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Group Halloween Activities Part 2

October 29th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Whether it’s a class party, Girl Scout meeting, youth group gathering or just with friends, finding activities that will engage the entire group without long wait times can be a challenge.

Try some of these activities at your next group Halloween celebration.

Crafts

Pumpkin Painting –
By using the tiny, little mini-pumpkins (gourds), newspaper and a little craft paint, kids can create their own Halloween masterpiece.

Cover the table with newspaper. Wash and dry each mini-pumpkin. Using a marker or pen, have each child draw a simple face or design on the pumpkin (or use a stencil or Pumpkin Painting pattern).

With small paintbrushes, the child can then paint their pumpkin design. After allowing the pumpkins to dry, a light coating of spray sealer will seal the design and keep the paint from peeling off.

Face Painting –
Face Painting is always a big hit with children of all ages. And it’s not as difficult as it sounds. You don’t have to be an artist to face paint.

There are two ways to conduct a Face Painting activity at a youth gathering. One is to have an adult who is prepared with a few popular Face Painting designs to paint a unique design on each child.

The other way is to allow the children to paint each other. There is no telling what kinds of creations kids will come up with when they are given a paintbrush and face paints.

The key with Face Painting is to use the authentic face paints. Do not attempt to use craft paints as face paints. It’s not safe for use on skin.

Popular Halloween cheek art designs include pumpkins (obviously!), ghosts, candy corn, goblins, cats and witches.

Quiet Activities

Sometimes during a Halloween party with large groups, it is necessary for the children to do an activity that requires them to be seated and relatively quiet.

Some simple ideas for the children to do while the snacks are being prepared, for example, include Halloween crossword puzzles, Halloween seek-and-finds or Halloween word maker (writing as many words as you can using the letters in “Halloween” or “Jack-O-Lantern”).

Movement

One of the most fun activities that a group can participate in at a Halloween party is Freeze Dancing. An adult operates a portable CD player containing a Halloween song CD. The children dance to the music until the music stops. At that point, each child has to freeze in the position they were in when the music stopped. Anyone who moves even a little is eliminated from the next round. The last child standing wins.

Using these ideas for Group Halloween Parties, your party is sure to be a success.

Halloween Group Activities – Part 1

October 28th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

The month of October brings class parties, Boy and Girl Scout get-togethers, community gatherings, hayrides, Fall Festivals and Halloween celebrations.

Where kids gather to celebrate Halloween, parents and leaders frantically search for unique, fun and creative activities that can be done in a group setting.

Here are some ideas for Halloween Group Activities to get your creative juices flowing.

Games
“Pin The Face On The Great Pumpkin” – Cut a large pumpkin shape from orange poster board. Cut three triangle shapes from black construction paper as well as a jack-o-lantern type mouth from the black construction paper. Place on piece of double sided tape on each triangle and mouth shape.

Blindfold the child, spin them around three times and allow them to place the facial features on the great pumpkin.

An alternative to this for younger kids is to simply cut a stem shape from green construction paper and allow the children to “Pin The Stem On The Great Pumpkin.” For this game, tape the facial features to the pumpkin before the game begins.

“Guess The Ghost” – This is a great activity for a classroom party where there are many activities happening at the same time. Using one white sheet, a parent or teacher randomly (and discreetly) selects one student and takes them to the hallway to put the sheet over him or her. The parent brings the student back into the room and the remaining children must guess who the ghost is.

To really stump the children, occasionally place the sheet over the principal, school nurse, librarian or other fun loving individual.

“Bobbing For Apples” – Cut a large apple shape from red construction paper. Place it on the floor. Place a paperclip on a number of stickers, “no homework” coupons or other lightweight objects. Scatter the paper clipped items all around the apple. Tie a string to a stick and at the end of the string tie a small magnet.

The object of the game is to “bob for apples,” or touch the magnet to a paperclip. Whatever the child picks up with the magnet is theirs to keep.

“Halloween Treat Ring Toss” - Again, cut a large pumpkin shape from orange poster board. Place it on the ground and scatter candies and small items (i.e. eight pack of crayons, play-doh, fruit snacks, etc.) all around the pumpkin.

Using diving rings or another type of ring (even doughnuts if you really want to be silly), the child tosses the rings and gets to keep the items that are inside of the ring.

Great Holloween Movies to Watch

October 27th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Having an annual Halloween Movie Night for your family is a great way to celebrate the season together and to create memories that will last for years to come.

Although it would seem that blood and gore should be the central theme of a Halloween movie, try some of these all-family favorite flicks instead.

“It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” – Not much needs to be said about this movie. It’s a family classic and will be for years and years to come. Purchase the DVD and keep it in your family’s special movie collection.

“Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie” – Rated G - Perfect for the younger set, Winnie The Pooh and his engaging set of comrades will get even the youngest goblin in the mood for the big night.

“E.T.” – Rated PG - The whimsy and imagination of this timeless classic remind us that the impossible truly is possible when we believe. (Remember this can be emotional and a bit scary for the younger kiddos.)

“Monsters Inc.” – Rated G - This movie provides a funny and non-threatening take on the relationship between “monsters” and humans.

“Casper” – Rated PG - In this Steven Spielberg live action movie, human actors and a special effects “Casper” shows everyone’s favorite ghost in some funny and compromising moments.

“Bednobs & Broomsticks” – Rated G -This timeless Disney movie, has music and mayhem and lots to keep the little ones engaged.

“Scooby Doo’s Creepiest Capers” – Not Rated - This is a funny collection of Scooby’s spookiest cases. Along with his goofy group of cohorts, there are always a lot of giggles when Scooby Doo is on the screen.

“Wallace & Gromit, The Curse Of The Were Rabbit” – Rated G - The cool part about this movie is that these characters, even though they seen completely real, are made out of clay. Kids will love to see the inventions that Wallace comes up with and may even want to talk about what inventions that can create.

“Nightmare Before Christmas” – Rated PG – Although there is so much going on in this film that is great to bridge Halloween and Christmas, younger kids may find this one a tiny bit creepy. Stay close to them and the whole family can enjoy this one that has music and great-looking scenes

Halloween For Toddlers

October 24th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Halloween night, although exciting and fun, can be stressful and traumatic on toddlers who don’t yet understand the concept of the holiday.

Here are a few tips to help you keep Halloween simple and stress-free for the little guys.

Borrow A Costume – These kiddos are so little and chances are they have no idea what they are being dressed as or why. Save the money and borrow a costume from another family whose toddler has outgrown the costume.

Another idea is to have the costume work double duty. One mom purchased a winter coat for her one-year-old that was designed like “Blue” from “Blue’s Clue’s.” The coat was furry and the hood had two ears. The father who trick-or-treated with the toddler was dressed as Blue’s sidekick, “Steve.” To make the “Steve” costume, the mom purchased scrap fabric in two shades of green. She cut the fabric in strips and safety pinned the stripes onto one of her husband’s golf shirts. He wore a khaki jacket over it and the only thing that shows were the “Steve” stripes. The toddlers coat doubled as a warm winter coat AND a Halloween costume.

No Masks – They don’t stay on. They are not safe as they block the child’s peripheral vision, which is, of course, unsafe when walking from house to house, and they are uncomfortable. Consider light Face Painting instead.

Consider The Weather – If you live in a climate where on Halloween night the temperature could range from 40-degress F on up to 80-degrees F, take that into consideration when selecting your child’s costume.

Don’t use the Blue’s Clue’s idea above if you live in a year-round warm weather climate and don’t make your child a belly dancer if there’s a chance that the weather will be cold and rainy. Consider the weather in advance to avoid disappointment.

Don’t Force Them To Tell Jokes – In some areas, telling a joke or riddle before being given a treat is customary. Don’t force a two or three year old to tell a joke. A simple “Trick Or Treat” will do. And if they won’t talk, simply ask them to smile. Do encourage them to say “Thank you” at every house, but don’t stress out a shy toddler over this.

Don’t Take A Toddler To Houses Where They Are Unfamiliar With Those Who Live There – A toddler doesn’t need a bucket full of treats. It can be confusing to tell your toddler “Don’t talk to Strangers” but then to send him door to door asking him to do just that.

Take the child to a handful of houses where he/she is familiar with the residents. Or better yet, take the child to relative’s houses like grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. They will love to see the child dressed up and the child will experience no fear.

Find A Local Mall Or Community Center – In many cities, malls or community centers will hold ‘in house’ trick-or-treating activities. These are great places for the little ones to get their feet wet to learning what Halloween is all about.

Frugal Halloween

October 23rd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

How do you celebrate Halloween when there is little cash in your wallet? The frugal Halloween way, of course!

Even though Halloween is the second highest spending season, you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to give your family a fun and memorable Halloween.

Here are a few frugal tips from frugal moms.

Trade Costumes – Organize a costume swap party with friends and neighbors. Most certainly, they all have costumes that their children have either outgrown or aren’t interested in any longer. Make a pact to yourself that you are not going to spend money on costumes this year.

Make Your Costume At Home – Look around your house for old clothes, hats, accessories and craft supplies and make your own homemade Halloween Costumes.

Plan Ahead! – Halloween candy and treats start appearing on store shelves around the first of September. By keeping an eye out for sales during the months of September and October, you’ll avoid that last minute panic of not having Halloween treats and paying full price.

Buy In Bulk - …. But be realistic about the quantity of treats you really need. If you only have ten or twenty kids ringing your doorbell every year, consider splitting a large, bulk package of goodies with a friend or neighbor.

Think Outside The Candy Box – There is no law that says you have to give candy to the trick-or-treaters on Halloween. In fact, many kids love to see something different in their bags when they get home. Plastic spider rings, pencils, mini microwave popcorn packs, mini pretzel bags, sticks of gum are all great, economical and healthy treats to give away.

Try Pennies And Stickers – Kids love stickers and stickers are a terrific popular, but frugal, treat to give away. Tattoos can also be a huge hit! It sounds strange, but a bowl full of pennies will make any kid’s eyes light up. Decide what you can afford to give to each child before your doorbell rings for the first time.

Make The Decision Now – Decide right now that you’re not going to spend a lot of money this year during Halloween. Keep your resolve as you walk through the discount stores and see the multitude of Halloween decorations beaming at you. By keeping it simple, you will provide a memorable and cost-effective Halloween for your family.

My Experience Doing Pumpkin Painting In A Group Setting

October 22nd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Year after year, I’m asked how to have a Pumpkin Painting event with a group.  With a little preparation, painting pumpkins in a group setting like Girl Scouts or Halloween party is fun, easy and quick.  It’s worth re-posting my thoughts and how-to’s on Pumpkin Painting in a group setting.

I’ve taught individuals, but I had never taught Pumpkin Painting to a group. When I asked why, she told me that she would love to have me come to our then first grader’s Brownie meeting to paint pumpkins with the girls. I said “of course” thinking to myself, “how am I going to paint pumpkins with 15 six-year-olds?”

Here’s how I did it. I purchased pumpkins in bulk at a local Trader Joe’s store. The size of the pumpkins were perfect, probably 6 - 9in diameter. I washed and prepared them for painting prior to the meeting.

I brought styrofoam plates and purchased two bulk packs of ten paintbrushes for $1.00 each. I covered the tables with newspaper and placed the plate containing puddles of the paint colors we would use for the day.

I had one fully painted pumpkin to use as an example. The others had the design outlined on each pumpkin. At that point, the Brownies simply “painted by numbers”. Most of them added their own painted embellishments, but even with the same exact design, every pumpkin looked different.

I took each finished pumpkin outside to seal it and when the Brownie meeting was over, each girl took her completed pumpkin home proudly.

The whole process took less than an hour and it was a great, memorable Pumpkin Painting experience for everyone, especially me!  If you want to start painting  on pumpkins then check this out!

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