DESPERATELY NEED HELP!!!

[Beth-a-roo]

do you have any suggestions on where to look for ideas that would scare the crap out of a group of high school kids for a party?

We're having a birthday party for my 16 year old sister and we scare the kids every year but it was a lot easier when they were 13 - 14 years old. Now we will have 16-18 year olds - a little bit jaded and too cool to act scared, even if they are. We won't call it a success until some senior boy either wets himself or cries...)

We are going to be out at a farm - it's very dark and lots of places for people to hide out and we were thinking of a "hayride that goes badly" concept, where we have to split them up and walk them back or leave some behind.

I consider myself a haunt enthusiast too, and in the past have drawn from things that I have seen or put in haunted houses, but it's getting harder and harder when you don't have them in a very structured area. Plus I want to consider safety and things like that as well, of course - we don't want REAL blood!

I would welcome any suggestions that you might have, or would love to know of any rescources that I could look up to give me some ideas. We're expecting about 30 high school kids and will have plenty of adults around to supervise.

[slash]

If there's any way you can make an indoor maze, or make walls outside using stakes for frames or something, do it. Make black plastic walls, strobes, and good props. Also, drop panels are awesome scares. Basically, it's a plywood sheet, with a window or "panel" cut out of it. It looks like a regular wall, until the actor behind drops the panel, making a slamming noise, scares them and slides it back up. Very scary. This scare is very easy to make. If it's outdoor, you couls support it by driving 1x3 stakes into the ground, and securing them to the panel. Help me out with some DIY links here guys!

[OgeXam]

Will the kids to be scared in question know they are going to be scared, aka know that it is your job to scare them.

Or will/can they be oblivious to the scare. Set up something like "hey let's go check out that old spooky civil war grave yard..." Then on the way there an accident occurs.

Do you want real fear that will have those high school boys screaming like junior high girls? Where they think it can be real? Or let them know it is fake and try to scare them?

[Beth-a-roo]

They know that we usually try to scare them - making it seem real is going to be a challenge, but I'm definitely open to suggestion. I like the idea of going to check something out and then they get ambushed or something on the way...the element of surprise has been really effective in my experience with these kids.

You know how high school boys are - there's nothing more satisfying than making them scream like girls

[OgeXam]

Well here is an idea off the top of my head.

Since they know you will try to scare then, you need to do the real scare either before or after what they think will be the scare.

For instance say you are going to go visit a civil war graveyard discovered on the farm. Hype it up on how it is haunted and how the ghost of soldiers still fight there to this day. If you are in a place where a civil war grave would be way out of place use something from the area, in the Northeast a place where druids and witches were barried due to witch trials, or something along those lines.

This will make them think that the scare will be at the graveyard.

Here where you the plan can diverge depending on your budget/resources.

If you can do it build the graveyard and have that as a minor but not so scarey attempt... fog machines if possible, dry ice since there will be no electricty. Have guys bursting out of the ground in civil war dress yelling about "You damn yankiees go home." blah blah blah...

Then on the way back from the grave yard take a wrong turn if possible, and get turned around on the hay ride... a sudden problem with the tractors engine would be nice.

Then you can have some farmer come up saying "what you doign on my land. I told that 'other farmer name' that if he set foot on my property again I would kill him."

Make him give you guys a few minutes as he goes to get his dogs and guns to take care of you guys. Well you hop off the now broken hayride and somebody suggest a short cut (not back the way you came but through woods if possible).

then on that path have the real scare, as some crazy old farmer and his killer dogs try to find you guys. Split them up if possible.

Maybe have a few of the kids in on it and ahve the panic and take off running.

Screams begets screams. It is like diminos when one falls they all start to fall.

That is just an idea off the top of my head though.

You may be able to just go all out on the civil war graveyard and have fun with that.