Apple Games
After the pumpkin, the next closest food item associated with Halloween is the apple. Not only are apples used for the ciders, pies, tarts, and treats we crave during autumn, they are also used in various party games throughout the season. These apple games have a rich history and serve as fun challenges and divination games in any Halloween party.
Bobbing For Apples
Bobbing for apples is one of the most popular traditional Halloween games. According to Lisa Morten’s Halloween Encyclopedia, references to the game have been found in literature as early as the 14th century, although it is believed that the game was played far before even then. The objective is simple – players attempt to retrieve an apple from a bucket filled with water without using their hands.
The most common way to play is as follows:
- Fill a clean, large tub or basin with water. Usually filling it about 3/4 to the top is best; if you overfill, water will splash on the floor.
- The tub/basin can be placed on the floor and participants can kneel. Or the tub can be placed on a waist-high table.
- Float several apples in the water. You should ultimately plan 1-2 per player, but depending on the number of players, you may not add them all at once. It is best to allow the apples some room for movement.
- Players take turns trying to grab an apple without using their hands.
In some versions of the game, the apple itself is the prize. Sometimes each player is timed and the fastest one to grab an apple is the winner. Other versions of the game serve as fortune-telling, with the first to grab an apple to be the first to marry, or a happy life predicted for anyone who could grab one.
Snap-Apple
A less messy apple game is “Snap-Apple”. In this game apples are hung from strings and the players attempt to bite them without the use of their hands.
Some versions swap plain apples for apple cider donuts, which are much easier (and sweeter) to eat from a string.
Other Apple Games
Want more games to play with harvest apples? Here are other ideas from celebrations throughout history:
- An Apple Hunt: apples & nuts were hidden throughout the party grounds, and prizes were given to the player(s) who could find and collect the most by the end of the evening.
- Whack-An-Apple: hang an apple from a string over the players heads and a chair was placed beneath it. Players had to run around the chair as fast as possible seven times while keeping a hand on the chair. Afterwards, they attempted to hit the apple with a stick.
- Completive Snacking: Two players kneel in front of a chair with two apples atop it. Without the use of their hands, they must try to eat as much as possible of the apple in 3 minutes.
Of course, there are also a plethora of fortune-telling games with apples, their peels, and their seeds. Read more about these apple games in my Halloween Divination Games post.

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