Prop Manipulation

One of the things we hate about store bought Halloween props/decorations is their poor real-life functionality. So many manufacturers insist on only using motion activated sensor "on" switches which basically hobble the usefulness of the prop. The Halloween green lab flask prop we purchased only would turn on via motion activation. No movement directly in front of the tiny little sensor at the base of the prop, the burner flame and flask stay dark. We ended up using a small LED tealight candle with a plastic wobble flame directly in front of the sensor. The LED candle's movement was enough to keep activating the prop. The really annoying part was there was also a bubbling sound produced when activated and once again, no way to choose sound on/off or adjust volume, so we were stuck listening to the loud sound effect the entire time we were on the porch giving out candy on Halloween night. The flask prop also has an ultrasonic misting element when activated, provided you filled the flask with some water. We weren't going to risk adding water to the prop, especially since the flask sits over the rest of the electronics. The prop has a lot of presence when lit, it didn't need the other gimmicks that hobbled its usefulness. The designers of these decorations really need to think about how these items will actually be used. That's why we end up making a lot of the props in our haunt ourselves.