Halloween is among the celebrations kids most look forward to. It's hard to go wrong with dressing up, tasty treats and songs! Are you hoping to make the "most creepy holiday of the year" truly special for your children this year — without safety hazards and the excessive sugar consumption Halloween can sometimes trick you into? We're here to help!
Halloween Creepiness: Make Sure It's Only Pretend
You've heard the urban myths about razor blades hidden in apples and poisoned candy, and you're also likely to be concerned about creeps opening the door for your kids... and inviting them in! You can forget about those dangers right away, because they are totally within your control — just like most things we spend time worrying about.
Did you know that kids are more than twice as likely to be killed in a car accident on Halloween than on any other night of the year? Now you do. Multiple factors are responsible for this. Adults celebrate Halloween too, usually with large amounts of alcohol. So there are both more kids and more drunk drivers on the road during Halloween, and trick or treaters are easily missed even by a sober person if they're not clearly visible and crossing roads in places they're not supposed to.
Apply reflective tape to all your costumes and carry flashlights to ensure your group can easily be seen. Don't walk on the side of the road if there's no sidewalk, and only cross the road at actual crossings. Stick together, and don't let anyone wonder off even for a moment.
Many hospitals even offer X-rays for Halloween candy, but the safest treats are the ones you make or buy yourself. Alcohol is the biggest Halloween hazard for teens and adults.
Did we mention candles? Candles pose a fire risk (haha!), especially if you put them in weird places, have flammable costumes around, or have drunk people in your house. I think that just about covers the alarming (or was that alarmist?) possibilities.
Once you're aware of road safety, common sense is really all you need to have a fantastic Halloween. Or not quite, perhaps — you could also do with great costumes, creepy home-made treats that aren't terribly unhealthy, and some awesome games. Why not invite a whole bunch of kids to you house to have an unforgettably creepy Halloween party? Treat and game ideas are on the next page!
Spooky Treats And Games For Your Halloween Party
Healthy-ish Halloween Treats You Can Make At Home
Say no to commercial Halloween treats that will give your kids tummy aches and real scary teeth for next year's Halloween party! With a little creativity, you can whip up great treats in no time. Remember, anything scary goes!
Ghosts are a favorite theme for Halloween, and you've got plenty to work with there. You could cut bananas in half and paint melted-chocolate faces on them, or dip strawberries in melted white chocolate and give them dark-chocolate faces, complete with scary expressions.
You can also find ghost-shaped ice cubes and add them to a "bloody" drink like clear berry juice.
Pumpkins are another must, and pumpkin soup and pie are obvious ideas that will never get boring. But you don't have to limit yourself to actual pumpkins to achieve a great effect. Deviled eggs with an orange filling — which yolks, mayonnaise and a little paprika powder will achieve — and a small celery stick placed strategically create a cool pumpkin look. Simple peeled tangerines with a celery or cucumber stick coming from the center also look like mini "pumpkins".
Don't forget about witches and spiders! Decorated pumpkin-flavored cupcakes help you stick to the theme, and they're delicious. Ice cream cones can be covered in chocolate to serve as witches' hats. Fill them with dried cranberries and apricots, raisins and nuts. Would you like a pizza on Halloween? Cover it with a bunch of "spiders". Olives can be used for the bodies, and they can also be cut up to serve as legs. You can use capers as heads and whole pepper grains as eyes.
You can use grape or strawberry juice for the kids. Surgical gloves are handy props too. A frozen "hand" ice cube in fruit punch is guaranteed to create a spooky effect — but wash the powder out before you fill it.
Creepy Games: Try This At Home
Younger audiences love slightly creepy games that don't get scary for real. If you're hosting an under-12 crowd, a "ghost hunt" is guaranteed to be a hit. You'll want to make sure to set creepy props up all around your house.
Think full-sized skeleton in your bed, broom sticks near a bathroom window, a "bloody" bath with red food coloring, and an adult wearing a ghost costume somewhere near the attic.
Playing hide and seek in the dark works well too, or you could have your guests look for treats instead of people. You could even leave ghostly messages that lead kids to an ultimate surprise (like a pumpkin pie!), in a Halloween treasure hunt.
Are you looking for something a little less frightening? Your young guests could be blindfolded and try to pin a wart onto a witch's nose, play tic-tac-toe with chestnuts and plastic spiders, or play zombie tag — the winner didn't end up as a zombie. You could also have your kids fishing for fake teeth, plastic mice, or eyeballs in a bunch of jello. Added fall leaves make this even more fun.
Oh, you wanted games for teens? If they haven't tried a ouija board yet, Halloween is the perfect opportunity! Or you could stick to a creepy truth or dare game and some zombie movies. Happy Halloween!
- Photo courtesy of colleen by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/72005145@N00/4064916012/
- Photo courtesy of creepyhalloweenimages by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/halloweenstock/8117718787/
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