Guess What's in the Halloween Box

Guess What's in the Halloween Box

Supplies: Candy corn, plastic pumpkins, string or belt
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Find a box that is large enough that you can create holes in the side or sides so guests can place their hand arm in the box. When it is game time, everyone is told that they will have a set amount of time like 30 seconds or 1 minute to feel the contents inside the box and write down every Halloween item they can identify.

Prep Work: Take the box and cut 1 (more difficult) or two hand holes across from each other in the box. Place a loose cloth cover inside the box that is attached just above the hand holes. Use a glue gun so that does not come loose during the game. The cloth should cover the hand hole so that guests can not see inside the box, but it should be loose at the bottom so game players can reach in the box. Now decorate the outdoor of the Halloween Box with seasonal wrapping paper, Halloween stickers or drawings of ghosts, pumpkins or witches. 

Now take your Halloween or seasonal items and place in the box. You’ll want to have 10 – 15 items in the box and an area beside the box where the players can write down what they think is in the box without the other kids seeing what they are writing. 
I like to visit the dollar store and pick up fun items for this game and also add a few odd items.

Halloween items you can place in the box:
Plastic spider and / or various bugs, gummy worm
Small plastic pumpkin
Mini witch, witch’s broomstick, cauldron
Vampire teeth
Real apple, candy corn in a small bag, mini candy bar
One of those fake squishy eyeballs
Plastic bones or mini-skull
Eye patch

The older the kids the more gross things you can add to the box like a fake mouse or rat, a Halloween wig, etc…

For other items raid the toy box or go through games and look for miniature items for place in the box, just try to relate it to fall and Halloween.

Once you have everything, make a list of all the Halloween items inside the box and don’t let anyone see it.

Explain the game
One at a time kids will be called to see if they can identify what is in Halloween Box.
Each guest will have the same amount of time (30 seconds or 1 minute) to identify the contents of the box.
Once your turn is up, make sure your name is on the sheet and hand in your sheet with your list and then the next player will be called.

After your turn don’t tell anyone what is inside the box, keep it a surprise.

Once all the guests have gone. Score the sheets.
1 point for every item that is correctly identified
-1 point if you list an item that is not inside the box

Then take the Halloween Box into the party and ask the kids to tell the game host one item they think is in the Halloween Box.

If they name something that is in the box, search for it and pull it out. Continue until they run out of guesses, in most cases there will be two or three mystery items still in the box.

Challenge them to come up with the last items and if there are no results, one by one pull out the items and show them to the group.

Then announce the top 3 places and the winner gets a prize.

Mystery Box Variations:
1. Take a photo of each item going into the Mystery Box and print out photos and attach to card stock so you have playing cards. Place Halloween items in the Mystery Box. Each player pulls a playing card and then has a set amount of time 10 or 15 seconds to find that item in the box. If they find it and pull it out of the box, they get one point. If they pull out something else and don't find it during the time frame then no points. Once an item is pulled out of the box, it does get put back into the box before the next turn.

In this game include a variety of items in the box that are not Halloween related to help fill it with lots of stuff. Play a set amount of rounds (3, 5 or 7) and then announce a winner. (or just have it as fun play).

2. In this version you create several Halloween Mystery Boxes and place gross feeling items inside. It could be a boiled head of cauliflower, a sponge, a severed head, slimy rib bones or some bizarre items. This is good for adults.

Guests are given plastic / latex gloves (just one) and told the are going to play a game. This also adds to the intrigue. They are given a sheet of paper and pen and asked to silently one by one investigate the mystery boxes and try to guess what is inside.

Remind them not to share their answers with anyone as it may result in them being part of next years mystery box. Upon completion, one by one reveal the boxes tally the score and announce a winner.

In this version it help to have lots of boxes (12 - 15) and if you can pull it ok include one animated prop (maybe a rat) and / or hand one box that is someones real hand (sometimes) and a fake one other times and on occasion have them grab the investigating hand. This will take some work but the results can be great as some guests don't understand why others are freaking out. Again the winner is determined by the person with the most correct answers.

The Halloween Mystery Box Works best in dark rooms and gets realy scary if something in the box moves. Have fun with this classic Halloween mind game.