Bobbing for Apples Game | Rules, How to Play & Alternatives

What is the Apple Bobbing Game

Bobbing for Apples is a fun Autumn game, often played around Halloween, where players dunk their heads in a tub of water and attempt to be the fastest to remove an apple from the tub using only their mouths. It’s a fun tradition to start with your family and friends. Who doesn’t like seeing grandma, their younger sibling, or mom and dad dunk their heads in water and end up with a giant apple gripped in their teeth?!

Objective

Be the fastest person to successfully remove (i.e. “bob”) an apple out of the tub of water.

Number of Players

Apple bobbing can be played with two or more players, but is most often played with large groups at Halloween (or other) parties. .

Playing Time

A game of apple bobbing is usually 15-30 minutes, but varies depending on the version of the game you play and the number of players. In the classic version, each round is no more than 2 minutes with a break of about 30 seconds between rounds, so a game with 10 players would take about 25 minutes (10 players x 2.5 min).

What you need

Here’s all you need

  • Apples: Plan for roughly 2 apples per player
  • Tub/Bowl filled with water: In the classic game, you’ll need a tub (bowl, tub, cooler) of water that you fill 3/4 of the way up (to avoid overflow when dunking). It should be large enough to fit at least 5 apples and still have space between the apples, and deep enough for a player to dunk their heads, but shallow enough that they can reach the bottom. For some of the alternate versions, you may need multiple tubs.
  • Timer: A phone, stopwatch or watch is helpful for the timed rounds.
  • Towels: While optional, you’ll want to have towels both for people to dry off after dunking their heads and to mop up spills (if indoors).

Age

Bobbing for apples is great for all ages, from toddlers to grandparents. :)

5 Reasons I love apple bobbing as a family game

I love the apple bobbing game because:

  1. Seasonal traditions are fun: It’s great to have an annual tradition to mark certain times of the year. Bobbing for apples is a classic Autumn tradition that you can play on Halloween or anytime in the Fall.
  2. It’s great for all ages: Bobbing for apples is good for any ages from toddlers to adults, so it’s inclusive of the whole family.
  3. It’s trickier than it looks: One of the best parts of apple bobbing is that it looks so simple. Everyone goes in thinking it’s going to be easy to grab an apple. But as soon as your face hits the apple, it bounces away and you have to adjust your strategy.
  4. It’s fun to see friends and family being silly: Picture grandma dunkinger her head in a bucket of water and coming up with an apple between her teeth! Need I say more?
  5. Kids build skills: Apple bobbing builds sensory and fine motor skills, and is also good for learning to take turns and follow rules.

How to play bobbing for apples game (traditional version)

The traditional way to play the bobbing for apples game is to put a bunch of apples in a shared tub full of water and let players compete, one at a time, to be the fastest person to bite the apple. Here’s how to play this version, but check out the variations below as well.

1. Grab one or more friends, apples, and a bowl filled with water

Bobbing for apples is great for large groups at Halloween or other Fall parties, but you can play with as few as 2 players.

You’ll need a water receptacle (large bowl, tub, cooler, etc) big enough to hold at least 5 apples with room between the apples, deep enough that people can dunk their heads, but shallow enough that players can reach the bottom when dunking. Fill the water about 3/4 full so that the water doesn’t spill over the top when players dunk their heads.

2. Determine who goes first

Everyone is racing against the clock, so playing order doesn’t really matter. You can choose order by age, height, whoever lines up first, or any other method.

3. Set a timer for 2 minutes

Each player will have up to two minutes for their turn.

4. Play the first turn, using only a players face to remove an apple from the water as fast as possible

The timer can do a countdown to start play, or start the timer when the bobbing player starts play. Using only their teeth, the player attempts to bite and remove an apple from the tub of water. The timer stops as soon as the player drops the apple outside the water bin.

5. Alternate turns so that every player gets a turn

Every player gets at least one turn. You’re welcome to add additional rounds where players attempt to improve their time. Just make sure everyone gets an even number of turns.

6. Declare the winner with the fastest time

The winner of the apple bobbing game is the player with the fastest time from when they dunk their head until they retrieve the apple out of the water.

Bobbing for Apples Video Tutorial

Apple Bobbing Rules

The rules of bobbing for apples are simple:

  1. Only your head can be used to touch the water or apples. That means no hands, or other body parts to assist. It’s best to keep your hands behind your back, but that doesn’t have to be required.
  2. You must remove the apple with your mouth. That means you can’t position it between your chin and chest, or roll the apple out of the water using your head.
  3. You can bite any part of the apple to remove it, including the stem, unless otherwise stated before the game.
  4. The clock stops once the player drops that apple outside of the water tub. If the apple drops back into the water, the clock keeps running.

Apple Bobbing Alternatives and Variations (including sanitary and no water versions)

Variations in Game Play

1: Multiple Apples Per Round

One common variation of the game is to have players remove as many apples as possible in a round. The player with the most apples removed is the winner. In this version, you’ll want to have a separate bowl where the players can drop the apples as they’re removed during the round. While this is a fun way to play, a lot more of the apples get bitten during play, and the water can get a little chunky.

2: Elimination Rounds

Instead of playing for the fastest time or multiple apples, you can play a round system. Shorten the time each person gets to make it more challenging (15-30 seconds). If you don’t get an apple during the round, you’re eliminated. If you successfully bob an apple, you advance to the next round. Continue playing until only one player remains.

3: Head-to-Head Matchups

If you play with multiple bins, you can also play head-to-head at the same time. You can do this with either the fastest time or most apples method. Additionally, you can structure this as a tournament where the winner of each head-to-head matchup advances to the next round (think March Madness tournament brackets).

Sanitary Alternatives to Apple Bobbing

If the idea of having a shared bucket of water and people biting the same apples grosses you out, or if you want to avoid a mess, consider these apple bobbing alternatives.

1: Individual Buckets and Apples

If you want to keep the game mechanics the same, but have everything more sanitary, consier using individual buckets and separate apples for each player. You may end up wasting more apples (we recommend 3-5 per player) and use a little more water, but if sanitary is what you want, this is a great option.

2: Hanging Apples (aka “snap apple” or “apple on a string”)

Hanging apples is completely sanitary. No shared water and each player has a dedicated apple! This game is actually still a ton of fun and harder than it sounds because the apples still bounce off players as they try to bite them. Plus, biting at the stem is no longer an option. Here’s how ou play Hanging Apples.

2a: Grab a group of players and one apple per player

One thing germaphobes love about hanging apples is that each player has a dedicated apple

2b: Tie a string to each apple stem, and attach the string to a line

Tie one end of a string to the stem of the apple and the other to a line that’s hanging at least a few feet overhead.

2c: Play the round simultaneously, one at a time, or head-to-head

Similar to bobbing for apples, players can only use their heads (no hands or other body parts) while they attempt to bite the apple. It’s actually harder than it sounds to bite the apple, as it swings away from players as they attempt to bite it.

You can play hanging apples like the traditional apple bobbing game where players go one at a time and the fastest time to bite the apple wins. Or, you can play some of the variations, such as simultaneous play, either as a full group, or as head-to-head match-ups.

2d: Declare the winner

In the timed game, the winner is the player with the fastest time to bite an apple. In simultaneous all-group play, the first person to bit the apple wins. In head-to-head, tournament-style play, the winner advances to the next round and the loser is eliminated, with the last player standing declared the winner.

If biting the apple seems to easy, you can play a variation where players race to eat the apple (except the core)

3: Hanging Donuts (a speed eating game)

Similar to Hanging Apples, but the goal is not just to bite the donut, but to eat the whole donut. Players can only use their mouths (no hands) to eat the donut.

Bobbing for Apples FAQs

What is the origin of apple bobbing?

The tradition of the bobbing for apples game dates back to ancient history when the Romans invaded Britain. The conquering army of the Romans brought along their traditions which merged with the Celtic traditions and festivals that had long existed in Britain. As the Romans traveled to conquer this new land, they brought with them an apple tree which was there to represent the goddess of plenty (named Pomona). During the yearly celebration, the young unmarried couples would bite into apples that would either be floating in water or hanging from a string. The first one to bite into the apple would be the next person allowed to marry. It was once believed that the women who placed the apples they bobbed for under their pillow would dream about their beloved.

What is bobbing for apples called?

In America, bobbing for apples game is known as “bobbing for apples” or “apple bobbing game,” “apple water game,” or “apple dunk game.” As noted above with the European origin, the different countries in this region have different names for this game. In Scotland, this game is referred to as “dooking” (ducking). The northern part of England refers to this game as “duck-apple” or “apple ducking.” Ireland, primarily in the County Kerry, calls this game “snap apple.” In areas like Newfoundland and Labrador, they call Halloween “Snap Apple Night”.

Why do we bob for apples?

While apple bobbing has a European history (see origins above), in modern times it became a traditional seasonal game around fall harvest, and is now more commonly a game played around Halloween.

What’s the point of apple bobbing?

Apple bobbing is a fun (and funny) fall game that celebrates tradition. The goal is to be the fastest person to remove an apple from a tub of water using only their mouth (no hands).

What does bobbing the apple mean? What is the meaning of bobbing for apples?

The word bobbing means short movements up and down. So “bobbing for apples” is a great name for a game where your head goes up and down in an attempt to grab an apple with your teeth.

Do people still do apple bobbing?

Bobbing for apples is still a popular seasonal game in the fall, often around Halloween. Some people have shifted to more sanitary apple bobbing alternatives, such as “Hanging Apples,” as outlined above.

How is apple bobbing played?

A quick explanation of apple bobbing play is that 5 or more apples are placed in a tub of water that is three quarters full and players take turns, using only their mouths, dunking their head in the water to bite an apple and remove it from the tub. The player with the fastest time wins.

How long do you bob for apples?

Most people set a timer of two minutes for a round of apple bobbing, but I’ve seen it played with thirty seconds or less as well.

What’s the trick for bobbing for apples?

Here are some strategies and tips to win at apple bobbing:

  • Aim to bite the stem: The stem is the easiest part of the apple to bite. And if you can identify an apple that has the stem facing up, it’s even easier to grab the apple without bumping the apple around.
  • Push all the way to the bottom: You can use your face to push the apple to the bottom of the tub, then bite it. Having something to push against makes it much easier to bit the apple without it slipping away.
  • Push the apple to the side: This is a little harder to do than pushing the apple to the bottom, since it’s hard to push it straight against the side. But having some resistance to the side does make it easier to bite.
  • Aim for narrow curves: If you can’t bite the stem, it’s easier to bite an apple at the bottom on the narrow curves. The problem with biting other parts of the apple is that as you try to get resistance on the flat part of the apple, you push it away.

Is it safe to bob for apples?

You may be wondering if bobbing for apples is sanitary. And really, it’s up to you. If it grosses you out, check out our sanitary alternatives above, such as “Hanging Apples,” or using separate tubs for each player.

How do you bob apples without water?

“Hanging Apples,” outlined above as an alternate method, is a version of the game without water where apples are hung on strings and players attempt to bite the hanging apple in the shortest amount of time.

What are some apple bobbing alternatives?

Check out our alternatives and variations section above to learn more about different ways to play, including without water.

How do you make apple bobbing easier?

  • Use a shallow tub (easier to push apples to the bottom and bite)
  • Let players know they can bite the stem
  • Put more apples in the tub
  • Make sure apples have stems
  • Use smaller apples for kids
  • Wear goggles

How do you make apple bobbing harder?

  • Remove the stalk (or don’t allow)
  • Use fewer apples
  • Use a deeper tub

How to avoid making a mess apple bobbing

  • Play outside
  • Keep towels close by
  • Use shallower tubs so not dunking head all the way underwater
  • Stay dry with apple bobbing alternatives such as “hanging apples” or “hanging donuts”