bobbing for apples
My birthday is on Halloween. There are a lot of fun aspects of Halloween but it is a weird concept to me that a bunch of strangers can knock on your door all night. In what other world would this happen?! But I digress.
When I was little my Mum would always make the day special for me. I’d have friends over after school and we would sit around the dining room table in my childhood home eating pizza and money cake (you know, the kind where money has been baked into the cake!). Often, kids would be dressed in their Halloween costumes and ready to go out trick ‘o treating. It would be a fantastic sugar, fun-fuelled day.
When you have a birthday on Halloween one of the must-play games is Bobbing for Apples.
Apples are in abundant supply in October and often it is still warm enough (sort of) for a little water activity. In case you are not familiar …. bobbing for apples is a game where there is a large container or toddler swimming pool filled with water and apples. The apples float around and your job is to kneel at the edge with your hands behind your back and catch an apple in your mouth.
I recall that as a young girl bobbing for apples was one of my favourite parts of my birthday parties (well, that and the money cake!). I’m not going to lie, I am pretty good. You have to patiently wait for the apple to “bob” aka float close to you … then open your mouth wide enough and snap it shut swiftly to catch the apple in your teeth. It is a distinct advantage to have a big mouth to catch enough of the apple without it slipping back into the water.
In this day and age of cooties everywhere bobbing for apples is somewhat frowned upon. But let me assure you that kids (and adults!) everywhere are missing out big time.
I hosted a Halloween party the year after I had finished university. Everyone got really into party mode and the costumes were outstanding. In my genius I decided to resurrect the fabled bobbing for apples game and purchased a kiddie pool, filled it with water and added a ton of apples. It had been a number of years since I had tested my bobbing skills and I decided as the host and resident birthday girl I would demonstrate how it was done.
Bobbing for apples is like riding a bike. It can be years and you just know how to get back on and get going. I am not sure if everyone else at the party was as excited as I was to bob for apples but it was one of the highlights of my night!
Why am I bragging about my stellar apple bobbing skills? Anyone reading this is probably grossed out by now at the idea of pieces of hacked apples floating in a kiddie pool and bits of lord knows what else too. If you think I’ve lost the plot in my aging state I haven’t … I promise.
How many times have you felt like you shouldn’t participate in something because it’s a “kids activity”? How many times have you thought “that looks fun”, but didn’t try because you felt old, not dressed right or out of shape? I for sure have.
The childlike joy of letting loose and playing can become a lost art as adult life takes over.
Bobbing for apples is an activity that, when I have done it, brings a massive smile to my face. It was always a silly challenge that was fun and lighthearted (and arguably nutritious during sugar coated Halloween) that anyone could try.
My question and challenge to you is … what games gave you joy as a kid that you stopped doing because somehow it wasn’t acceptable as an adult? How could you incorporate more silly, childlike joy into your everyday life?
But, on a serious note … Anyone wanna bob for apples with me this weekend?
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