Have A Safe And Spooky Time With Your Kids This Halloween.

Now that summer is coming to an end, Halloween will be here before we know it. From trick or treating around your neighborhood to wearing scary costumes, it’s a holiday that promotes plenty of fun. Halloween parties are a popular choice for families who want to celebrate this holiday together, though you can get Halloween cards here to send to those who may be too far away to make it. So now is the perfect time to start planning your party and introduce your kids to the wonders of Halloween. But if you’ve never planned a party of this kind before, you might be unsure how to get started and what activities to include. Thankfully there are plenty of safe and fun options to choose from. So to start planning your party, here are some hair-raising activity ideas and tips on how to keep your kids safe this Halloween.

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 Choose costumes carefully

 Before any Halloween party can get started, you need to make sure your family look the part. Buying costumes is one of the most enjoyable aspects of Halloween and will boost everyone’s excitement for your party. Think carefully about the age of your kids and use this to influence the possible costumes they could wear. If you’re struggling for ideas, use Pinterest to see what other kids have dressed up as for inspiration. Avoid anything that might be too scary or inappropriate for them to wear. The last thing you want is for them to be scared of the mask or costume you’ve bought or made for them. Get your kids more involved by asking them what they would like to wear to your party. Don’t be surprised if they want to dress up as a superhero or a princess, rather than a witch or monster. Let them know that they can wear any costume they like as long as its age appropriate.

If your kids don’t want to wear a costume, they can still get into the Halloween spirit. You can buy them a pumpkin or ghost t-shirt that they can wear with jeans or a skirt instead. This is also an excellent idea if you have children who are too young to wear a costume or if you don’t want to wear a costume yourself. Browse Zoey’s Attic Personalized Gifts and other Halloween t-shirt retailers to see what is available.

As fun as they are to wear, Halloween costumes can be hazardous to your family too. So it’s vital that you do whatever it takes to make them as safe as possible. Make sure your costumes fit correctly and are not too long to avoid trips and falls. Long capes and dresses can also be a fire hazard if there are open flames at your party. When buying costumes, check to see if they are fire resistant or swap all candles for safer lighting alternatives. If your children are wearing masks, make sure they can see and breathe easily. Cut the eye and mouth holes larger if they are having difficulty. Parents should also ensure that their children’s costumes are easy to take off and are comfortable to wear for long periods.

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Organize food and decorations

 Organizing the food and decorations for your party is a great way to get your kids involved in your party planning. To get started look at Pinterest or on blogs for food and decoration inspiration for your Halloween celebrations. It can even be useful to see what local stores are selling for ideas that you and your kids can recreate. Once you’ve got a few ideas, buy all of the materials you need and schedule in a craft day. This is a fantastic opportunity for you and your kids to get creative and excited for your upcoming party. They can draw pictures of pumpkins and cats which can be hung up around your home. Cut out bats and skulls can be embellished by your kids and then used as garlands. The only limit is yours and your child’s imagination.

As well as a craft day, you should also plan time where you and your kids can make some ghoulish Halloween food together. You can ask your children to decorate cupcakes with plastic spiders or snake sweets. Sandwiches that are made to look like fingers and filled with jam or ketchup are another fun creation you should try. You and your kids can also have a lot of fun with food coloring. This can make even the most basic party food look more scary and interesting. Your kids are bound to love getting messy in the kitchen while also making their creations look as terrifying as possible. Complete your party food with Halloween party ware to boost your theme even more.

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Get spooky with your activities

During your party, you naturally want your guests and your kids to be entertained throughout. Nobody wants to throw a boring party after all. There are numerous ways you can make a Halloween party entertaining for all ages.

Carving pumpkins is a Halloween pastime that everyone can get involved in. Buy a small pumpkin and carving set for your guests and set up a carving station in your home. Ask each parent to help their child scoop out the pumpkin fillings and create a Halloween inspired design. You can even make this a competition and choose a winner if you wish. These can then be displayed in your windows or outside your home for added decoration. A Halloween treasure hunt around your garden can get your kids outside while searching for toys and treats. You can create a map or place clues around your home and garden which they have to find. For a timeless Halloween party game, you can’t go wrong with an apple bobbing competition. This is easy to set up and may even encourage your kids to eat fruit rather than candy.

For a more laid back party, why not watch some classic family Halloween movies together. The Addams family, Casper the friendly ghost and Hocus Pocus are all fantastic choices. But do keep in mind the ages of the children in attendance. Movies with monsters, witches and ghosts in can be scary for younger children. If your teenagers want to watch scarier films, wait for your younger children to go to bed before putting them on. Alternatively, why not organize a Halloween story telling time. Books like the Switch Witch and Spookie Pookie can teach your kids more about this holiday while also being enjoyable to listen to. If you don’t want to read a book, why not create your own ghost stories. Just remember not to make them too terrifying or your kids may find it difficult to go to sleep.

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 Be smart trick or theaters

No Halloween party would be complete without trick or treating. This tradition involves children knocking on doors and asking for tricks or treats. Typically they are then given sweets, which they keep in their own loot bag. This is the perfect opportunity for your kids to show off their costumes and they will love receiving so many sweets. In the past, parents were not encouraged to go trick or treating with their children. This was because it was a tradition that adults shouldn’t take part in. Thankfully, times have changed, and kids are now expected to be accompanied by an adult.

But even though your presence can make trick or treating safer, there are plenty of other safety measures you should use too.

Firstly you need to decide on a safe route around the local area before you start your trick or treating adventure. Find a map of your neighborhood and use this to pinpoint the homes of close friends and family who live nearby. Some children get nervous about knocking on the doors of stranger’s homes. So visiting homes they recognize can make them feel more relaxed. If you don’t have many friends or relatives living nearby, you can visit the homes of friendly neighbors who have kids instead. Alternatively, see whether any local businesses are holding trick or treating events. This can provide a safe and accommodating environment that also provides plenty of Halloween fun.

Before you set off, make sure you can see your kids by sticking reflective tape onto their costumes. Autumn nights tend to be dark, so this will increase your child’s visibility, not only for you but drivers and homeowners too. If you are letting your teens or tweens go trick or treating with their friends, remember to set a curfew before they leave. You should also discuss which route they intend to take and the importance of not entering strangers homes or cars. When you return home, quickly sort through your younger children’s candy to remove any possible choking hazards. This is also important if your kids have allergies to certain foods.

Use these tips and ideas to help you plan the best Halloween party possible. There’s no reason why all ages can’t get involved in this spooky but spectacular holiday. You just need to encourage fun while also remembering that safety is of the utmost importance. So make this your first Halloween party of many and help your kids love this holiday as much as you do.