Ghost Party Invitation:
We’ve had a message from a ghost
Who says he’d like to be our host
On Saturday that’s Hallowe’en.
He says the spooks will lay a trail
That we’re to follow – if we fail
Never more shall we be seen.
We’ll meet at at _____
Ghost Party Game:
When all have gathered, perhaps in someone’s back yard, announce that the first message is tacked on a tree. When the crowd has found it, they will read at the
top the place where they are to go next, perhaps go to the back of the house at 23 Barrow Street,” and underneath write this verse:
Spooks always carry some extra teeth.
They dropped a few just beneath
The biggest tree in the yard.
Who finds the most
May lay the ghost.
So look hard, my friends, look hard!
The spook’s teeth are candy corn, a few grains tied together in twists of paper and scattered about by the trail layers within a radius of 20 yards around a designated tree.
And on the tree itself they have placed this message:
There’s a reward for the one who brings in the most.
So don’t eat your loot, says our ghost host.
Now: Go to the nearest schoolyard”
(or wherever):
In the Northeast corner
You may hear some moans.
Look around there for
Ten sets of bones.
In the school yard the trail blazers will have scattered ten sets of dice (you know, they’re often called ‘bones’) or you could even have saved real bones from fried
chicken, etc.! Lying under one set of bones will be the next message:
Go to the alley behind the nearest grocery store.”
What else do witches travel with
Besides their brooms and bats?
If you’ll just hunt hard enough
You’ll find the eyes of their cats!
The cat’s eyes are marbles, which ought to show up well in the flashlight’s gleams.
And the next message will be placed under a couple of Cats’ eyes.”
Go to the hedge by the vacant lot..”
The witches’ bats got themselves caught,
Trying to clear the brush.
There are 30 of them there – but beware!
They may fly off in a rush!
The bats are licorice drops, each one tied in a twist of black crepe paper to resemble a body with wings. These are tied on strings and hung from bush branches or if
the hedge or bush border is thick enough, they can just be laid on the bushes.
The next message will also hang from the bushes:
Go to_______________.
The witches are having the glooms.
All on account of their brooms.
They were flying high but had a wreck,
Now they’ve a chance the remains to collect!
The “remains” are tiny bundles of broom straws (cut from old and no longer usable brooms) perhaps three or four straws in a bundle, tied with a string. Around one
of them the next message is wrapped:
Go to__________________.
The spooks had trouble, Caught their chains in a tree.
Better hurry or they
May finally get free. ~
(Be sure to collect every bit of debris.)
At this spot will be scattered sections of paper chains (yes, the kind you made
in Kindergarten). Attached to one of the chains is the final message:
Now if you all
Will face the east coast
And stand in silence,
YOU MAY MEET YOUR HOST!
When they’ve collected their chains, and are standing in the silence as ordered, one of you, dressed as a ghost, will come running toward them, moaning and wailing
as ghosts do.
(P. S. Don’t scare them to death.)
The ghost, in hollow tones, will say ‘Follow me’ and lead them back to the spot (someone’s back yard or a park) where the open fire is blazing and an appetizing stew (in a big witches kettle) is bubbling and wafting a mighty tasty perfume.