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Saturday, September 21, 2013

Haunted House Party

Is your home haunted by friendly relatives who pop up here and there - especially around holiday time - expecting to be entertained? Mine is! But to be quite frank, it's usually me who invites them in. Oooooh! Wait! So that's it! You have to invite them in! Guess that explains why, with a little stretch of the imagination, you might presume that my house looks exactly like this!

My family "everybody-plays-and-everybody-wins" competition is a real winner- if you don't mind the self-congratulatory mood I'm in right now! It's a board game that's perfect for a Halloween gathering at your own haunted house. You'll have everyone sneaking around like slinky black cats, disappearing around corners like wispy ghosts, and flapping batty wings with joy when a treasure is discovered. And no one will go home rattling their bones in dismay, because all of the rescued loot is divided equally at the end- everybody goes home with stomachs churning in candy corn and pretzel sticks!

The playing board is a prize in itself. I'll detail instructions and a list of "witch" supplies you need at the end of this post, but for now, here's a closer look at some of the characters creeping around inside my house....I couldn't even fit everybody in! Scary!



This little guy just flutters around and makes everybody happy....the perfect little "batman!"












Nothing witchy about Mary Jo - I just think she looks spellbinding in that pointed hat!
















Where's camera red eye when you need it most? I was forced to add Roxie's alien eyeballs with glue and a paper punch!














Game rules are simple. After everyone has finished "ROFL-ing" at the sight of them themselves, they are dispatched to seek treasure hidden throughout the house. When something is found, a bell is rung - or a horn is honked - or an owl is invited to hoot - and everyone gathers back at the board. A group decision is made on "witch" character matches the treat.

For example.....



Someone finds a basket of wax fangs. It also contains bottles of red liquid - human blood! We don't want to scare the kids so we'll just say (wink, wink!) it's Vampire Juice! And then we'll agree to mark Uncle Tom's square with a candy corn piece. Back to the search! We're soooo done with him!














A batch of clear plastic gloves - one per guest - is discovered. They are stuffed with green tinted popcorn. Ooooo...do you think that's a match for Monster Nick?

How about Halloween Ghost Peeps - Charlie?
Candy corn packs - Karen?
Cheese crackers - Uncle Keenon?
Pretzel broomsticks - Mary Jo?











Rubbery skeleton toys - hmmmm.....could be Christy, waving "hello!" from the attic - or is it Roxie? Let's go with Christy for the bones - those bars of chocolate bark (woof! woof!) seem to be calling Roxie's name! She's part chocolate lab you know!










After every stash of goodies has been found, and every window square is marked, every haunted hunter distributes his/her/its treat, giving everybody an equal amount of toys and candy. See how everybody wins? It's that simple!

And so, the next time you hear....

Knock, knock!
Say: "Who's there?"
If they say: "Annie,"
You say:
"Annie body want to come in and play Haunted House Party? It's so much fun it'll scare you!!"























To make a game board (completed size 13" x 28") you will need:

Canson paper (preferred), orange, 19" x 25" sheet
Light weight cardboard, black, 22" x 28" sheet
Wallet size head shots of players (print at home)
Scrap book paper, scissors, glue, and a really crazy imagination!

1. Decorate each face with paper scraps.
2. Cut 3" x 4" paper rectangles into quarters for window panes. Glue them on slightly larger rectangles, contrasting colors and leaving space between each 1.5" x 2" pane.
3. Glue each character on top of a window.
4. Make a larger rectangle, 4" x 6.5" for front door. Arch the top, cut hinges and doorknob from scraps and glue on.
5. Arrange windows and door on orange paper, allowing space below for steps and a fence if desired. Measure, then cut paper. Mine is 12" x 20"
6. Cut fence and steps from scraps. Make cats and pumpkin for faces of babies if desired. Arrange and glue everything to orange paper.
7. Cut black cardboard to 28" x 13" or to a width that allows a 1/2" border around sides of orange paper house. Glue house to cardboard, centered, 1/2" from bottom edge.
8. Make a pattern for triangle roof, adding chimney. When you are satisfied with the fit, cut it out of orange paper and glue down. Add attic window and/or character(s) on the roof if desired.

This design, like all blog content, is intended for personal use only. Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Thank you!

21 comments:

  1. this is so darn cute and a great idea for a treasure hunt ...you always come up with the best stuff! :) I can see kids just having an absolute BLAST with this! :)

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  2. Ha! This is adorable- I want to play Right Now. This Halloween idea is the BEST! :)

    Love, Joy
    Yesterfood

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  3. Oh what fun! You really are amazing. I know I have said it before but do your children realize the expectation level you are setting? Your grandchildren are going to grow up expecting their kids to have the same kind of awesome grandparent experience that they are having! Hope they are up to it!

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  4. This is great and something I would never have thought of. New follower from weekend blog hop.

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  5. Now that is really adorable. What a fun idea. I don't have enough people to put on mine, I don't think! I am sure everyone will find this cute and funny. I especialy like the way you added Roxie's red alien eyes, I laughed out loud at that! It captures the essence of dog photos perfectly. :)

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  6. This is the cutest thing I've ever seen. My grands would love it! Halloween is probably my family's second favorite holiday after Christmas.

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  7. what a fun game! My little nephews and nieces would love this!

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  8. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/95983035781695139/ on my Halloween Board!

    That is one of the best win-win-win party games I've ever seen! I'm already thinking of ways to make this doable for the family here in Kentucky (one in a wheelchair) and how to do something similar for other holidays when we go to Texas and have about 25 people to include. It will totally work! I'm going to be smiling all day just thinking about it!

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  9. What a fantastic party game! We love games for the whole family. I will be pinning this one. Thanks for sharing with us at the Blog Hop Blitz!

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  10. What a fun game, and easily adaptable to other holidays!

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  11. Those are some pretty cute critters, I must say. Love what you made also to show off those critters. Best wishes, Linda

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  12. Do you sleep at night like the rest of us? LOL Every time I think you've outdone yourself, you do it again. What a hoot and I know the grandkids love it.

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  13. What a fun idea! Great blog! Following you via Blog Hop#44. Hope you follow back:)
    Have a wonderful day!

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  14. I just love your game board, I was thinking it would be a great idea for a pieced quilted wall hanging Halloween decoration, hmmm...thanks for sharing!

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  15. Oh my goodness! This looks like so much fun! Thanks for sharing. You're so clever! And thanks for linking up with the Meet and Greet Blog Hop!

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  16. cute idea! Following you through Meet & Greet Blog Hop!

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  17. Super cute. Pinning! I posted scrappy note board to the party:)

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  18. LOL! Really, do you sleep? (grandparents plus2;) I think it's amazing what you come up with! I wonder if I could use this idea and tweak it for our Harvest day. If I can find the time cause I do sleep! A lot! Love it as always.

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