Halloween is almost here! A time of year where dressing up in scary or silly costumes is the norm, and it’s commonplace for children to put candy into a pillow case. We decorate the landscape, carve pumpkins, visit haunted houses and watch horror films. But did you ever wonder why?

Halloween was thought to have originated with the Celts. Celebrated on October 31^st, a time of year that after the fall harvest and before winter, between times of plenty and near poverty, it has long been regarded as a time of celebration and superstition. Since Halloween was thought to be the one day of the year when the lines between life and death were blurred and ghosts could roam the earth freely, townsfolk took to wearing costumes to scare away the ghosts or so they could be outside and ghosts would not recognize them as living

So whether your are looking for a few last minute ideas for a party you are hosting, or you are attending a Halloween bash this weekend, here a 3 ideas to make this year’s celebration something to remember.

Pumpkin Relay Race

Fun for all ages. This is a great game to play out in the backyard or out on the patio.

To get started, form teams (You’ll need 1 small pumpkin for each team) and divide the team members in half.

• Each half of the team lines up behind one another on opposite sides of a pre-determined “field”.
• The teams will then be lined up facing the other half of their team.
• The first person must place a small pumpkin on top of their head (they are almost made for this, right?) and successfully cross the field without touching it with their hands. The pumpkin must remain on top of the players head while they cross the field.
• If the pumpkin falls off, the player must stop, replace the pumpkin, and continue only after the pumpkin is balanced.
• The pumpkin must be handed off to the team member on the other side and that player must cross back over after placing the pumpkin on their head.

The first team that has all of their players switched to the other side of the field wins!

Wrap your Mummy Up 

This is another great backyard party game. Played with partners, the first person to successfully wrap their partner up (in toilet paper) from head to toe wins.

Donut on a String

Based on an ancient game that had participants try to eat a syrup covered scone hanging from a string, this ‘Sticky Face” game uses a donut. The first player to eat their entire treat wins.

We’d love to hear what your favorite backyard patio party games are.

Have a safe and fun Halloween!