Witch's Cupboard Halloween Game

For the third year I've done this spooky table of gross things for the kids to touch at our neighborhood Halloween party. I try to include new icky things each year. It's always a hit with the kids. They do love gross things. 

The entire table display is done kid height. I throw an old black sheet over the table then top with a torn piece of cheese cloth. For the cauldrons I cut cheese cloth in half, fold diagonally, lay across the cauldrons with a gap at the front. Next I fold up the corners loosely and stretch a rubberband around to hold them in place It's supposed to imitate fog coming out and leaves place for the kids to reach inside and also peek at what they touched.

The sign reads: Welcome to the Witch's Cupboard. Reach beneath the fog within the cauldrons and touch if you dare. I created the sign by doing a google image search for old paper. I chose the font from the free Halloween fonts at dafont. I do a cheap laminating job by using strips of packing tape. And I created the stand on the back from leftover cardboard. It's hard to see what's next to it in this picture but those are "Dried Bat Wings." I bought the dog treat pig ears and painted them black. Totally creepy.

These two items were new additions this year: Skin and Bones alongside Eyeballs with Maggots! Ewwww! The skin and bones were par boiled lasagna noodles (the kind without ruffled edges) and rawhide stick dog treats broken and jagged. The eyeballs with maggots were peeled grapes amidst overcooked rice that I boiled with black food coloring in the water to add a disgusting appearance when they looked inside.

My kids chose these two as repeats from past years: Severed Hand with Troll Teeth and Tongues. The severed hand is a latex glove filled with flour; it's very disturbing to behold. The troll teeth and tongues are unpopped popcorn kernels and dried apricots.

I added props to the table this year. I got the idea for this heart made from a fennel bulb from Martha Stewart. Sadly fennel floats, and upside down no-less, so I just filled water up partially. I like the effect even better this way.