Traditionally it seems like Halloween for children is a costume, a bag for holding all that “loot” and wandering down the sidewalk knocking on doors and yelling “Trick or Treat” for a couple of hours.
However, you can easily add some extra fun this October 31 (note: Halloween for many is also celebrated on the weekend of October 29-30) by hosting a little surprise Halloween party for your children and their friends.
Here are some ideas:
- Host your own haunted house. Don’t make it too scary, especially for younger children. As time permits, you can create a theme that kids will like in every room of your house (i.e., front door; living room; kitchen; garage; back yard, etc.).
- Play spooky music; peel some grapes for eyeballs; fake blood; buy some dry ice and hide under some leaves and plants in your yard to create your own fog effects.
- Bobbing for apples is always a fun and traditional Halloween party activity and everyone gets to play!
- Pie-eating contest as kids can look for a jelly worm in a whipped –cream pie with the winner receiving a prize.
- Food is always the hit of any Halloween party, so think about Halloween-shaped cookies; green slime punch; cupcakes with gummy worms and the always popular “ants on a log” (celery sticks with raisins on top!).
- Decorations can be easy: make spiders from black garbage bags; ghosts from toilet tissue and/or sheets and a scarecrow from old clothes. You can also find some good and inexpensive decorations; plates; cups, etc. from a local dollar store.
- Your party can be a separate event or children can come to your house for a little “spooky” time; go out for trick-or-treating for a little while and come back for games and food.
And always remember: if you plan to transport a large party of ghosts and goblins, call the professionals at American Eagle Limousine (703-550-7200). We can pick you and your party up at your door and take them to your favorite haunted house and deliver them safely home again!
(Flickr Photo by Mark Haynes)
