. Teenagers just don't seem to care about decor.

This coming halloween will be my oldest daughter's senior year. We need some suggestions on what to do for the "wow" factor. Every year has to out-do the last and I am just not happy with it anymore. The kids love it, be I think it's getting mundane and "the same ole', same ole'"....

Any suggestions?

TIA

Since I'm a teen at heart I could probably think of some stuff that would scare me but you probably want to hear from someone with experience.

You could add games. Things like a Zombie Scavenger Hunt (look for body parts), Mummy Wrap (wrap someone in a roll of paper towels), etc. Look in this forum for more of those ideas.

Do a Fear Factor style game where there are various wierd and gross things for them to eat like (all sanitary and eatable), fried bugs, chitterlings (cooked pig guts), chicken feet, balut (Filipino delicacy, fermented egg), pig ears, pig snout, etc. Go to your local asian market and you'll find some interesting things. Make some Truth Serum out of eatable things. How about a nice tall glass of buttermilk, hot sauce, hotdog water, and pickles?

Do you include a costume contest? Have categories and trophies (Barbies wrapped mummy-like in gauze, spray painted gold) for the winners.

Guess the Candies in a Jar - fill a creepy jar with skilttles or m&m's, folks write down their guess. Later in the party you announce the winner that gets to keep the jar and candy.

Party Crashers - have someone dressed in costume suddenly bust into the party grab a "victim" (someone that is already in on it), and take them away. Have a chainsaw wielding maniac run through a few times then disapear into the woods.

Place a dummy in a chair or couch at the beginning of thte party. Some time later, quietly replace the dummy with a live actor in the same clothes that will sit for a while, then get up and lay down the scare.

Zombify Your Party - As people enter one at a time, they are attacked in the main room by a pack of zombies that leads them into makeup room where they are dolled up by a few makeup artists, then they go join the pack to attack the next person. You can do the same with a vampire theme.

For a scare treatment, you could pick a particular theme and make the trail into it. Zombies, crazy cajuns, dead bodies, 7 deadly sins, fears (spiders, claustrophobia, needles, blood, darkness, etc), vampires, biohazard, etc. A dot room is always fun and amazing.

If you just have some tombstones and props scattered here and there, that won't give much of a scare. Maybe shorten the haunt path to a shorter but more intense experience.

As with all haunting, lighting and sound is a fundamental way to set the mood. Thunderous soundtracks that lead into an appropriate matching scene can really set the scare.

Do you have a layout or plan for what you would like to do?

We have an inside adult party, but I try to do a "wow" or "************** type thing each year too.

First year we did a shot luge (probably not a good idea for teens, but if anyone else is interested, our experience and photos here). Technically you could do non-alcoholic "mocktails" I guess.

Last year we rented "Dance Dance Revolution" from a carnival/party rental place, my place ended up being jerks but while the game was working it was super fun. You can rent all sorts of bounce castles, blow up slides, or carnival games that would work outdoors really well.

This year for the N'awlins theme I'm hiring a psychic to do palmistry and tarot readings

If you did a carnival theme you could have lots of little "tents" with activities people could go between - psychic, knock over the milk bottles, darts, kissing booth, etc.

How about this? While the kids are watching the movie, have some actors dress up as the villians in the movie. Wait until the kids are good and mesmerized by the action in the film then have the actors jump in and scare the crap out of them. Have the actors chase the kids around a bit, grab a couple and drag them off or generally make the movie come to "life."

Halloween mom, here we are again, with our teens, needing ideas to top last years party!! LOL

I was so pissed after mine last year, I vowed never again. After 5 years of it, and dealing with little holligan teen boys, I was sick of their total disregard for other peoples things.

Our entertainment industry has desensatized these kids so badly, nothing short of a full on Hollywood production will scare them. Everything else is, and I quote, "Lame mom".

*sigh* I may change my mind this year, but I think I'm going for the adult party this year.

So, in short, I have not one idea for ya, but I hope to see some ideas here that MIGHT, just MIGHT, convince me to give the kiddos one more chance!

Originally Posted by BevAnn

Halloween mom, here we are again, with our teens,
Our entertainment industry has desensatized these kids so badly, nothing short of a full on Hollywood production will scare them. Everything else is, and I quote, "Lame mom".

I totally agree but then think back to when we were kids and the "scary" things are parents used to get frightened by that didn't faze us one bit...

Hmmmm. Go with the bad guy in the movie like mention earlier buuuuuut have 'em hack up a "plant" in the group. Plan ahead with someone confident and could pull it off without ratting your plans out to someone in the group. I'm an extreemist. Bloodly mess all over Kicking and screaming.

We also had teen party last year. The kids really had a good time. We had about 60 kids. The ages were from 11 to 16. They first would walk through house, everyroom was decorated. When they first walked in, The kids told everyone that they were doing science expermenting and blew a hole in the floor. We blocked that off with tape. It was right by the professer with body parts and the electrical static balls. We had left all props out from the adult party. The biggest hit was the exorcist, everyone had their picture taken with her. We had the strobelight and exorcist music.
The other hit was the crystal ball, and the reading of the palms. The kids made curtains with sheets. They hung them in a corner, and had a fogger crystal ball My daughter had a couple of older girls dress up and give fortunes and readings.
We also had fear factor. The kids had to drink, and eat this edible god awful stuff. for a prize. I had picked up many bugs, creatures some in liquid. Some of that cool halloween stuff looks good, but tastes bad.
Alot of the kids just liked hanging out. We made a large dance floor in garage. We had hay bales, around and of course loud music. Of all those kids all dressed up, a few like football but most pretty good costumes.

Thanks so much for these great replies! AND some of them have been thru PM, but there was some great ideas!