1. The Evil Dead

Perhaps one of the best B movies of all time, The Evil Dead had a budget of only $375,000 but a genius director at the helm—Sam Raimi, who would go on to direct “Spider-Man” and produce “The Grudge.” Though it initially got slapped with an NC-17 rating for its brutal violence, the plot of the film is somewhat laughable—five Michigan State students are on vacation for the weekend and stumble across a demonic tape recording that releases evil spirits who plan to possess the students. If you can get past the gore, the movie and its sequels are definitely worth seeing—particularly “Army of Darkness,” though with its $11 million budget, it can’t quite fairly be called a B movie.

2. The Chooper

Does it really get any better than an absurdly comical horror movie with a rumored $500 budget? The best of the best might be The Chooper, otherwise known as “Blood Shack.” In the Ray Dennis Steckler gem, Carol inherits a ranch in the middle of nowhere and staunchly refuses to sell it to anyone who may want it, despite the fact that a legendary Native American creature known as “The Chooper,” who appears to be part ninja and part grumpy old man, is living on the grounds and killing whoever happens to step wrong on the property. Comic gold is littered everywhere in the movie, especially in a seemingly random, stretched-out scene at the town rodeo. Why are they there? When will the plot return? No one seems to know.

3. Freez’er

Almost no one has ever heard of it, but Freez’er is truly a hidden treasure. If you’re a fan of puns, you’ll enjoy the title—J.M., the film’s main character, is devastated by his wife’s death, can barely cope without her, and—well—let’s just say a freezer is involved. The acting is absolutely atrocious, which is part of the movie’s charm; each line is delivered as if the character were reading it as part of a phonics program. “Freez’er” was also written and directed by the same person, a near-guarantee of a fantastically horrible movie.

4. Orgy of the Dead

This film was the brainchild of Ed Wood—need I say more? Fine, fine. Orgy of the Dead is exactly what it sounds like—a man and his girlfriend go to a cemetery for inspiration (he’s a writer; pull your mind out of the gutter, please), but instead of finding great ideas, they find a bunch of expired exotic dancers, who put on one of the most gruesomely terrible performances in cinematic history for the couple. The movie doesn’t quite have the makings of a classic, but if you can manage to get through it, you’ll probably feel pretty good about yourself.

5. The Killer Tongue

It’s tempting to just let the plot summary from IMDB tell all for this one—the movie “involves a woman hiding out with four pastel-colored poodles in a desert gas station,” which is good enough, but then “a meteorite crashes near the station, transforming the woman into an alien being with a gigantic, voracious tongue, and her poodles are transformed into four drag queens.” Sign me up! The woman’s name, of course, is Candy.

6. Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Warning—if you’ve harbored a secret fear of clowns since childhood, you should probably pass this one by. In a nutshell, murderous extraterrestrial clowns invade a small town and go on a total rampage, confined only by their clownish tendencies to kill with common circus foodstuffs such as popcorn and cotton candy. The townspeople are too dumb to figure out what’s going on, so it’s up to a few sly teenagers to shut the freaks down. It’s too bad the robots of MST3K never got to this movie, but it’s easy enough to fill in the snide comments by yourself.

7. C.H.U.D.

8. Frankenstein vs. the Creature from Blood Cove

A list of top B horror movies would never be complete without at least one film that features competing monsters. Everyone knows that when one horrible monster doesn’t make a movie awful enough, the solution is to throw in at least one more and see what happens. In Frankenstein vs. the Creature from Blood Cove, that strategy works out beautifully. In classic Frankenstein style, the monsters in the film are manufactured by an insane human (oh, those humans… will they ever learn?) and make it their goals to spread as much havoc as possible. Did I mention that a werewolf is also involved?

9. The Blob

With a title like The Blob you know you’re in for a treat before the movie even starts. A plot summary isn’t even necessary for this glorious piece of work—suffice it to say that a giant and malevolent gob of jelly is on the loose, and if you’re nearby, you’re in trouble. When you think about it, there’s really no better idea for a horror movie villain—faceless and shapeless is the scariest, after all.

10. Them!

Straight out of the vintage era, Them! is a movie about mutant ants that did the impossible by landing an Oscar nomination for best effects and actually winning an Oscar for best sound editing. It’s well known that no part of any B movie is supposed to actually be good enough to catch the attention of the Academy, but as this movie was made in 1954, it’s slightly excusable. “Them!” is the gold standard for dozens of other B movies and nails every criterion you could ever ask for in such a film—great plot? Check. “WTF” moments? Check. Acting that doesn’t make you want to die? Check. Party and popcorn potential? Double check. If you’re looking for one of the very best of the originals, dig up this sucker and start spinning it.

They might keep us up at night, but there’s something about horror movie bad guys that capture our imagination. Whether it’s their grotesque appearances, their sinister personalities, or the bloodshed and gore that follow in their wake, we just can’t stop watching them. As we follow them with both terror and delight, we often ask ourselves — “How did this maniac come to be?” Here are the origins to some of the most evil, most vile villains to ever grace the silver screen:

Jason Voorhees — The physically-deformed, mentally-challenged Jason was born to an already-imbalanced Pamela Voorhees, a cook working at Camp Crystal Lake. The boy was somewhat shy and reclusive, with his abnormalities often the cause for bullying from other kids. His mother Pamela, however, saw fit to protect her boy by any means necessary, even though she wasn’t quite playing with a full deck to begin with.

Pamela snapped, however, when Jason drowned due to the negligence of two amorous camp counselors. The following year, two counselors were caught making love when they were brutally murdered. Camp Crystal Lake understandably shut down after the tragedy.

Unfortunately, that didn’t stop people from trying to reopen it. Every year that someone tried to bring Camp Crystal Lake back to life, someone’s life was taken. The mysterious killer’s identity was discovered years after, when the sole survivor of a vicious attack learned that the murders were the work of none other than an enraged (and deranged) Pamela Voorhees. Using her wits and will to live, the survivor managed to decapitate Pamela, putting a stop to the killings for good.

But the killings didn’t stop. A few months after the harrowing ordeal, the survivor suddenly disappeared. Many began to wonder if Pamela Voorhees had found a way to return and avenge her dead son.

Only, Jason wasn’t dead. He somehow survived the drowning incident and had been in hiding for years. Upon finding his mother’s severed head, the imbalanced Jason was enraged and vowed revenge upon all those who dared wander into Camp Crystal Lake. So the slaughter continues…

Freddy Krueger — Born out of rape and put up for adoption, Freddy Krueger spent a difficult childhood under an abusive alcoholic stepfather. The boy would eventually grow up to be a sociopath, withdrawn from the rest of the children and secretly learning to enjoy the pain from his adoptive father’s beatings. He eventually got revenge on his father by killing him in cold blood.

When Krueger reached adulthood, he married a woman named Loretta and had a daughter, Kathryn. Unknown to his wife, Krueger had developed a fondness for murdering children, having tortured and slain 20 kids over the years. He kept records of the killings and his instruments of torture in a secret room in the basement. When Loretta discovered the ghastly room, Freddy killed her in front of his own daughter, as she was “snooping in on daddy’s special work.”

Krueger was eventually discovered by the authorities and arrested for his crimes, which earned him the moniker “the Springwood Slasher”. Unfortunately, an error in the signing of the search warrant rendered the evidence inadmissible, and Krueger was set free. The victims’ parents, however, decided to take justice into their own hands. They stormed into the boiler room where Krueger committed the murders and burned him alive.

Moments before his death, however, Krueger was approached by three dream demons in search of a malevolent soul. They offered Krueger the chance to “be forever” and turn nightmares into reality, in exchange for continuing his evil work in the dream world. Krueger happily accepted, and gained the power to exist in people’s dreams, control them, and cause actual physical harm to them. Krueger would continue his heinous work through these newfound abilities.

Hannibal Lecter — Cold, cunning and ruthless, the cannibalistic Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a serial killer unlike any other — a brilliant man with a twisted outlook towards life. Born into an aristocratic Lithuanian family, Lecter’s earliest years were privileged ones. At the time of Hitler’s Blitzkrieg, things changed and his family fled to their forest lodge. They were unable to escape tragedy however, as Lecter’s parents and family retainers were eventually killed by a German bomber. Lecter and his sister Mischa were left to fend for themselves.

Tragedy struck once more when a group of former Lithuanian collaborators attempted to loot the lodge. Lecter and Mischa were taken captive by the looters, led by one Vladis Grutas. Starving and desperate, the looters resorted to eating Mischa. Lecter watched in horror as Grutas and his men cannibalized his sister, and he would never be the same again. Lecter would eventually escape captivity; however, the ordeal traumatized him and he became mute.

Lecter was later found by the Soviets and returned to his castle, which had been converted into an orphanage by the war effort. The boy was severely disturbed, attacking and severely wounding many of his fellow orphans. However, it seemed that the attacks were purposeful — Lecter resorted to violence only against the bullies.

He was eventually found by his uncle, Count Robert Lecter, and taken to his new home in France. There, he met his aunt, the Lady Murasaki, and he fell enamored with her. One day, a butcher named Paul Momund made obscene comments at Murasaki while she and Lecter were out and about. The boy retaliated by viciously attacking Momund. Momund, enraged by Lecter’s actions, took it upon himself to confront the Count. In the heat of the confrontation, Lecter’s uncle suffered a heart attack and passed away. Lecter blamed Momund for the Count’s death, and exacted his revenge by decapitating the butcher. Eerily recalling the cannibalization of his sister, Lecter then proceeded to slice the cheeks off of Momund’s severed head and eat the flesh.

Momund’s murder alerted the authorities, and much suspicion was directed towards Lecter. However, due to the Lady Murasaki’s intervention, and Lecter’s own ability to fool lie detection machines, he was found innocent of the murder. Lecter went on a fruitful academic life at the Lycée, capped by earning the recognition of being the youngest student to ever be admitted to a medical school in France. While on his studies at Paris, he chanced upon one of his family’s old paintings, and was reminded of the horrors of his past. He returned to the lodge where he was held captive as a child, hoping to give his sister a proper burial. As he searched the premises, he found the dog tags of the looters responsible for his sister’s brutal murder. He would then hunt each member down and murder them in vengeance.

Though his appetite for revenge was sated, his bloodlust was not, and Lecter continued to kill those who would cross him. He grew a fondness for the taste of human meat, and often disposed of his victims by including them in his epicurean dishes. An internship in Baltimore would eventually bring “Hannibal the Cannibal” to American shores, where he would continue his work with a terrifying and savage sophistication.

Michael Myers — “Pure, unadulterated evil” is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot in horror films, but few of the antagonists embody it as well as Michael Myers. The silent hulk is an unnaturally powerful and resilient killing machine, dispatching his victims with cold brutality.

Myers was a bright child, speaking and reading at a rate that was advanced for his age. When he turned five, however, things changed and he slowly began showing signs of autism. The boy grew quiet and reserved, showing a strange preoccupation with certain objects and staring into blank space. On Halloween of 1963, the then-six year old Myers walked into his household kitchen, grabbed a butcher knife, and stabbed his older sister to death. The boy was later found sitting stoically outside the house, and seemed emotionally dead.

Psychiatrists were puzzled by Myers’ actions — he had absolutely no motivation to kill his sister, and no insight could be gained from his unwavering silence. The only time that Myers would ever show some sign of emotion was when his younger sister, Laurie, would come and visit; the boy would inexplicably start grinding his teeth and staring at her. After years of fruitless study, Myers’ psychiatrist could come up with no other theory than the boy being pure evil.

Unknown to anyone else, however, was the fact that Myers’ babysitter, Mrs. Blankenship, was a member of the mysterious Cult of Thorn. The cult believed that in order to bring balance to the conditions that bring about conflict in humanity, a chosen individual must kill all the members of his family. The young Myers was chosen to carry out this act, and was bestowed with the Curse of Thorn. It would be this curse that attributed to Myers homicidal urges, as well as his supernatural strength and seeming immortality. As long as his bloodline existed, Myers would continue to hunt his family down, killing anyone who would get in his way.

Norman Bates — No other killer is a more popular cautionary tale than Norman Bates. Undergoing severe emotional (and implied sexual) abuse from his mother as a child, Bates’ mental state had become incredibly fragile. Things worsened when Bates’ father died, leaving mother and son to fend for themselves. Bates’ mother constantly warned him about the evils of sex, and told him that all women — save for her — were whores. This cycle of abuse and the demonization of all other women created an unhealthy co-dependence between the two.

That co-dependence was challenged when Bates’ mother suddenly took in a lover. Feeling abandoned by the only other person he felt safe with, Bates extracted his vengeance by poisoning both his mother and her lover with strychnine. Both horrified with what he had done and obsessed with his mother, Bates then took to preserving her body and acting as though she were still alive. In order to preserve his rapidly-crumbling psyche, Bates maintained the illusion of having a mother by developing a separate personality — “Norma” Bates. Bates would then go on to manage the family motel as both Norman and Norma.

His mother’s influence would never leave him, and Bates would continue to perceive women as “evil” and “dirty”. Whenever the “Norman” persona would become infatuated with ladies staying at the motel, the “Norma” persona would take over, leading Bates to dress up in his deceased mother’s clothing and murder the women. He would speak in his mother’s voice and scold himself (“Norman”) for forgetting that women were filthy whores, and that “mother” was the only one who mattered. Eventually, Bates’ fragile psyche would eventually break down, and the murderous “mother” would completely take over.

Leatherface — Two men would come to be known as the chainsaw-wielding Leatherface. The first was Bubba Sawyer, a mentally-retarded man under the control of his twisted family. Raised by a group of deranged cannibals, Bubba did the Sawyers’ dirty work in killing the people who would eventually become his family’s chili. Bubba had no true personality, only acting through the different personas of his masks made from human faces. As such, Bubba was different from most other serial killers in that he killed primarily out of fear, or out of his family’s orders.

The second man to wear the many masks of Leatherface was Thomas Hewitt. Hewitt was often bullied as a child due to his muteness, mental retardation, and the facial disfigurement he suffered as a result of a flesh-eating disease. He was eventually diagnosed with mental degeneration at the young age of twelve.

Hewitt eventually tried to live a normal life, finding work in the very meat factory he was born in. Unfortunately, health inspectors order the factory to shut down, and Hewitt’s boss and co-worker urge him to leave. Hewitt’s refusal to follow orders leads the two to call him a “dumb animal” and a “retard”. The insults trigger Hewitt’s memory of the cruelty he suffered in his childhood, and the years of abuse cause him to finally snap. He grabs a sledgehammer and bludgeons the two to death. As he goes around the factory, he chances upon a chainsaw, which would eventually become his weapon of choice. The murder is then discovered by local sheriff Winston Hoyt, who tries to stop Hewitt. Hewitt is saved, however, by his uncle, Charlie Hewitt, who kills Hoyt and assumes his identity.

The abusive Charlie takes advantage of Hewitt’s mental retardation and manipulates him into doing his twisted work. Hewitt becomes the family’s most prominent murderer, supplying them with the human flesh needed to supply their meat shop. Hewitt, sick of the ridicule he’s received because of his hideous appearance, eventually makes a mask by slicing off the face of one of his victims, creating Leatherface as we know and fear him.

Jigsaw — John Kramer once made a living as a simple toy maker. He treated most aspects of his life with complacency, including his romantic relationships. His inability to make commitments eventually caused his girlfriend to leave him. However, even this didn’t help him realize the damage his indifference was doing to his life.

He had an epiphany, however, after one fateful hospital visit. He had been getting severely ill, often to the point of vomiting. He was later diagnosed with cancer and an inoperable brain tumor. Faced with his fast-approaching mortality, Kramer finally realized how much of his life he allowed himself to waste. While at the hospital, he became increasingly sensitive to people he perceived were wasting their lives as well. Heroin addicts and suicide attempters, in his opinion, failed to realize how precious life truly was.

Depressed with how futile he saw life was, Kramer decided to end it all and commit suicide. However, he survived the attempt, despite having driven his car over a cliff. Clinging on to the remaining bits of life he had made him realize just how valuable it is to be alive. Instead of ending his own life, Kramer vowed to help others take control and embrace their own lives.

Unfortunately, in Kramer’s own twisted perspective, that entailed bringing them to the brink of death. Just as he had his realization in the midst of anguish and looming death, so too, would his “subjects”. Kramer then spent the next few months following and observing people who he thought needed saving. He then fashioned cruel and sadistic puzzles that would “save” them by making them endure intense physical and mental torture. Kramer proceeded to abduct his subjects and force them into the specially-designed puzzles, in which they could only either escape with an increased appreciation for life, or die a horrible, agonizing death.

Most of Kramer’s subjects suffered the latter. At the end of each “experiment”, Kramer would cut off a small puzzle-shaped piece of flesh from the corpse, meant to represent the piece of humanity missing in the victim — the survival instinct. This odd modus operandi would later lead the authorities to dub Kramer the “Jigsaw Killer”.

Pinhead — The diabolical creature known as Pinhead was once a human by the name of Elliot Spenser. A captain of the British Army, Spenser engaged in the Battle of Flanders. Watching the carnage around him made him realize just how cruel mankind can be, and he eventually lost his faith in all humanity and in God, saying “to us, God fell at Flanders, too”. Shaken by post-traumatic stress disorder from the events, Spenser turned to a hedonistic lifestyle to take the edge off.

Spenser eventually found himself turning to baser forms of pleasure as he made his travels. He soon learned of the Lament Configuration, a puzzle box created by a Frenchman by the name of Phillip Lemarchand. It was rumored that solving the puzzle would open a gateway into Hell. After much effort, Spenser finally acquired the box and promptly solved it. To his surprise, hooked chains shot out of the box and dragged him down to Hell.

Trapped inside one of Hell’s many chambers, Spenser was tortured in gruesome fashion. A grid-like pattern was slowly carved onto his head, forming hideous scars. At each intersection of the grid, large nails were driven into his flesh. Spenser somehow grew to associate the pain with pleasure, and eventually learned to enjoy his own torment.

Spenser then began to lose all memories of his life. Once his former identity was completely wiped out, his transformation into a Cenobite, a servant of the ruler of Hell, was complete. He soon became the executor of the Lament Configuration, emerging from the box once the puzzle was completed. He and his Cenobite cohorts then examine the boundaries between pain and pleasure by putting whoever opens the Lament Configuration through excruciating, seemingly-endless torture.

Chucky — Few stories are as bizarre as that of Chucky, the killer doll. One night in 1988, Charles Lee Ray, the infamous Lakeshore Strangler, was on the run from the authorities when he was mortally wounded in the chase. Without giving it much thought, the murderer decided to take refuge in an unassuming toy store. There, he desperately performed an ancient Voodoo ritual that would save his life by transferring his soul into a doll. The spell worked, and police found Ray’s lifeless body, unaware that the serial killer was actually sitting among the other toys.

Ray was eventually bought and given to a young boy named Andy Barclay. Ray, now called Chucky, eventually revealed his true nature to Barclay, and continued on his murderous ways. Telling Barclay his real identity turned out to be one Chucky’s worst mistakes, as he soon learned that he could only transfer his soul into the body of the first person he told his name to, or else be trapped in the body of the doll forever. Chucky would then hunt down Barclay, savagely killing anyone who got in between him and his only chance at returning to human form.

Kayako Saeki — The ghost from The Grudge suffered a tragic past. The daughter of an Itako (Japanese Exorcist), Kayako Saeki was often used as a tool in her mother’s rituals. As her mother drove the malevolent souls away from her possessed clients, she would guide them to Kayako, who would then “eat” the souls to keep them away. Because of this, Kayako was often the subject of gossip and cruelty.

She did her best to live a normal life, and eventually enrolled in a university. It would be here that she would meet one of her great loves, Shunsuke Kobayashi (Peter Kirk in the American version). Unfortunately, their relationship was never meant to be, and so Kayako had to move on from her feelings for him. She later met Takeo Saeki and married him. Together, they had a son named Toshio.

Years later, Kayako found Kobayashi in her life once again, this time as Toshio’s teacher. Her feelings for him were immediately rekindled, and she professed this in her journal. When Takeo found and read Kayako’s diary, he immediately grew jealous. He began to suspect that Kayako may have been having an affair with Kobayashi, and that Toshio was not his son. Obsessed and paranoid, Takeo violently attacked Kayako, accusing her of infidelity. Kayako tried to escape, but Takeo chased her down and shoved her, causing her to break her ankle. Kayako painfully crawled down the stairs, trying to get away from him. At this point, Toshio stepped out of his room and witnessed the carnage through the banisters. Takeo reveled in Kayako’s torment as she dragged herself to the front door. He snapped her neck and shoved her into a trash bag, which he took back upstairs to his bedroom. Noticing that Kayako was still alive, struggling to breathe, Takeo grabbed a utility knife and stabbed her to death. He then kept her body in the attic.

Takeo’s rampage was not over. Consumed by rage and jealousy, he grabbed Toshio and drowned him in the bathtub. For good measure, he drowned Toshio’s cat, Mar, as well. He decided to hide his son’s body in a closet. After massacring his family, Takeo went after Kobayashi’s pregnant wife and killed her. As he ran through the streets in a blood-crazed frenzy, Kayako’s ghost emerged from a dumpster and killed him.

The family’s spirits are now cursed to repeat the horrifying events that unfolded every time someone enters the Saeki household. The ghosts then torment their guests, eventually killing them.

Candyman — Daniel Robitaille was once a gifted painter. He was also the son of a slave in a New Orleans plantation. Ordered by the landowner to paint his daughter Caroline’s portrait, Robitaille slowly grew to love the girl. Robitaille and Caroline secretly had a torrid love affair, and the woman was soon with child.

This caused great scandal in those extremely racist times. Robitaille was hunted down by the landowner, who had organized a mob for his capture. Robitaille attempted to escape their cruelty by leaving town and running through the fields, but was caught just the same. The seething bigotry in the mob led to Robitaille’s subsequent torture — they sawed his hand off, and covered him in honey. A young boy, taunting Robitaille, tasted the honey and called him the “Candy Man”. The name caught on, and the crowd jeered Robitaille with chants of his new name.

The cruelty wasn’t over. Binding him near a beehive, they allowed Robitaille to slowly be stung to death. It was at this point that a forlorn Caroline appeared, grasping a small mirror. Caroline was restrained by her father and forced to watch her lover die. With his last breath, Robitaille parroted the crowd and uttered his new name, Candyman, as he stared into Caroline’s mirror.

Through some unknown force, Robitaille’s raging spirit was transferred into the mirror. With mirrors now acting as a sort of conduit for his soul, Robitaille is now able to re-enter the living world as a murderous spirit. Saying the word “Candyman” five times in front of a mirror summons Robitaille, who then lashes out against the injustice done to him through bloodshed.

Although you’re not likely to get a trick for giving a bad treat these days, that sad and disappointed look on a child’s face is quite enough to make you regret giving anything but excellent Halloween handouts. They’re all bubbly when they get to your door, and then you had to go and ruin it with some healthy food, right? You’re such awful person! How dare you think of the child’s wellbeing?

Well, Halloween isn’t about being healthy. It’s about candy – and lots of it! It’s like Christmas except earlier in the year, with fewer presents but more costumes. In any case, don’t worry too much. Their parents will moderate their candy intake. Trust me, the last thing any parent truly wants is a bunch of kids hopped up on candy for an entire day. Worst case scenario they’ll dose ‘em up and send them to grandma’s house (but I digress).

Halloween No-No Number One – Mary Janes

Yeah, we bet you didn’t know those weird orange peanut butter and molasses things even had a name, but they do: They’re called Mary Janes, and they’ve been grossing kids out for nearly 100 years. Although 100 years ago most things kind of sucked anyway, so maybe these were considered good back then. That might explain why it’s mainly really old people that give them out.

Halloween No-No Number Two – Huge Lollipops

Not only do they take up a lot of room in that tiny little bin (which would be much better occupied by Three Musketeers bars, might I add), these surprisingly bland juggernauts of the candy family are something only an army of ants could love. Not to mention they contain enough sugar to put most kids into a coma if eaten in one sitting (or at least give them extremely sore tongue muscles).

Halloween No-No Number Three – Black Licorice

Black licorice is definitely an acquired taste – and being acquired implies one has lived long enough to remember at least 2 or 3 presidential elections. Most adults don’t even like black licorice (just like many don’t participate in presidential elections), so it’s best just to avoid black licorice altogether. Trust me, it won’t get many votes.

Halloween No-No Number Four – Candy Corn

Candy corn is the fruit cake of Halloween – you either love it or hate it, and there always seems to be a never-ending supply of it. There’s plenty of candy corn to go around as it is, and if their kids love it, trust me there’s already a big bucket of the stuff at home. Giving out candy corn on Halloween is like giving milk to a dairy farmer – either they’ve got plenty of it and have no need for more, or they make cheese and don’t even need it at all.

Halloween No-No Number Five – Healthy Food

Unless the town you live in is full of hippies, apples and bananas just aren’t going to fly. Not only are they heavy, but parents will usually throw them out – or at least they will if they’re smart. Who knows what you did to that seemingly innocent fruit? When it comes right down to it, it’s a gift from a stranger, and since it isn’t packaged, it isn’t safe – or even wanted. And giving out toothbrushes or dental floss is just asking for a kick in the ass.

The best idea is to have a lot of the “safe stuff” with a few “strange” options and ask if they have any special requests. Who knows – maybe you will make a new black licorice loving health food fanatic friend. Stranger things have happened (although, I should probably be more careful with that saying… it is Halloween, after all).

Photo by travelmatt

Halloween has got to be one of the most anticipated holidays of the year. Whether you’re a kid looking to get a huge haul trick-or-treating, or an adult eager to show off his scary new costume, we can all agree that Halloween is the perfect time to get spirits (living AND dead) rising. Let your excitement show with these 25 spooky iPhone apps made especially for this night of devilish fun:

Spine-chilling Sounds

1. Scary Sounds — What’s Halloween without the eerie atmosphere? Create a delightfully spooky ambience with this fine selection of sound effects. You can find almost anything to set the mood, from the laughter of a wicked witch to the howl of a werewolf.
2. Free Halloween Sounds — This ingenious little sound board allows you to play fifteen different Halloween sound effects for any purpose. Feel like creeping out little children? Play the monster growl effect. How about spicing up your Friday the 13^th costume with the sound of a chainsaw? This app has those and more.
3. Scare Tracks — Looking for a soundtrack to a night of macabre fun? With a fine selection of cinematic scores sure to scare any soul, you‘ll have a grand time alternating fright and delight listening to this app.

Atrocious Action Games

4. iDracula – Undead Awakening — Blast your way through legions of the undead in this beautifully-designed shooter. Once you get past the army, you’ll do battle with the big-time bloodsucker himself, Dracula. The action is so intense, you’ll be looking over your shoulder for vampire sneak attacks!
5. Zombieville USA — Vampires not your thing? Protect your brains, not you blood, in this gleefully gruesome zombie shooter. Whack away at the walking dead with a sledgehammer, or make sure those corpses never come back to life by burning them to a crisp with your flamethrower. The game gives you 15 upgradeable weapons to quell the zombie apocalypse in this fun-filled action romp.
6. Zombie Pizza — If you think getting rid of zombies was hard, try keeping them as well-fed, happy customers. This quirky game puts you in the role of a chef making pizzas for hungry, hungry zombies. Hearts, brains, and other body parts make for… interesting toppings.
7. Candy Catch — If Halloween to you means free candy more than anything else, you’re bound to enjoy this cute little diversion. You control a young trick-or-treater trying to catch candy corn falling from the sky. Guide the adorable little tyke by tilting your iPhone from side to side. Make sure you avoid the pumpkins and spiders!
8. Ghost Pop — In this deceptively-simple game, the object is to pop the ghosts flying at you by tapping your screen. The action becomes more and more frenetic, however, and you’re going to end up getting hooked pretty quickly.

Putrefying Puzzlers

9. Halloween Word Search — Spice up your word searches with this Halloween-themed set of puzzles. Complete with a background and music to set the ambience, you’ll be looking for some of the spookiest words in the English language, such as “demon” and “spectre”. “Mother-in-law” unfortunately not included.
10. Horror Master Trivia — With questions that can stump even the biggest of horror film buffs, this app is a must-have for anyone who enjoys a good scary movie. Answer your way through ten challenging levels and earn the title of horror master!
11. Spooky Halloween Puzzle — Unscramble up to 25 different ghoulish images in this slider puzzle app. Even better, the app allows you to take your own scary pictures and turn them into puzzles, too!
12. Mystery Mania — Gaming giant Electronic Arts brings you 27 levels puzzles to solve. This point-and-click adventure has everything you could ask for – action, traps, mad scientist laboratories, and a whole cast of creepy characters.

Terrifying Tower Defense Games

13. The Creeps! — This unique variation in the tower defense genre has you playing a young boy protecting your bed from the things that go bump in the night. Defend yourself from the monsters by slowing them down with glue bottles, tossing paper shurikens at them, and many more.
14. MonsterKill — Another original twist on the genre, MonsterKill has you slaying the creatures coming at you with gestures instead of towers. Cast spells to keep them at bay before they tear your fence down!

Freaky Photo Editors

15. Ghosto — This handy little app allows you to insert a number of fun Halloween effects into your photos. It also allows you to upload your work to your Flickr account for easy sharing.
16. GhostCam — Add some incredibly spooky effects to your pictures by inserting one of the many realistic ghost effects included in this app. This is great for creeping out friends and family alike – imagine the looks on their faces when you’ve “caught” a ghost floating right behind them!
17. Witch My Wife — Various photo effects help turn any lady in your life into a witch, complete with hat and warty nose. Edited photos make for great invites and postcards (or pranks, if you’re feeling mischievous). A wizard option for boys is also included.
18. Halloween~Postage — Every wondered what you’d look like as a black cat? Create your own Halloween postcards with the customizable high-resolution templates included in this app. The app also lets you share your creations pretty easily through email and Facebook.

Creepy Costume Ideas

19. Halloween Costume Generator — Haven’t got a clue what to go as on Halloween? This helpful app comes with over 200 suggestions for excellent costumes, for any given situation! Along with crowd favourites like Zombie Bride and Scary Clown, suggestions include quirkier choices, like YouTube and the Not-So-Incredible Hulk.
20. Costume Ideas – Halloween — Getting a new idea for a Halloween costume is now just as simple as shaking your iPhone. This handy Halloween app gives you a new costume with every shake. It also gives you info on where you might find these costumes and how much you can expect them to cost.

Gruesome General Fun

21. Crazy Pumpkin — Create over 30,000 different Jack-o-Lanterns! Simply swipe different facial features in and out to your liking, and then shake your iPhone to change the lighting. Every shake gives off a creepy sound effect, too!
22. MonstAr Maker — Shake your phone to create countless monsters! Different combinations of heads, torsos, and legs guarantee a twisted-looking critter. You can even send your creation to the app’s developers for a chance to have it included in future releases!
23. Singing Pumpkins — They might not be the Smashing variety, but these pumpkins sure do make some pretty good Halloween music! Guide them in creating a haunting melody by tapping them in succession. As a bonus, you can switch them from singing to creating just plain creepy sounds whenever you want.
24. Bloodcurdlers: 13 Terrifying Tales for Halloween — Halloween is never complete without a good scary story. This app gives you 13 of the world’s most well-loved spine-chillers, including Dracula’s Guest by Bram Stoker, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, and H.P. Lovecraft’s cult favourite, The Call of Cthulhu.
25. Halloween Deluxe — If your iPhone could go trick-or-treating, this is what it would get. The app is a package of many different Halloween-related features, including sound effects, costume ideas, and a Countdown to Halloween timer.

Photo by hanna_horwarth

Halloween is one of the most exciting and captivating holidays celebrated by both the young and old. Every year we break out the costumes and the spooky decorations in October. We carve our pumpkins, we buy the candy. But how much about this frighteningly fun holiday do we really know? There are many fun and interesting facts about Halloween that many people are not aware of.

Enjoy these terrifyingly true trivia facts and impress your friends with your extensive Halloween knowledge. We cover everything interesting about Halloween from history facts to Halloween around the world. Keep reading for 32 of the most bizarre Halloween facts we could find!

Halloween History

1. The history of Halloween began in ancient times with the Celts living on the British Isles. The Pagan calendar had October 31st as the last day of the year called Samhain. Celtic priests honored their god of death, known as Samhain, on the night of the 31st. The Celtic people believed that the spirits of the dead rose on that night and so they wore costumes to scare them away.

2. After the rise of Christianity the first day of November was known as All Saints Day which was originally called All Hallows Day. That made October 31st All Hallows Eve. That is how Halloween got its name.

3. It is believed that the Irish began the tradition of Trick or Treating. In preparation for All Hallow’s Eve, Irish townsfolk would visit neighbors and ask for contributions of food for a feast in the town.

4. After the Roman Empire gained control of the British Isles, Samhain also became a harvest festival honoring Pomona, the goddess of fruit trees. Bobbing for apples is thought to have originated from this harvest festival.

5. Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance, and tell fortunes. By the second half of the nineteenth century there was in influx of immigrants (particularly the millions of Irish fleeing the potato famine in Ireland) who helped popularize Halloween and make it the holiday it is today.

6. In the United States the first citywide Halloween celebration was held in Anoka, Minnesota in 1921. It is believed that the reason the townspeople decided to put on this celebration was to divert its youngsters from committing Halloween pranks. Anoka is now known as “The Halloween Capital of the World”.

7. The earliest known use of the words “Trick or Treat” did not occur until 1934, when a Portland, Oregon newspaper ran an article about how Halloween pranks kept local police officers on their toes. There would be sporadic instances of the phrase “Trick or Treat” used in the media during the 1930s. But the practice we see today, children dressed in costume, going house to house saying “Trick or Treat” did not really come about until the mid 1940s.

The Scoop on Pumpkins

8. A pumpkin is a berry in the cucurbitaceae family, which also includes melons, squash, cucumbers, and gourds. All of these plants are native to the Americas.

9. Pumpkins are 90% water and generally weigh between 15 and 30lbs. They are rich in vitamin A, beta-carotene, and potassium and their seeds provide iron and protein. Pumpkins also come in white, blue, grey, and green. Great for carving unique jack o
lanterns!

10. Jack o lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts. When they immigrated here they found that turnips were not as plentiful so they used pumpkins instead. Today, 99% of America’s pumpkins are used for Jack-o-lanterns.

11. Pumpkins originated in Central America. When Europeans arrived in the New World, they found that this plentiful food was often used in cooking by Native Americans. They took pumpkin seeds back to Europe where they quickly became very popular.

12. Growing giant pumpkins is a big time hobby with big time rewards. Top prize money for the biggest giant pumpkin can be as much as $25,000 at fall festivals. A new Guinness world record was set October 1, 2005 for the biggest pumpkin. This giant pumpkin weighed 1,469 lbs. and was grown by Larry Checkon of North Cambria, PA. Checkon’s pumpkin outweighed the 2004 winner by about 23 lbs.

Halloween Around the World

13. In Mexico, Halloween is called “Dia De Los Muertos” which means “Day of the Dead” in English. It is a joyous and happy holiday, a time to remember friends and family who have died. Mexicans have a 3 day celebration beginning on October 31st and ending on All Soul’s Day.

14. In Austria, some people will leave bread, water and a lighted lamp on the table before going to bed on Halloween night. The reason for this is because it was once believed such items would welcome the dead souls back to earth on a night which for the Austrians was considered to be full of strong cosmic energies.

15. In Czechoslovakia, chairs are placed by the fireside on Halloween night. There is one chair for each living family member and one for each family member’s spirit.

16. The Halloween celebration in Hong Kong is known as “Yue Lan” which translates to Festival of the Hungry Ghosts. This is a time when it is believed that spirits roam the world for twenty-four hours. Some people burn pictures of fruit or money at this time, believing these images would reach the spirit world and bring comfort to the ghosts.

17. In Belgium, on Halloween night the custom is to light candles in memory of dead loved ones.

18. In Germany, the people put away their knives on Halloween night. The reason for this is because they do not want to risk harm to the returning spirits.

19. In China, the Halloween festival is known as Teng Chieh. Food and water are placed in front of photographs of family members who have departed while bonfires and lanterns are lit in order to light the paths of the spirits as they travel the earth on Halloween night.

Modern Day Halloween Facts

20. Halloween is the 2nd most commercially successful holiday, with Christmas being the first. Americans spend an estimated 6.9 billion dollars during Halloween on candies, costumes, decorations and parties.

21. Halloween is not just for children, adults love Halloween too! It is estimated that one-third of all adults wear costumes and join in the festivities.

22. Of all the candy sold annually in America, 1/4 of it is sold during Halloween time. The number one candy choice for Halloween is Snickers. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate, Tootsie Rolls, and Nestle Crunch are the next most popular candies. Chocolate Candy bars are by far the number one choice for most households to give away to their trick or treaters.

23. 65% of people in North America decorate their homes and offices for Halloween, second only to Christmas. Pumpkins are the most common Halloween decorations followed by skeletons, scarecrows, and bats.

24. In modern times, Halloween is most popular in the United States and Canada. Both countries celebrate the same way with costumes, parties, and trick or treating. The popularity of this holiday in both countries has increased year after year.

Miscellaneous Trivia

25. Samhainophobia is an intense, persistent, and abnormal fear of Halloween. This time of year may also stir up other phobias such as the fear of: cats (ailurophobia), witches (wiccaphobia), ghosts (phasmophobia), spiders (arachnophobia), the dark (nyctophobia), and cemetaries (coimetrophobia).

26. The colors black and orange are widely associated with Halloween. Orange represents the Fall harvest and black represents death.

27. Black cats were once believed to work for witches by protecting their powers. It is often thought that it is bad luck if a black cat crosses your path.

28. The next full moon on Halloween night will be on October 31st, 2020. The last one was in 2001. Before that, there was a full moon on Halloween night in 1955.

29. The Salem Witch trials of 1692 are known for burning so-called witches at the stake. Actually, not one witch died by burning; most were put to death by hanging and several died in prison of natural causes.

30. Harry Houdini died on Halloween night in 1926 after collapsing onstage at a show in Detroit, Michigan.

31. “Trick or Treat for UNICEF” started in 1950 in Philadelphia, PA. A group of young trick-or-treaters, accompanied by their pastor, collected $17 for children in need. The money was sent to UNICEF and an American tradition was born.

32. Worldwide, bats are vital natural enemies of night-flying insects. Vampire bats really do exist, but they’re not from Transylvania. They live in Central and South America and feed on the blood of cattle, horses and birds.

Photo by Matt McGee

1. Pick a Safe Costume — Help your child pick out a costume that will help keep them safe by making sure it has a few key characteristics. Your child’s costume should always be fireproof. Make sure there are no long capes, strings, or hems on the costume that your child can trip on. Long billowing sleeves are a fire hazard due to the large amount of jack-o-lanterns that will be on display. Never use a paper costume as they are likely to also catch fire easily. If you live in an area with colder weather, make sure their costume will keep them warm enough for a long night of collecting treats.

2. Have the Right Shoes — Having the proper shoes for a long night of trick or treating is essential. Always make sure their shoes fit well and are comfortable for lots of walking. Never allow your child to wear high heels with their costume. It is very important for their shoes to have the proper support to keep them from falling down and to keep them comfortable so they can enjoy their night.

3. Practice Pumpkin Safety — When carving pumpkins all children love to help, here’s how to let them help safely. Do not let them use a sharp knife to cut into a pumpkin. For older children there are plastic saw-type knives on the market. For younger children just have them scoop out the gunk and then draw a face on it for you to cut for them. When placing the pumpkin out with a candle, make sure that it is out of the way enough that your child’s costume doesn’t brush by it and accidentally catch on fire. Or better yet there are “flameless” LED lights on the market now that are completely safe and look realistic. Another option is to use a glow stick for an eerie but safe glow.

4. Makeup is Safer than Masks — Although your child might be dying to wear a mask to transform themselves into their favorite superhero or gruesome monster, makeup is always a safer disguise. Make sure the makeup is non toxic and meets FDA standards. Masks are unsafe because they can obstruct vision which is particularly dangerous while trick or treating in the dark. If they must wear a mask then make sure that the eye holes are large enough that they do not obstruct your child’s vision and that the mouth and nose holes are large enough for adequate breathing.

5. Keep Their Props in Check — If your child’s costume requires them to carry an ax, pitchfork, butcher knife, or the like then you must make sure that the tips are smooth and flexible enough to not cause injury if fallen on. Make sure your child is easily able to handle carrying their prop around; a plastic light weight prop will be easier for your child to handle. Also teach your child to never swing at or hit anybody with their prop.

6. Supervise, Supervise, Supervise! — Never let your child go out trick or treating without proper supervision. If they are older and are insisting on their independence then follow behind at a close distance. If you are not able to chaperone, make sure another parent is keeping an eye on your child. If no parents are available to supervise, a great idea is to hire a neighborhood teenager to go out trick or treating with your child and their friends.

7. Be Seen and Be Safe – Make sure your child will be seen when out trick or treating in the dark. Bright colors can help them be seen at night; if they are wearing a dark colored costume you can affix reflective tape strips onto the costume. Always have them carry a light or a glow stick so cars will see them. If they have too much to carry between their props and their candy bag, a great idea is to have them wear glow bracelets or necklaces. There are also clip on lights that will easily fasten on their costume. As you chaperone your children make sure you are carrying a bright flashlight to illuminate their path so they can see where they are going.

8. Basic Safety for Halloween and Everyday — To make trick or treating as safe as possible make sure that your children know basic everyday safety such as looking both ways before crossing the street, never getting into a strangers car, and not talking to strangers. Make sure they know to never go in anybody’s house while out trick or treating. Also teach them not to approach any house that is not well lit on the inside and the outside. Make sure they know to be alert for suspicious activities and to report any to their chaperones or the proper authorities.

9. Use the Buddy System - When going out trick or treating with groups of children, it is always a good idea to have them pair up and use the buddy system. In large groups it is very easy for someone to get left behind. Make sure the children know to never leave their buddy behind and nobody will get lost.

10. Safe Candy is Yummy Candy — Always inspect your child’s candy before letting them eat it. Do not let them eat any candy that has open or broken wrappers. Never let them eat homemade treats. Make sure candy is age appropriate for your little one, young children can choke on small things like hard candy and peanuts. Always trick or treat in a familiar neighborhood so you know where your child’s treats are coming from. Feed your child a spooky Halloween dinner before going out trick or treating so they are less likely to eat their candy before you have a chance to check it.

11. Emergency Information — If by chance your child does get lost or separated from you or their chaperone, then it is a good idea to have their name, address, and phone number labeled somewhere discreetly. Affix this emergency information to the inside of their costume or on a hidden bracelet. Tell your child where this label is so that if he or she gets lost they will be able to point authorities to this information.

12. Make Your House Safe for Trick or Treaters — When Halloween night rolls around make sure that your walkway and porch is well lit. Take extra effort to eliminate tripping hazards like garden hoses, flower pots, low tree limbs, and support wires. Make sure to clear wet leaves from your walkway. Remember you will have young children rushing from house to house in the dark. Do a quick walk through in the daylight to make sure that your yard is completely safe. Always restrain dogs or other animals that may trip up trick or treaters.

13. Plan Your Route — Take the time before the big night to plan out your child’s route for trick or treating. Don’t trick or treat in areas of heavy traffic or construction. Don’t go in areas where you are not completely comfortable. Setting a predetermined route with a clear start and end point will avoid hassles and arguments on the big night.

14. Ration the Loot — Do not let your child binge on candy when they get home from trick or treating. Make sure to have plenty of healthy snacks available for hungry little ghosts and goblins. If your child collects tons of candy, dole out a few pieces at a time and save the rest for later. You may even want to ask your child to swap some or even all of their loot for something else they want such as a special toy, book, or outing.

15. Stay Safe on the Streets — Make sure your children know to always cross at corners and never to dart out in between parked cars. Let them know that they must stay on one side of the street, no criss-crossing allowed! Make sure they stick to well lit streets and stay on sidewalks avoiding shortcuts like alleyways, backyards, or parks. If there are no sidewalks, always walk on the left side of the street facing cars.

16. Set a Curfew — Set a reasonable curfew depending on your child’s age and stick with it. Allow children to go out early but have them avoid the evening rush hour; it’s harder for motorists to see clearly during twilight than any other time of day. Very young children should only go out trick or treating in daylight. Older children should always be home at a decent hour to avoid them knocking on neighbors doors too late.

Don’t let your children fall prey to a Halloween mishap! Make sure to follow these 16 simple tips so you can ensure that your little trick or treaters are safe and happy this Halloween night. Happy Haunting!

And, of course, Halloween is right around the corner, so be sure to check out our Halloween costumes, including our scary kids costumes and our toddler Halloween costumes.

No children’s party is complete without a few games to play, and Halloween is certainly no exception. Whether you’re throwing your kids a Halloween party at home or helping with a school party, including some of these spooktacular games will insure your party is a success! So break out the prizes and get ready to watch your kids and their friends have a blast as they celebrate this fun holiday. Here are sixteen fun Halloween party games to get you started.

1. How Many? — This is a great game to start the party off! As guests begin to arrive, have a large clear jar filled with candy corn placed in a prominent spot. Let the children guess how many candy corn are in the jar and write down their guess and their name on a piece of paper. They can ponder their guesses throughout the party but make sure all guesses are in the by the end of the party. Then, whoever has guessed the closest number of candy corn without going over wins a prize (a great prize is the jar of candy corn!)

2. Doughnut String Game — Using string, hang mini or regular-sized doughnuts from the ceiling. Children must then try to be the first to eat the doughnut without using their hands. This classic game is sure to elicit lots of giggles as partygoers try to finish first. Make sure you have the video camera out for this one!

3. Pass the Pumpkin — This variation of “Hot Potato” is sure to be a hit! Have children sit in a circle and give one child a mini pumpkin. Then it’s time to crank up the spooky music and have the children pass the pumpkin around the circle. Stop the music at varying intervals and whoever is holding the pumpkin when the music stops is out. Continue this until only one child is left. They are the winner!

4. Trick or Treat — To prepare for this game you must cut several strips of paper before the party, about twice as many strips as there are children. On half of the strips write the word “Treat” and on the other half write the word “Trick” with various tricks such as hop on one foot, spin in a circle, etc. Then put all of the strips into a Halloween bag or witches hat and have the children stand in a circle. Next you will walk around the circle and have each child draw a strip out of the bag. They will either get “Treat” and will receive a small token prize such as a sticker or candy or they will get “Trick” and have to perform the trick written on the strip.

5. Mummy Relay — To start this game, divide children into groups of three or four and give each group a roll of toilet paper. In each group there will be one “mummy” and the rest are “wrappers”. The object of this game is for the children to be the first group to wrap their mummy in a full roll of toilet paper. First group to finish the roll of toilet paper wins!

6. Bobbing for Apples — This Halloween classic is fun for young and old and has stood the test of time. To play, fill a large tub with water and several apples. Make sure to have plenty of towels handy! Players must then hold their hands behind their backs and try to bite into and catch an apple.

7. Eyeball Bounce — This simple but fun game works for all ages. Using a marker, decorate several ping pong balls to look like eyeballs. Then get a large plastic pumpkin for younger kids or smaller cups for older kids. Place the pumpkin or cups on the floor and mark a line either closer for younger kids or farther away for older kids. Have children try to sink the eyeballs in the pumpkin/cups. Whoever gets the most in wins!

8. The Spooky Walk — To prepare for this game you must create one Halloween picture/shape cutout for each child. To do this easily, cut out pumpkins, witches, cats, etc. from construction paper. Then you must write down the name of each cutout and put them into a hat. You then line up the cutout’s in a circle and have the children walk around the circle stepping on each cutout. Play some haunting music, turning it off at random intervals. When the music stops make sure that each child freezes on a cutout. You then draw a paper from the hat and whoever is on the corresponding picture is out. Repeat until there is only one child left and they are the winner.

9. Find the Worms — This is a totally messy but totally fun game that your guests will love! To play this game you will need lots of whipped cream and lots of gummy worms. Give each player a bowl filled with 6-8 gummy worms covered with whipped cream. Then have the players put their hands behind their back and dig through the whipped cream with their mouths to find the gummy worms. First one to find all the worms wins!

10. Scarecrow Relay — For this game you will need 2 oversized flannel shirts, 2 hats, and 2 poles (broomstick, yardstick, etc). Divide the children into 2 groups placing half the group on one side of the room and the other half of the group on the other side of the room. To start the first player runs from the first group to the second group and puts on the shirt, hat, and places the pole from arm to arm inside the flannel shirt. Once this is complete they now must run back to the first line and remove the articles and the next person in line puts it on. This continues until everyone has put on the clothes and has been the scarecrow. The first team to finish the Scarecrow Relay wins!

11. Monster Freeze Dance — This game has no winner, it’s just plain fun and a great way to burn off all of that candy. Crank up some Halloween tunes and have the children dance their little hearts out. Turn the music off at varying intervals, when the music stops the children must freeze where they are. This game is guaranteed to elicit tons of giggles from your little monsters!

12. Skeleton Scavenger Hunt — To play this game you will need skeleton bones either cut out from paper or plastic ones purchased from a craft or toy store. Hide the skeleton bones throughout your yard or inside the house or classroom. Have the children hunt for the bones, whoever finds the most wins. For an added bonus have the children try to put the bones together to make a skeleton

13. Make the Zombies Laugh — This game is sure to be a hit with your party guests! Tell all of the children to lie still on the floor like a zombie. Then choose one child to be “it”, that child’s job is to make the other children laugh. “It” can make silly faces, dance around, tell jokes, etc. Once a “zombie” laughs they are out and can help “it” try to make the others laugh. Whoever holds out the longest without laughing wins!

14. Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin — This classic party game is always fun, here is a version with a Halloween twist! Hang up a large cardboard or paper pumpkin on one wall. Cut out shapes for the eyes and mouth but leave the nose spot empty. Cut out a black triangle nose and affix double sided tape to it. Blindfold one child at a time and have them try to pin the nose on the pumpkin. Other variations are “Pin the Wart on the Witch” or “Pin the Nose on a Scarecrow”.

15. Pumpkin Seed Search — For this game you will need to divide the children into teams of two or three. Give each team a pumpkin with the top cut off of it and a bowl. The object of the game is to remove as many seeds as possible from the pumpkin minus the pumpkin slime, in a given amount of time. The team that has the most seeds in their bowl at the end wins!

16. Ghost Obstacle Course —To play this game you will need to set up an obstacle course on the floor using masking tape. Then you will divide the children into teams and each team will choose one person to be the ghost. The child chosen to be the ghost will wear a white sheet on their head as a blindfold.

The other children will have to guide their ghost teammate through the obstacle course without touching him or her. If the ghost steps on or outside the line then the other team members will have to bring him or her back to the beginning of the course and begin again. The team whose ghost reaches the end of the obstacle course in the shortest amount of time wins.

And, of course, Halloween is right around the corner, so be sure to check out our Halloween costumes, including our scary kids costumes and our toddler Halloween costumes.