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This article is the second in our October Halloween Hype series. Read the first installment on Halloween arts and crafts, here.
As October arrives, kids likely have one thing on their mind. Dressing up in spooky or silly costumes and getting their hands on some candy! After, what’s not to love about Halloween? The creativity involved in coming up with a costume and decorating the house stimulates kids’ imaginations as much as the sugar stimulates their hyperactivity! Don’t worry about the latter, though. Our suggestions on how to enhance Halloween for your child will keep them busy.
These ideas are for those who want to go above and beyond to make this Halloween special. They represent a new take on old traditions and include lots of activities for your kids that will challenge their creativity, aid their cognitive growth, and spark their imagination.
Get Crafty with your Jack-O-Lantern
Our first few tips center around a Halloween staple: the Jack O Lantern. The traditional fall experience of picking out, cleaning, and carving a pumpkin together as a family shouldn’t be underestimated.
However, if you want to give this year’s celebration an unconventional twist, avoid some of the mess of conventional pumpkin carving, or just keep the jack-o-lantern fun going, why not try some of these pumpkin alternatives from Networx?
Want to shake things up further by ditching the usual pumpkin altogether? Check out Homecrux’s fabulous list of fruits and veggies that also make spooky lanterns for inspiration.
If you’re dead set on going to the pumpkin patch with your kids to find that perfect pumpkin, we don’t blame you. But even with the traditional pumpkin, you can add an imaginative, crafty spin on your pumpkin decoration, while forgoing the hard work of carving.
Crafting together with kids has many exciting benefits, and any arts and crafts activities you can integrate into the holidays will help your child learn and grow. Try some crafty pumpkin decorating with these ideas from Everything Mom. They’re simple to execute, use just a few easy-to-access materials, and can really help improve your child’s fine-motor skills.
Reduce, Reuse, and Really Get Creative
One way to make Halloween just a little more educational and fun is to challenge your kids to scavenge the house and community for homemade Halloween costumes. Help them find household materials to be creative with, take them thrifting, or even thoroughly clean trash objects like soda bottles and egg cartons to create costume components.
The benefits of teaching kids the value of being thrifty and recycling extend long beyond the Halloween season into their later lives. They’ll develop the ability to see things from a new perspective. They’ll start learning the importance of sustainability and innovation at an early age. And, most importantly, they’ll learn to take pride in their own ingenuity when you help them create something stunning!
For ideas on how to get started crafting thrifty recycled Halloween costumes for your kids, check out Enviromom’s handy guide, with a few costume recommendations. Or, for more incredible options, try this list from Inhabitat.
Homemade Halloween Candy
You heard us right. After all, your kid’s going to eat candy one way or another. Wouldn’t you rather make your own and know exactly what’s in it?
You could even skew towards (gasp!) healthier options, which your kid will still absolutely love, like the popcorn pumpkins or “zombie lips” on this list of kid-friendly Halloween treats from Allrecipes. Or this selection of healthier alternatives to Halloween candy from The Leaf. Not all strictly candy, these treats are still inventive and intensely delicious.
Making Halloween treats is an activity kids can get in on too, and the benefits of spending time in the kitchen abound! Spending time cooking with parents can improve kids’ fine motor skills, their ability to sequence events and follow instructions, and their bond with you.
Create a Haunted House
To give your child a special, immersive, and spooky experience this Halloween, try setting up a haunted house at home. It seems like a big investment of time and resources, but these haunted house starter scenarios from Moms Who Think will make it a whole lot easier for you. They include such creepy activities as spooky storytelling, potion taste testing, and sensory play with “organs”. Need decoration inspiration? Check out these ideas from The Spruce Crafts (NOTE: Some of these crafts may be a bit too scary, depending on your child’s age and fears. Use your discretion.)
Freaky Family Movie Night
Watching Halloween movies together is a terrific way to celebrate together. Not all movies about Halloween are terrifying, though! These 57 kid-friendly Halloween movie picks from Good Housekeeping aren’t likely to keep your kids up with nightmares. However, every child is different, and you should always consider your kid’s individual needs and tendencies when selecting a movie that you think might bring on some thrills and chills!
Halloween Karaoke for Kids
Sing along to some kid-friendly Halloween anthems like The Monster Mash, Ghostbusters, Thriller, and more! Singing is good for kids’ physical health as well as their power of creative expression. Music also improves cognitive functioning and boosts mood! Some Halloween Karaoke is bound to get the party pumping, so check out this YouTube playlist of kid-friendly Halloween songs!
Ghoulish Games Galore
Whether you want to get outside and hold an obstacle course or stay in and play board games, adding a festive spin to your family fun is always a good idea. For those who prefer a good old-fashioned board game, have a look at this list of Halloween board games the whole family can participate in, from Totally The Bomb. For more hands on, active play to get the family moving, try one of these Halloween games from The Spruce!
We hope these suggestions on how to get your kids even more pumped for the Halloween season have been helpful! Search Wondrfly for more fun ways to keep your child entertained and engaged in learning and growth!
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