It’s that spooky time of year again when little ghosts and goblins make their way through the neighborhood chanting “trick or treat.” Yet, there may be times when going door to door isn’t feasible. Maybe the weather is too cold or your children are too young to walk very far or maybe you live in a rural area where houses are few and far between. Never fear! There are plenty of creative ideas for celebrating Halloween.
1. Host a Halloween party for your children and their friends. Plan a variety of games such as bobbing for apples, a pumpkin decorating contest, or popping a scary piñata. Hand out treat bags to kids as they arrive. Serve Halloween themed treats like pumpkin muffins, bloody eyeballs and orange iced cupcakes. If you have time, order Zombie plants (a real plant that “plays dead” when touched and then comes back to life). They grow very quickly but you’ll need to get them a few days before the big event so they are ready to go.
2. Plan a pumpkin hunt. Simply cut some circles out of orange construction paper. On half of the circles use a black marker to draw scary faces. Insert a small treat onto the back of the marked up circle and then glue the unmarked circles to create a back. Hide the pumpkin faces and turn the kids loose!
3. Plan a scary movie night. Put up Halloween-themed decorations and let everyone dress up. Turn out the lights and plug in your favorite scary movies. Put a Halloween soundtrack to enhance the feeling.
4. Trick or treat at a nursing home. This idea is good for both the kids and the oldsters. The residents will not only give your kids candy but will make a big fuss over their costumes. Be sure to call the nursing home in advance to set it up.
5. Throw a block party for the children. Get together with your neighbors to plan the party. You and your neighbors can offer face painting, simple food and drink booths, a costume contest and games such as an spooky obstacle course, a pumpkin and broom race or an eyeball bounce. Set up a candy stand where children can decorate their own candy bag and then pick out a certain number of goodies to put into the treat bag.
6. Set up a “photo booth.” Pick out a bunch of accessories like pumpkins, broomsticks, plastic fangs and more. Let your children and their friends pose with the props and with each other. Your kids will have fun and you’ll have memories you can keep.
Remember that whatever you do it’s important to have treats in some form or another. You want to make sure your children have a great time and don’t regret not going door-to-door. Ideally, they’ll be bragging at school the next day about how theirs was the “best Halloween ever!”
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com
