Are you ready for Halloween? If not these ideas will help you plan.
1. Tips to prepare young kids for Halloween
This is especially necessary for very young kids. It is important to prepare the kids about this holiday or tradition, since many kids could develop an anxiety about it owing to scary decorations. Do talk to your child about this holiday and why it is celebrated. Explain that s/he is completely safe and that there is no need to be afraid of scary decorations. Watch out for signs if your child seems uncomfortable about something. Respect the child’s feelings.
You can share fun Halloween poetry with kids. And here is one for Halloween not-so- scary tales for children.
2. Prepare your yard
If you are planning to put up Halloween decor, then the first thing to do is prep up the yard. Remove all un-necessary clutter: bikes, toys, pet’s stuff etc. Temporarily store these items away in the basement or the attic. Rake the leaves and clear away space for the Halloween decorations.
Here are some safe ideas for your Halloween yard.
3. Buy or make the decorations
If you already have the Halloween decorations, remove them from their storage. Check if anything needs to be fixed. You can also make lovely decorations with kids as DIY project.
Here is a great craft website that has fun tutorials to do with children. You can even buy the material needed from the site itself. These projects are arranged based on expertise levels.
4. Buy and carve pumpkins-narrate Jack-o-lantern’s tale to the kids
Take the kids out to a pumpkin patch. Help them select a pumpkin or two and learn how to carve it. You can also explain the tradition/story behind Jack-o lanterns. (The story is set in Ireland about a grumpy man named Jack who makes everyone around him miserable. So wretched a person is he that, when he dies, he does not even get a place in heaven or in hell. As a result, he is left to wander in the spaces between the two regions, which is completely filled with darkness. The Devil takes pity on his plight and replaces his head with a pumpkin having three holes carved out for the eyes, nose and mouth. Here he places some candles to allow Jack to see in the darkness. And thus he comes to be known as Jack of the Lantern or ‘Jack-o-lantern’.
Zombie pumpkins– These are wonderful decorations to add to your yard. Here is a great website that has free tutorials and ways to carve out Halloween zombie pumpkins.
Here is a great site for Halloween stencil decorations. These are free of cost and you can download them and get to work.
Pumpkinpile is another great site for younger kids to free download stencils.
5. Buy or make a costume-some easy ideas
Decide what you/your kids should go as.
- Dressing up as a pirate is easy and the costume is readily available in most markets. You can even wear your old jeans, a torn shirt and tie a sash around your head. Next, you need to make an eye patch with a black cloth and put on some fake beard or mustache. To make your pirate’s sword: draw it on a cardboard and cut it out carefully with scissors. Cover it up with a foil wrap.
- A ghost costume is also easy: An old white sheet is all you need. Put it over the head and mark out two areas for the eyes. Cut these out. Now all you need to do is put the sheet over your head, adjust so you can see through the holes and moan loudly.
- You can also become a scarecrow. Wear an old torn shirt with faded, worn pants. Place a brown paper bag over your head. Mark out the areas for the eyes. Cut out some long strips and paste them to the paper bag for hair. If you can find straw, add it to your hands and legs.
- Making a mask is also easy. Use paper plates to draw the outline of one’s favorite character. Cut out the eyes, mouth and nose. Next, make small holes near the ears and pass a thin string through it. Place the mask over the head and you are ready!
6. Arrange a fun Halloween scavenger hunt for kids
If you are not too fond of going trick or treating, this is a great idea for kids to celebrate. Give small clues to children so they can find hidden treats. The treasures need not be candy only; you can buy small trinkets from dollar stores and hide them. Choose healthier Halloween treats instead of sugary ones.
7. Ideas for a Halloween party
You can have an adult/teenager Halloween party and/or another one for younger kids.
Here are great resources:
- Party ideas for kids
- Halloween party ideas for adults
- Easy-to-make Vampire blood punch recipe: Mix together 2 liters of sugar-free ginger ale with 2 cans of fruit punch. Pour the mixture in a bowl. Add ice.
And that concludes our write-up on easy ways to get ready for Halloween.
