Tall Tales Adventures DIY Halloween Party Review
Tall Tales Adventures
DIY Halloween Party
Reviewed by Brenda Melaniphy
I found the Tall Tales Adventure website easy to navigate and the purchasing of The Haunted Hotel adventure download was simple and straight forward. The product description under The Haunted Hotel adventure download is clear and gives the recommended ages along with a brief description about what to expect from the download. After making the purchase, I promptly received an email with the ZIP file containing all the puzzles that need to be printed off. This made it quick to download and you can also easily forward the email to another email address if you need to print it off at work, let’s say.
On opening the ZIP file, there are quite a few pdf files that need to be opened and printed. I started with the instructions and to be honest, my first impression was that this was going to be a lot more time consuming than I had anticipated. It certainly isn’t a last minute party that you could throw together. It does need planning in advance and a few additional items I wasn’t expecting – such as goody bags and boxes. I do feel that the product description on the Tall Tales Adventure website should include the fact that you do need extra items over and above the kit you are purchasing to be able to put the party together. When I first read the description, I thought all I would need was a colour printer to print out the kit when in actual fact, a few extra bits were needed. I think the description should also mention that you will need to set aside a certain amount of time (ie. 1 hour) to prepare all the elements.
Having said that, the instructions are detailed and do work in a methodical step-by-step fashion. All the items that you need are listed so you can make sure you have everything you need before you get started. They guide you on all the preparations you need to undertake and everything that you need to provide each child with on arrival at the party. The instructions supply you with a commentary to give the children to set the scene of the party which is helpful and then how to carry out each puzzle with the children. There are six puzzles covering various activities, such as finding hidden objects, mazes, spot the difference and bingo to name a few. It is a good range of activities that would entertain children and keep them interested for the whole party. One of the puzzles has an alternative puzzle should you be limited on space, which I thought was a great addition. This means the party is not limited to large spacious households but makes it enjoyable for people living in smaller spaces as well.
The puzzles are well thought out and get all the children involved. It is not at all scary, so is great for younger children or those that may be a bit more afraid of Halloween ghosts! There is a goal for the children to work towards as well as treats throughout the party to congratulate them on completing the puzzles. This is great for a child as it keeps them actively interested in the puzzles and looking forward to doing the next one. The Haunted Hotel Adventure Download does not specify a limit to the number of children that can participate so I assume that any amount of children can take place which is great as it will work if you are having a small get together or if you are planning on hosting a bigger party. My 9 year old son really enjoyed going through all the puzzles and found them challenging, but not too hard so as to lose interest. They did not take too long to complete so, depending on how many children are at the party, you could have quite a quick flowing party.
I would definitely recommend this for anyone wanting to host their own party at home but is looking for step by step guidance. I felt that the price (£14.97) was perhaps a little high bearing in mind that you have to print off all your own puzzles using your own printer ink and supply your own goody bags and treats. All you are paying for really is the puzzles to be emailed to you. Having said that, once you have bought it, you can save the puzzles and use it every year if you wanted to.
You can also purchase the Complete Adventure Kit at £4 per child which includes all the ready printed puzzles and quests plus a craft activity for each child, delivered to your door.
Rating: 4/5
Price: Download (to print yourself) £14.97, Complete Kit (printed and delivered, minimum of 8 children) £4 per child
For more information or to purchase your DIY Halloween Party visit www.talltalesadventures.com.
