Halloween. I’m the girl who would go to a midnight showing of “Psycho” and DVR any countdown of the Scariest Movies of All Time to watch when I was alone. I don’t know what that says about me, but my mom is the same way so I assume it’s genetic. Needless to say, I love everything about Halloween, as messed up as that may be for a woman my age who fully understands that my time is better spent doing something other than watching a Chiller channel marathon. Alas, my kids have adopted my love for this time of year (another point in support of my genetics theory), although we obviously adopt a G-rated version of Halloween for my little ghouls. I have found that the most popular activities in my house are also the easiest and most budget-friendly. It’s all about mixing together a brew of creative, and fun with a little dash of spook.
Flashlight Scavenger Hunt
I’m a fan of backyard scavenger hunts at any time of the year, but Halloween provides the perfect opportunity to add a bit of spice to the adventure. Festive items are available in bulk this time of year (think plastic vampire fangs, googly eyeballs and rubber skeletons) which offer the perfect “treasure” for a nighttime hunt. Filling multiple small bags with a variety of objects, I hide them in the backyard and give the boys a list of what’s there. Armed with their flashlights, they have the time of their lives searching every square inch of the yard by the light of the moon.
Halloween Memory Game
Clip art is the only thing you need to create your own Halloween memory/match game. Find twelve festive images and make two copies of each, pasting them onto cards that you cut from poster board or other sturdy paper. The Halloween images add a bit of fun to the typical memory/match game (add more cards and you also have a perfect playing deck for a Halloween-themed game of Go Fish).
Not-So-Creepy Haunted House
Those creepy little items that you picked up for the scavenger hunt? They serve double duty if your kiddos like the thought of creating their own haunted house. It’s tradition in my house for my boys to take my old dollhouse and turn it into a spooktacular spectacle with the help of gauze, glowing pumpkins, some hanging fringe here and there, and pumpkin lights. A cardboard box works just as well – challenge your kiddos to come up with their own haunted house and you’ll find it hard not to participate. Old school ghosts out of Kleenex? Make one of those in front of your kids and watch their mouths drop in amazement.
Mr. Potato Head Pumpkins
At some point in your life as a parent, most of us have stumbled upon a pink Mr. Potato Head ear under the couch or a pair of its eyes staring back at us from under the bed. Stores sell Halloween-themed accessories for pumpkins, but why not use what you already have? Pick up a few Styrofoam pumpkins at the local craft store and go to work, letting your kids dictate the scary-level of their newfound friends. If you’re feeling really creative, you can spray paint them the perfect shade of witch-green, give them some yarn hair, and turn them into something really creepy-cool.
Shake it Up
OK, so there’s absolutely nothing “do it yourself” about this one, but it’s worth mentioning. There are some really great CDs available this time of year that offer some Halloween classic tunes (think Monster Mash and Purple People Eater), as well as short stories that provide the perfect amount of G-rated spook to the holiday. Available for less than the cost of a latte, I’ve found that these CDs provide a priceless way to spend time in the car and shake to the beat of this fun time of year. Enjoy!
