As the days become shorter and the air turns chilly, it’s time to think of falling leaves, apple picking and Halloween.
Halloween is one of those ‘holidays’ I used to love as a mom, now I live in a neighborhood without many children and I don’t even stock candy anymore. but, I miss it. I loved the ritual of picking out a pumpkin and carving it then spending time in the dark watching our creation glow and spook.
Your Halloween rituals will vary depending on where you live and your religious beliefs. In the Deep South I met families who didn’t celebrate Halloween as it was considered to be a pagan ritual. For me, it’s just a fun, creative day.
Have you planned activities or decided on costumes? Parenting.com has a great article with ideas for making or buying costumes as well as other ideas for making it a spooky night your children will be sure to love.
Safety tips and advice for trick or treating are plentiful and now days many malls, communities and churches have options for celebrating and collecting candy that don’t subject your children to the hazards of neighborhood trick or treating. You might also consider hosting a small gathering with friends and neighbors as a way of letting your children wear a costume and have some fun, in the warmth and safety of your home.
Here are a few suggestions for activities your children can have fun with, depending on their ages:
- Paper mache can be fun; one year I made black spiders attaching a long string for hanging the finished spider and inserting pipe cleaners for legs. Then I set out markers, stickers and other decorative items for the children to glue on or apply. Each child got to take home one spider they had decorated. The preparation was a bit lengthy and required a day or more for the spiders to dry. It worked for a wide variety of age ranges, including the parents.
- Artwork, using pre-cut shapes of construction paper in fall colors. Children can make pumpkin faces or anything else they might want from shapes you set out. Make mouth pieces, eyes and noses and then let imagination take over. Have plenty of glue sticks and paper to cover the surface of the work table.
- How about a short movie in case of bad weather. Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin or another appropriate movie, nothing too scary for little ones.
- A Halloween candy hunt, just like an Easter egg hunt. Follow the same concept substituting with candy or treats and plan a few prizes for most candy gathered, whoever found the fake spider, etc…
- Pin the Broom on the Witch or Put the Nose on the Jack-o-Lantern
- Serve simple snacks the children will enjoy; celery with peanut butter and raisin spiders, apple slices dipped in caramel, popcorn (not for the young toddlers) or allow children to decorate their own pre-iced cupcakes. Decorate English muffin pizzas like jack-o-lanterns by cutting pepperoni and green peppers in face shapes.
To make the party more manageable, include parents as well. You can serve light beverages and adult snacks. This way you’ll have help with the children’s activities and the whole family can have an enjoyable Halloween.
What does your family like to do for Halloween?
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