For a lot of us, Halloween is the best time of year. Kids dress up in funny and innovative costumes, parents and grandparents get to see the little ones in all their finery, and belly aches abound. Halloween is a holiday all about fun, so throw a great Halloween party for young and old alike.
Make Your Prep Fun
Halloween is all about fun – decorating your yard and house, and adding spooky lighting. Because Halloween is such a popular holiday, there is no end to the materials for decorating, both online and off. Now is the time to get the kids involved. Let them make the invitations for your Halloween party. This can be a family event in itself. All that is needed is some construction paper, scissors glue and some decorative embellishments, such as sparkles pipe cleaners or bows. Makes “ghost” invitations from large lollypops. Cut out two white construction paper circles the size of the pop, print the invitation on one side, and place the other circle on the other. Cover the lollypop with a square of white cloth. Wrap a pipe cleaner around the “neck” and glue on pieces of felt for eyes. Let the children pass these out to their friends they wish to have come to the party. Not only will they get a unique invitation, but a treat.
Build a Graveyard
Halloween is all about spooky. Make a graveyard in your lawn. Styrofoam blocks cut into tombstone shapes work well here. Paint them to look like old tombstones and put an epitaph on them. Plastic owls are easy to find, they’re used to ward off pigeons. Perch one on a tombstone. There are even ones that move their heads or flap their wings. On Halloween night, be sure to place carved pumpkins strategically around these props to give a good lighting effect.
Use Sound Effects
Spooky sounds – rattling chains, moaning ghosts, witches cackling, all make for a spooky Halloween. You can find CD’s just about anywhere with these sound effects and others. Pipe these into the yard with hidden speakers for more effect.
Play Halloween Games
With invitations sent, decoration in place, and plenty of cookiesand treats on the table, it’s time to play Halloween games. A classic game at Halloween time has always been bobbing for apples. Fill a tub with warm water, float the apples in it, and have all the little ghosts and goblins try to get an apple out with their mouth. Take the stem off to make it even harder.
Instead of pin the tail on the donkey, play pin the arm on the zombie. Make a big one armed zombie from construction paper, and extra arms that the kids can pin on the body. Closest one wins!
As with all holiday activities, use caution with candles or objects that can hurt children. Try using glow sticks instead of candles. Keep it safe, and keep everyone happy!
