our family BOO Bash! everything you need to know!
Monday, October 5, 2026
Welcome back to Our Grand Lives…
a place where we offer ideas
for activities and adventures that can then be shared
with Littles (grandkids), Middles (grown children)
and other Grands (those in our stage of life)!
Today, Laurie is going back in time
to share the story behind a special family tradition.
And then, of course, we’re serving up some of our favorite games and treats
from this annual celebration!
Every family has those traditions that seem to take on a life of their own…
And for our family, one of those very special traditions is
our annual BOO Bash!
The inspiration for our family’s annual BOO Bash probably came
from a Halloween party my mom hosted for fifth grade me a long time ago!
🖤 Memories of My Mom! 🖤
My mom with my older brother, my older sister and me!
Before there was Boo Bash, there was my mom — and a childhood filled with parties, celebrations and plenty of reasons to have fun! My mom was one of those people who could take an ordinary day and turn it into a party, and I grew up watching her do just that. Looking back, it’s probably no surprise that her love of entertaining rubbed off on me!
I have such fond memories of my childhood parties!
In an era when it wasn’t all that popular to throw a themed party,
my mom threw the best ones!
Back then (in the 60’s and 70’s) birthday parties were home parties. They were pretty simple. You had cake, Koolaid and a few games. We drove the homemade invitations around and dropped them off at friends houses. No need to waste a stamp when almost all your friends were around the general neighborhood.
Every one of my childhood birthdays had a theme and fun activities to go with it. I remember scavenger hunts (where we actually rang our neighbor’s doorbells and asked for things), treasure hunts, a “hobo” party (so politically incorrect now!) where we dressed like bums and our lunch was tied up in a bandana on the end of a stick, a truth and dare party - if you got the dare you would do funny things like perform a cheer on the street corner while someone drove by.. Meanwhile, the rest of the girls were hiding nearby, howling with laughter! We also had a “make your own sundae party” but the ice cream treats were built with blindfolds on!
The two invitations I remember best were for a Puzzle Party where my mom wrote out the invitation on a piece of paper and then cut it apart. To figure it out, you had to put the puzzle together. And then there was an invite one year where my mom blew up balloons and wrote the invitation on each one. Then she let the air out and stuck the deflated balloon in an envelope. To read that one each guest had to blow up the balloon again! (You didn’t worry about germs then!)
Oh - and you didn’t just “open” presents. There was always some little game involving that as well. You might roll a dice and open the numbered present. One year my mom tied a ball of yarn to each gift and hid them around the room. You had to follow a piece of yarn to find a gift!
When I was in 5th grade, my mom decided to throw me a Halloween Party. We didn’t dress up, but my mom turned the basement “work room” into a Haunted House which was so scary, some girls even cried! I remember a big dark box casket my brother rose out of, my brother’s friends laying on the floor and grabbing our legs as we stumbled in the dark and a whole tub of spaghetti (brains!) we had to walk barefoot through to get out. We went in one by one and after we were done, we went upstairs to the kitchen table and decorated “treat bags” (plain brown lunch bags) while my mom and dad turned the main part of the basement into a Halloween carnival. They were basic games - bean bag toss into a jack o’lantern face, bowling with “skeletons”, a little fish pond, etc., but it felt like we were at an amusement park! Prize penny candy was put in our treat bags and after a cupcake and punch, people went home.
The one photo from that party! My brother and I getting ready for the fun!
My Halloween party was the talk of our 5th grade class!
.
I often wonder...
How did my mom do it?
There was no Google. No Pinterest boards.
We did not order from Amazon - everything was homemade.
Things were so much simpler then.
But as children we loved these parties - maybe even more than the fancy schmancy decorations of today. And to give my mom credit - she was a stay-at home mom and there may have been fewer demands than moms seem to have today. I wish I had more pictures of these parties, but film was expensive so most pictures were of the people at the party! .
My advice now that photos are free?
Take as many as you can!
My mom and I around the time when she threw the Halloween party for me!
My brother and sister don’t remember these parties quite as vividly as I do, but I like to think there was a little genetic link (the party throwing gene?) which kept these parties alive in my memories and inspired me throughout my life…
a special link shared with my mom!
How Our BOO Bash First Began!
The idea was born several years ago - in 2020 - from a desire to see
my adorable great niece and nephews dressed up in their Halloween costumes,
You might recall that there was a lot of controversy over trick-or-treating that year.
At that time there were four young Littles in our extended family!
We had a 5-year-old, a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old and an older baby
and they were so excited for Halloween!
I wanted to make sure that none of them missed out on trick-or-treating
due to the virus.
And, of course, we Grands (my sister and I)
welcomed any chance we got to see our Littles all dressed up!
(Can any Grands out there relate?)
Our extended family has always been close and before we started our annual BOO Bash, the Middles would run their Littles around to the various homes of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins on Halloween so we could all ooh & aah over how precious the Littles looked in their costumes. (Does this scenario sound familiar to any other Grands out there, as well?)
As these Littles got older, they wanted to stay in their own neighborhoods with friends, and even though we all live fairly close to each other, it still required a lot of driving to visit each household.
We decided after 2020 and a very successful BOO Bash, that we would continue this get-together every year on the Saturday before Halloween!. Each year we are reminded of the rewards our BOO Bash offers! - October 31 is far less hectic for our Middles, we still get to see our Littles dressed in their adorable costumes, and we enjoy a relaxed family time together!
Not much has changed over the many years since that first BOO Bash took place! We still enjoy the same meal for lunch, we always play a few games and we always trick-or-treat with our family tagboard doors strung across a rope in the backyard!
Oh yes, over the years, we have added two more Littles
and new adult family members have joined in the fun, too!
Our BOO Bash in 2023!
Little P was only 6 days old!
And here are our Littles last year, Halloween 2025!
This year’s BOO Bash is only weeks away…
Let the planning begin!
From year to year, our BOO Bash plans stays pretty consistent
as there are favorite activities family members always look forward to!
Each year, our BOO Bash gets going in the late morning.
Everyone come in costume,
we eat a meal together (on the front or back end of the gathering)
and then play some games that all ages enjoy!
We even build in some trick-or-treat time for added measure!
Your littlest Littles can still be home in time for an afternoon nap!
WIN! WIN!
Halloween night will be calmer for everyone involved
AND
you will still have the opportunity to admire your Littles in their Halloween outfit
while creating a memorable experience for all involved!
Below you’ll find a few of our FAVES!
Trick or Treat Time!
Our Littles ALWAYS look forward to trick-or-treating on Halloween!
In fact, we think it’s probably their favorite part of the holiday!
So, of course, adding this element to our family’s BOO Bash is required each year!
Each household is responsible for bringing their own decorated “door”
to our BOO Bash!
This can be a simple piece of tagboard that’s been decorated (as shown).
These are then attached to a long rope strung between two objects, such as trees.
These days, our older Littles even help create these “doors”!
One adult from each household stands behind their family’s door as all the Littles spread out between the doors. The Littles then ring the “doorbell” in front of them (this could be a musical instrument set by each door).
The Littles say “Trick or Treat” and the adult peeks out and gives them a treat! The Littles then move on to the next door! This activity continues until each Little has visited each “door” along the way!
Over the years as our Littles have grown,
we’ve gotten more inventive with our “doors” and with our “treats”!
Our Trick or Treat Time is a non-negotiable at our annual BOO Bash!
Spook-tacular Games!
Games are another integral part of our yearly BOO Bash plans!
We definitely have 3 faves that we play each year!
Each is an active game that’s great for ALL ages!
👻 EEK! BOO!
Our very favorite game is EEK! BOO! This action packed, quick thinking game is loved by all ages! In fact, surprisingly, your Littles might do better than the adults around them!
We begin by creating a playing field. You could use a long table if it is low enough for your Littles - they need to be able to reach the middle of the table in order to play. If that doesn't work, lay the table on the ground, with the legs folded. You could also use a long tarp. You just want to be sure the ground is very flat and level where you are playing (as shown in the photo below). If you are inside, the floor would be another option!
We put a line of tape down the middle of our playing field. Players line up along both sides of the table with their hands resting on their knees.. The person you are facing is your first partner. We place an item to be “snatched” between the two partners on the line of tape.
For several years, we played the game, using markers as shown above, reaching for them whenever the word “SNATCH!” was yelled!
However, we found that the markers would often roll around on the tables
which would cause lots of frustration from the players
who were busy trying to concentrate
as the directions of this fast paced game were being called out!
Then we switched to using Jenga pieces which don’t roll and…
It was a game changer!
Before the game begins, one person is chosen to be the Caller.
Also, take a few minutes to teach the players the signals described above,
including what to do for each.
Be sure to practice a few times!
When the Caller starts calling out signals play begins!
“EEK! BOO! BOO! EEK! BOO! SNATCH!”
Start slowly at first and then really build up speed!
We get competitive!
The partner who grabs the marker first wins that round. They should take the item in the middle and then make an X or tally mark on the back of their hands, using a washable marker to do so!.
Beware!
If one partner snatches the jenga piece/marker too early,
the other player automatically wins!
After each round, players shift. The left side of the table moves UP the table, the right side moves DOWN the table, so you are always playing with a new partner. If there is an uneven number, a player can rotate in and out at each round.
After a set number of rounds, depending on age or interest (perhaps 5-10), each person counts up their tally marks to determine the top two players!.
The Play-Off Begins!
The top 2 - 4 players participate in 3 rounds to determine the ultimate winner!
And the winner is…
Look at the lovely award the winner receives!
NOTE: A few years ago our older Littles really enjoyed creating this BOO Bash activity!
Our Zombie Barbie is now the coveted trophy
each player strives to win each year!
She proudly displays each year and the victor’s name, too!
Last year, we “snatched” plastic spiders! EEK!
Changing this up every year makes the game extra fun!
Let the snatching begin!
👻 SPIDER TOSS!
This game may remind you of the classic Egg Toss game!
A few years ago, we found plastic spiders and web trays at the local Dollar Tree! As an alternative to the web trays, you could use strong paper plates!
Everyone holds a web tray (or paper plate) and pairs off with a partner. Each set of partners also needs one spider to play the game.
Each pair of partners stands tray to tray and they toss the spider from one to the other. After each catch, both partners (or just one to make it last longer) take a step back.
Each pair tries to see how far apart they can get. A team is out once they miss!
Again, you might imagine how competitive the Middles can get as play continues…
Watch out!
Before long, you mayspot spiders flying across the backyard!
👻 WIZARDS & MAGICIANS!
Here are a few quick rules to follow as you play!
Rule #1 - One person is chosen to be the Wizard and is given a pool noodle.
Rule #2 - One person is chosen to be the Magician and is given a paper towel roll.
Rule #3 - Everyone runs around the area. The Wizard tries to tag others with his/her “wand” (the pool noodle)
Rule #4 - If someone is tagged he/she must freeze until the Magician finds that person and tags him/her with the wand(the paper towel tube) which unfreezes the person!
Rule #5 - The Wizard may not tag the Magician!
A BOO Bash Menu!
Our family looks forward to our BOO Bash menu each year!
Since no one wants to mess with a well loved tradition,
sloppy joes are always served!
One year, my creative DIL created these delicious cupcakes!
Aren’t they BOO-tiful!
Our menu is fairly simple from year to year and we like it that way
so we can focus on all the fun happening around us!
However, we do have a few other frightfully delicious options
that we’ll highlight in an upcoming post,
Simply Grand Recipes! Halloween Favorites!
Look for that post later next week!
Extra BOO-Fun!
For added excitement, set up some stations that all ages can enjoy
whenever time allows throughout the day!.
Our Littles look forward to these year after year!
❤ APPLE TASTING & GRAPHING!
As a bonus... it’s also a healthy snack to have available, especially for the Littles! Choose 3-4 varieties of apples to taste! (For younger Littles, we even suggest using different colored apples to taste!)
Create a chart and add a basket with some stickers and a marker. Once each person tastes the different kinds of apples, he/she writes his/her name on a sticker and sticks the sticker to the section that signifies his/her favorite!
❤ HOW MANY ARE IN EACH JAR?
Put out “Guess How Many?” jars featuring a Halloween content in each, such as M&Ms, candy corn, pumpkins, gummi worms and Peeps!.
For each jar, the person who comes closest in guessing the correct number, wins the jar and its contents!
❤ CONCOCT YOUR OWN WITCH’S BREW!
Each person takes the ingredients they think they can stomach - toad warts, anyone? Give each person a Ziploc bag and let them mix in items to eat or to take home.
Here are some of our suggestions…
Toad Warts - Raisins
Monster Brains - Popcorn
Black Cat Eyes - M&M's
Skeleton Bones - Stick Pretzels or Veggie Stix
There are so many more options with this one so, get creative and personalize your Witch's Brew ingredients to match your tastes!
Ready, set… BOO!
Let the spooky fun begin!
Do you and your family have your own Halloween tradition
you look forward to each year?
If so, we’d love to know more!
Please share by commenting at the end of this post!
And, as always, look for us to offer more spooktacular fun
And, of course, we’ll be back later this week with a new post
filled with a bit of pumpkin fun!
Before there was a BOO Bash,
there was a little girl growing up with a mom
who loved nothing more than throwing a fun party.
She has been gone for a long time now,
but here’s to you, Mom, our original party girl,
and to the BOO Bash tradition you unknowingly helped inspire!
What began with my mom’s love
of making people feel welcome and having a good time
has grown to become one of our own favorite family traditions.
And if I’ve passed even a little of that party spirit along to the next generation,
I’d say the party bug is doing exactly what it was meant to do,
creating memories that the heart holds forever!
One more thing...
Don’t forget your camera!
And… Remember to spend lots of time oohing and aahing
over those cute costumes and the Littles inside them!
💗 We are delighted to join the following link up parties and blog hops! 💗
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What an amazing tradition.
So many fantastic ideas on here! I remember a haunted house that my best friends' family threw each Halloween (or at least a few in a row); I was the kid that ended in tears and was terrified of being scared so her mom would often take me around or show me the "behind the scenes" look first so I knew what I was getting into.