Almost everyone enjoys some aspect of Halloween. Some adults don’t get into costume parties and the general revelry. However, such individuals may still be kids at heart and prefer providing a truly scary environment for trick or treaters. Almost every neighborhood has someone whose Halloween pleasure comes in the form of creating a Halloween haunted house that scares the wits out of the successful trick or treater.

When my daughter was little, one neighborhood couple went all out every year to do just that. Their house even creeped me out. My brave little girl made it as far as the door. When the door opened, there was a Frankenstein like old man, very tall, dressed in tatters, covered in spiderwebs and holding a big basket of treats. He slowly and stiffly made his way towards her, proffering his basket. That was it for her. The candy wasn’t worth it, but she did get her entertainment’s worth! This was a genuine Halloween haunted house. I always wondered if his basket was still full at the end of the evening.

If this Halloween tradition appeals to you, here are a few tips on transforming your home into a Halloween haunted house.

Spiderwebs are essential and can be purchased in bulk amounts at party stores and craft shops. There’s something creepy about spiderwebs, especially when they’re placed on shrubs or posts in a narrow walkway leading to the front door. This way, children may end up with spiderwebs clutching at your clothing as the hapless kids pass by.

Several Jack O’Lanterns provide just enough light for kids to safely navigate the path and help to set the mood. Strings of red or blue Christmas lights provide more dim, creepy lighting. You can set the lights to alternate on and off, with longer periods of off than on.

The best Halloween haunted houses feature plenty of Jack O’Lanterns, carved in a variety of scary faces. You can line them up on the porch, just for fright’s sake. It’s also a good idea to turn all of the house lights off and place a pumpkin in the windows facing the street. Is anyone home? Of course, you tempt the trick or treaters with a couple of blue floodlights over the front door.

Spiderwebs should be plastered all over the entry way. Some are sure to find their way onto the kids, producing shrieks from the bravest. A scary sound tape is another must, filled with ghost-like sounds, the hoot of an owl and gusts of wind coming out of nowhere.

Sound and movement activated props will give all the kids the creeps. What do you think the kids will do, when they’re whispering and giggling and the empty rocking chair starts rocking? How about a cardboard skeleton dropping down as they step on the porch?

At this point, you open the door and sweetly offer your goodies. These kids have earned them!

Filed in General on Friday, September 11, 2009 · adult, Blue Christmas Lights, cheap, Costume Parties, Craft Shops, Frankenstein, halloween, Halloween Haunted House, Halloween Haunted Houses, Halloween Pleasure, Halloween Tradition, Jack O Lanterns, kids, Little Girl, party, Porch, Revelry, Sake, Scary Faces, sexy, Shrubs, Tatters, teen, Transforming Your Home, Trick Or Treater, Walkway, where to buy, Wits · No Comments »