Halloween can be scary for small children especially with costumes of monsters, witches & devils roaming the streets at night. Here are a few imaginative ways to enjoy Halloween without the usual door-to-door trick-or-treating. You will also find tips and tricks for keeping your kiddos safe who are ready to hit the streets!
Halloween Activity #1 – Family Costume Party
Parties are always fun. Send out invitations to your friends, family, and whoever else you’d like to include in your celebration. Tell them it is a “Family Costume Party” which means that all members of the family are required to dress up.
You can give prizes away for best costume, most creative costume, most original costume, etc. – you decide the categories.
At the end of the party, you can give away treat bags; in that way, children can still get their share of sweets and treats without hitting the streets.
Halloween Activity #2 – Pumpkin Decorating
If you’ve decided not to leave the house on Halloween, you can still be a part of the celebration by carving a pumpkin with your children. As the adult, you can handle the knife for the carvings. To get young children involved, you can have them paint their pumpkins, glue googly eyes, adhere yarn hair, etc.
You can also invite friends over to decorate, too. Have them bring their own pumpkins and you can supply the craft supplies. Everyone can wear their costumes if they’d like to.
Halloween Activity #3 – Halloween Potluck
Ever had ‘witches fingers,’ or eaten a ‘Halloween forest,’ drank orange “witch’s brew”? These are just holiday appropriate names for chicken strips, a veggie plate and a sherbet ice cream float. Invite friends over to your home and tell them to bring in a Halloween dish. Tons of Halloween recipes can be found online, or you can create your own! It’s a lot of fun to discover what kind of edible concoctions friends bring to the Halloween Potluck.
Halloween Activity #4 – Make it a Portrait Day
This is an especially excellent alternative for children under one year old, although it may still be done with older children. By making Halloween a Portrait Day, your child can still enjoy dressing up in their favorite costume and you can capture that once in a lifetime moment on film. Babies will not miss the candy for obvious reasons.
Halloween Tip #1 – Pumpkin Carving
Pumpkin carving can be dangerous for younger children. As an alternative to carving, you can consider allowing younger kids to use markers, paint, or a pumpkin decorating kit without the risk of pumpkin carving with a sharp blade!
Halloween Tip #2 – Masks
Avoid masks, beards or anything that covers eyes, noses or mouths. Consider using non-toxic face paints instead.
Halloween Tip #3 – Candy from Strangers
Make sure your kids understand not to eat any candy or treats until they you give them the okay. This allows you to check for items containing allergens or other hazards; and at the same time, you get a chance at the first pick of candy!
Halloween Tip #4 – Be Seen!
Halloween is spooky enough outside without having to worry about your child not being seen in the dark while trick-or-treating. Prepare your child’s costume for strong visibility by choosing a costume that can be made with bright materials; or you may add reflective tape to your child’s costume or treat bag.
Halloween Tip #5 – Watch Out for Bad Monsters
Sometimes there are monsters out that are more mean than spooky. Never let your kid go into a stranger’s house or even ring their doorbell for treats unless you are with them or say that it’s okay. There are some people in life that are not very nice to kids and you have to be very careful.
Halloween Tip #6 – Take the Long Way
Trick-or-treat only in well-lit areas. Stay on streets that you are familiar with, and avoid taking shortcuts through parking lots, alleys, and pathways. If you’re not sure where a street goes or whether it is safe, don’t take a chance on it.
Halloween Tip #7 – Hungry Zombies are a Scary Thing
A hungry Zombie can be a scary thing. A good tip to prevent your kids from overloading on candy is to serve them a very filling meal before they go out for their trick or treating – it helps to make them their favorite dinner and a big dessert that spooky night.
Information courtesy of:
http://voices.yahoo.com/7-top-things-small-children-halloween-596455.html?cat=25
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/home/halloween.html
http://spoonful.com/halloween/ten-halloween-safety-tips
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