The Halloween Spin and Win Wheel
Our house is famous on Halloween, but not for any haunted features…nope, we’re known throughout the ‘hood for our ‘Halloween Spin and Win Wheel’.
We figure the whole ‘knock on the door and say ‘trick or treat” thing is so 2000. There’s no free lunch here, or candy, for that matter. We like to make the kids work a bit for their treats.
So, we have them spin our wheel and see what Lady Luck hands them.
One kid might end up on ‘Do a Li’l Dance, Get a Li’l Treat’. Some of the kids can really get down! Others are shy, so we teach them the Stayin’ Alive move since they really only have to point to the sky for that one (and if you don’t know Stayin’ Alive, you’re probably young enough to still be out there trick or treating, so swing by my house and I’ll teach you).
Other options include ‘Sing a Song, Get a Sweet’. You’d be surprised how many of the kids can belt out a tune. I’m talking American Idols in the making. And then you have the others who swear they don’t know a single song. I tell them to give me the alphabet. If they still won’t sing, they have to spin again. Nobody just walks away with candy unless they end up on that slot on the wheel. That’s the way we roll here.
And then we have the ‘Do a Trick, Get a Treat’. This is where the real fun begins. Some kids choose to pat their head while they rub their tummy, while others will really wow us with a back flip. Yep. It happens. And it’s always the kids you least expect that impress you the most.
Of course we have other options on the wheel, including one that says ‘No Candy’. But nobody walks away empty handed. Kiddos who end up on that slot get to spin again right there on the spot. Unless they were rude and cut in front of another kid. Then we tell them to get back in line and spin again.
I already hear the folks who take issue with this ‘gambling’ we subject children to at such tender ages. I disagree. Gambling requires you to put something on the line that you might possibly lose. In this case, they’re all winners. Some just have to work a little harder than others for their winnings.
I picked the wheel up at a store years ago and, as you can see, it’s had a rough decade of spinning. I’ve tried replacing it, but have never found it in stores again and never took the time to make another myself. It needs some lovin’ care this year–paint touch ups and WD40 to help it spin easily–but I can tell you there are kids who are now well into their teens who remember taking a spin back when they were toddlers. We love it when they recognize us… ‘That’s right! You’re THAT house! Guys, come check this out!’
Yep. We’re THAT house. Not the one that scares your socks off. The one that has you sharing your skills with complete strangers.
Kinda’ makes me proud.
