Halloween Games for the Classroom

If you ask children what their favorite holiday is, the most likely response from most of them will be Christmas, with Halloween coming in a close second. Some children will choose Halloween as their favorite simply because of all the candy. But this holiday, with all its goblins and ghouls, likely makes the top two favorite holidays on most children's' lists. To that end, then, it's always fun to have a raucous Halloween class party. With lots of fun games and activities, and plenty of candy for prizes, it's sure to be a hit with kids of all school ages.

Pumpkin Bowling

For younger children how about a game of pumpkin bowling? Find some of those inexpensive plastic pumpkin treat buckets and stack them up on a hard floor. You can stack them as high as you like, but you have to start with at least three buckets. If you get many buckets, you can make a pyramid out of them. Find some lightweight plastic balls - plastic bowling balls are excellent for this. And let the kids go bowling! The kids love knocking over the pumpkin heads and all the kids who play should get a prize for this game. Beware this game might get a little rowdy so be careful where you play!

Mummies

Kids of all ages enjoy making mummies out of themselves and their friends. Bring in toilet paper, lots and lots of toilet paper. Divide the kids into teams of 2. When you begin timing the kids, they must wrap their friend up in the toilet paper, mummy style. The first team who gets all wrapped up wins. The child who's wrapped up like a mummy can then break out of the toilet paper wrap with a scary "roar" and the game begins again so another child can also be wrapped. Be sure to play some spooky Halloween music while this game is being played to add to the atmosphere.

Storytelling Telephone

Circle time! Have all the kids get in a circle and begin a spooky story. The story can begin with the classic, "It was a dark and spooky night..." and then the person next in the circle continues the story. Each child adds something to the story as it moves around the circle. If the children are young, you can keep the story on the straight and narrow by indicating no gruesome elements will be allowed. If the kids are older, you can decide how scary the story can be. Be aware that children in higher elementary grades will not only like their stories fairly scary and gruesome, but some might even add "booger" and "snot" and "throw up" elements to their story. You can set the rules ahead of time to prepare for this type of storytelling.

Halloween Musical Chairs

No game has held onto children's interests for more years than the classic "musical chairs". This version includes playing Halloween music (think "Monster Mash" or "Thriller" by Michael Jackson) and asking the kids to act as spooky and scary as they can while they race around the chairs. You can up the rules depending on the ages of the children. For example, for children in the lower grades you can tell them to just walk around the chairs until the music stops. As they get older, you can add challenging elements, such as make scary faces as you walk around the chairs, do the monster mash (whatever that means to the individual kid) and other things like that. You're sure to get some creative responses.

Halloween Cakewalk

Kids love cakewalks, but they aren't practical in the classroom. You could, however, have a treat walk. Save enough space in the classroom for this one. Again, play some Halloween-themed music and have the kids walk around in a circle as they do for cakewalks during other school events. Instead of having them walk onto number squares or circles, however, you can have them walking onto cardboard discs that include pictures of ghosts, monsters and the like. The person running the cakewalk will stop the music and pull a matching picture out of a pumpkin head. Instead of calling "#14", for example, as the winner of the cakewalk, it will be "ghost head" or "monster mouth".

Halloween is such a fun holiday for children of all ages that it won't be difficult to get them in the mood to play games. Wearing costumes to school that day would make any of these games more exciting and give these children one day they are sure to remember!

Choosing the Perfect Halloween Costumes

Halloween costumes are all part of the fun; it’s the one-day of the year that you get to let down your hair and reveal your secret personalities. Whether that’s parading around in a Superman costume or vamping it up as a sexy nurse; Halloween lets you be the wild child that you secretly long to be.

This is more or less what children love about Halloween too. They get to be a superhero that saves the day or pretty princesses all dolled up. Halloween costumes don’t have to be scary; in fact many are not scary at all. However, choosing a costume can be difficult with all the variety we have today.

Adult Costumes

Adult Halloween costumes tend to be a little on the risqué side with plenty of low cut and mini costumes out there for the ladies. If you are attending a party with close friends then let loose and wear whatever you want. It is always fun to shock your friends with a new you!

Remember that if it’s an office party you might want to think twice about what costume you are wearing. If you're working in a conservative company then steer away from sexy costumes. You still want to be taken seriously when the party’s over.

Children’s Costumes

When choosing children’s Halloween costumes there are plenty of things to think about. The first is what is the weather going to be like on Halloween? If you live somewhere cold then warm costumes are a must. If your child is prone to tripping and falling then avoid costumes that constrict movement or vision.

Budget is also another consideration when choosing a child’s Halloween costume. You might feel some competition with other parents to have your child outfitted in the best Halloween costumes, but don’t cave to the pressure. Remember that this costume is only going to be worn once, twice at most. You don’t want to spend a fortune on it if you can help it.

You may have the perfect idea for your children’s Halloween costumes but let them have a say in it too. Halloween is no fun for your child if they don't get to pick the outfit that they want. Set some guidelines if there are some costumes that you absolutely want to avoid. Tell your child well in advance about any limitations and give clear reasons why you have set these restrictions.

Try on Halloween costumes early so you can make alterations or a last minute run for accessories and makeup if needed. Test out makeup with your costume a few days before and take pictures so you have a reference on the day itself. It will make things less hectic for you on the big day.

Staying Safe on Halloween

Halloween is a fun holiday for everyone but there are still some dangers to avoid. Sadly, accidents can happen at anytime; and it can be a particularly dangerous night when so many children are out past their bedtimes. In all the fun and excitement, we relax when we should be extra careful.

Both children and adults should be aware of Halloween safety tips that everyone should practice while out trick or treating or scaring their friends. No one wants his or her Halloween to turn into a horror movie. Simple things can save lives, avoid injuries and allow Halloween to remain a fun holiday.

Costume Safety

Costumes are all part of Halloween but the wrong kind can be dangerous. Masks need to have eyeholes that are large enough for children to have peripheral vision. Otherwise your little one will have trouble walking without bumping into things and may even have trouble crossing the road. You also don’t want your child decked out in something flammable; so make sure the costume is fire proof.

Knives, scythes and other weapons are often part of Halloween costumes. Although these props are plastic and never sharp there is still a danger of a child tripping and falling on his or her prop. If it’s a hard plastic prop, it could still injure a child. Make sure such props are pliable and soft to avoid unnecessary bumps and scratches.

Parental Guidance

If you are not out with your children trick or treating then make sure you know the route they are taking. You should also make sure that children have at least a teenaged brother or sister accompanying them if not an adult. All sorts of things can happen when children are out on their own even in a big group and before it gets dark. Avoid unnecessary danger by having someone responsible with trick or treating youngsters.

Curfews are important on a night when many children want to be out as late as possible collecting as much candy as they can. Make sure that you tell your children well in advance when they have to be home and why they have to be home on time. It’s never a good idea to have your children out too late even with an adult around.

Halloween is about fun, and fun does not include vandalism. Tell your children that egging people’s houses and other such activities are absolutely intolerable. Make sure they know they will be cleaning up their own mess if they choose to break those rules.

Holidays like Halloween can be as good or as bad as we make them. Remembering these simple safety tips can keep your family and neighborhood happy and create a fun a pleasurable environment for your children.

Taking the “Fright” Out of Halloween: Tips for Safe and Fun Halloween

Halloween; it’s fun, it’s scary and it’s all about frightful things that go bump in the night. It is a holiday that is filled with laughter and the happy screams of those who were spooked by the occasional Halloween decoration.

Unfortunately, Halloween isn’t always fun and over the years, there has been an increase in the number of injuries and risks involved with Halloween. We have heard all the horror stories; spiked Halloween candy, eye injuries caused by flying eggs, and needles in candy apples. Although there have been cases of all of these, the incidents are significantly low compared to the major risk for children on Halloween night; children are four times more likely to be involved in a pedestrian/motor vehicle accident on Halloween.

Before you decide that you will stay in for the night, there are a few things that you can do to ensure that your children have a safe and happy Halloween.

Preparation:

It’s not just the Scouts that should adhere to the rule “Be Prepared,” since this is an excellent motto to live by. Before your children are completely wrapped up into the whole Halloween excitement, take them out and remind them of a few rules.

1. They should never go out by themselves. Make sure your children are accompanied with at least one adult or a responsible teenager when they go, even if they seem old enough to navigate the streets without you.

2. Remind them about traffic safety. Enforce crossing at crosswalks and not weaving back and forth from either side of the road. Also remind them both on the night and before about how to cross the street.

3. Refresh them on their manners. Don’t push and cram against other children on the way to the house. I find this is one of the hardest to enforce since most children do not believe it when you say, “There will still be candy when you get up there, don’t worry.”

Preparing your children for the night’s activities will go a long way in preventing some of the more significant injuries.

Be Bright:

Now I know this is Halloween and chances are you won’t be lighting up like a Christmas tree but in the effort to stay safe, you will want to have a bit of light on costumes that are typically dark in coloring. Have your child carry a flashlight to not only find his or her way but to also alert drivers that there are children present.

Reflectors on costumes are also a great idea and there are many different lights, reflectors and glow sticks that you can adorn a child’s costume with.

While you are getting your children all situated, make sure you don’t forget yourself. Bring a flashlight of your own and attach a glow stick on your coat for reflection.

Lastly, stay in brightly lit areas and only visit houses that have a light on outside.

Keep the Costumes Neat:

Falls are often a common occurrence on Halloween night and the greatest cause of this, besides the rushing from one house to the next, are the long and oversized Halloween costumes. Try to find one that fits securely and tie or pin up any costumes that drag on the ground.

Try to pick a costume without a mask since masks often reduce visibility for the child. Face paint can create some pretty amazing affects and it is much safer.

Check the Candy, Twice:

I’m sure you have been there many times, trudging through the streets while the kids ask for candy from their bag. It can get a little hectic having to say no after every house but a great trick to combat this is to fill your pockets with a few pieces of candy from home. This way, the kids can have a few treats as they walk and you will be able to hold off checking the candy in the dark.

When you get home, go through all of the candy before the kids can eat any of them. Throw away any homemade treats like candy apples and cookies, or any treats that have been home wrapped such as jelly worms in a sandwich bag. Any packages that are torn or opened should also be discarded and any candy that has small holes in the wrappers should also be tossed. Sometimes it may seem like you are throwing a lot of candy away but there will still be enough to give a stomach ache or two for lasting childhood memories.

If you aren’t sure about checking some of the candy, make a stop off at your local hospital. Many now offer an x-ray service on Halloween night to keep all children safe.

With these few tips, you should be able to enjoy a fun and safe Halloween with the only frightening thing being the little ghouls running around yelling, “Trick or Treat.”

The Friendly Neighbor: Creating a Safe Halloween Environment

By Sirena Van Schaik

There are hundreds of facts out there for parents on Halloween night. We need to be aware of the costumes we put on our kids, the amount of light we provide them with and the candy that they bring home has to be checked as vigilantly as a drill sergeant does during inspection. We hardly ever think about our own homes and the many decorations that we have up for the season’s festivities.

Let’s face it, accidents do happen and when you have 10 kids, even 2 kids, racing for your door, there is a potential for those accidents to take on a whole new level of occurrence. As homeowner’s and decorators, we love to create a scary scene that will have the kids’ ohing and awing over it.

But regardless of how nice a house looks, we need to figure out ways to create a safe environment for the little spooks that will be joining us on Halloween. Below, I have listed a few tips to being a good neighbour and keeping your yard a safe place for trick and treater’s to visit.

1. Candles:

There is something about Halloween that really draws the need for candles. Nothing is spookier than a handful of black candles lighting the way up to a haunted doorstep but it’s not the safest Halloween decoration around.

If you are all for candles, it is important to arrange them in a way where there won’t be any accidents. Place them off the walkways and nestle them in any flowerbeds along your house. Using garden spikes designed for candles is one of the best choices since they won’t tip over. Try to use candles in holders so the flame does not reach the top of the glass. Lastly, make sure that the candles are not placed in spots where kids will walk over top of them; this can pose a serious fire hazard with all the long cloaks and costumes.

2. Pumpkins:

Another hazard that you need to be aware of, not just when you are carving them, are the pumpkins. Place them in areas where people are less likely to tread to avoid tripping. For safety precautions use a glow stick or a flashlight to illuminate the inside of the pumpkin. This will prevent any fires from occurring.

3. Keep everything Lit:

Make sure you keep your area illuminated. This can be done with pathway lights or by keeping your outside light turned on. If you are going for a spooky effect, complete with a black light, make sure to use other means of lighting as well. Turn on the light over the garage or keep your door open to allow light to spill outside.

4. Remove the Clutter:

Sometimes we can go a little overboard when it comes to decorating. Props, and other items can make a space really cluttered and accidents can happen from tripping over the items. Keep walkways clear and just scare up the area around them. Make sure there are no strings or police lines where people are going to walk.

5. Make your dog Halloween Friendly:

Some people are terrified of dogs, even small ones, and it is important for both your pet and your little Halloween visitors that you keep your dogs away from the door, especially if your dog is prone to barking and jumping. Putting a dog in his crate or simply keeping him leashed in the living room will leave everyone happy and you won’t have to worry about anyone getting hurt or scared, especially your beloved pet.

6. Give out store bought candy only:

This is just a suggestion to remaining a friendly neighbour. Even though there is a very personalized touch to the Halloween treats when you provide homemade items, parents are always told to dispose of these items. To save you the money and the parents’ the concern, buy pre-packaged items to give out on Halloween and save the home baked treats for the kids of your friends.

It is very simple to keep your yard safe and inviting for all to enjoy on Halloween Night, all it takes is a little attention to the details.

Easy Homemade Halloween Crafts

Halloween is a great time to get creative with homemade Halloween crafts. It’s also a fun time to involve the children and have them create their own scary creations. Making homemade Halloween crafts is a great way to decorate the home inexpensively. The best part is that you don’t usually need to go out and buy anything special because everything is already at home.

Even very young children can get involved with the crafts and they really will love it. Choose crafts that are simple enough for them to handle yet remain creative and it should be fine. Just be ready to put down lots of newspaper and monitor closely to prevent any messes.

Egg Carton Bats

One of the easier homemade Halloween crafts is to make bats out of egg cartons. This is practically no cost depending on how fancy you want to get with the bats. Take an 18 count egg carton and cut off sections so that each piece has three egg holders to make one bat.

The two egg holders on the sides are supposed to be the wings. Cut a scalloped shape on the front and back of the side sections to create the wing shapes. Small children might need some help with the cutting but older children should have no problem doing this part. You could even use craft scissors to give a little more shape to your wings.

Make a hole in the center of the middle egg holder so that you can later hang it up. Now paint the egg holders black. After the paint has dried, stick on eyes or use two pieces of white paper with black dots to make eyes. The children can get creative by adding fangs, glittery wings and other personal touches to their bats. String up the bats from ceilings, fans, lamps and the inside of windows (or even outside in the trees).

Invitations

Having a Halloween party? Homemade Halloween crafts often include clever invitations. This is one of those easy homemade Halloween crafts that children always love to participate in. Trace around the children’s hands onto a piece of cardstock or construction paper. The card can be any color, brown or mustard yellow for monsters, or green for witches. Silver or white can be used for ghost hands.

Stick on fingernails with scrap cardstock or paper. Monster nails can be black or gray and square shaped. Witches nails can be more colorful and longer; and for the ghosts, silver or gray are the best colors to use. Decorate the hands however you think monster, witch or ghost hands should look like. You can add wrinkles, scars, cuts or even fake blood. Write your invitation on the reverse side, hand them out and they are sure to be a huge hit.

Between carving pumpkins, dressing in costumes, and creating decorations, Halloween has certainly become a great holiday for families to be creative and spend time together. Making homemade Halloween crafts is an exciting way to fill the holiday and ooze with Halloween spirit!

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7 Frugal Halloween Tips for The Family on a Budget

Frugal Halloween Tips

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.

1. 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.

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

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

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Fun Halloween Games for Kids

Halloween games are great fun for children at a party. Besides the usual bobbing for apples or creepy ingredients, you can really get creative. Depending on the age of the kids involved, you can have a variety of things going on in your own home. Vary the complexity of the game depending on the ages of the children.

You can change normal party games for Halloween by adding a spooky twist. Even a haunted house can be constructed with some ingenuity. Remember that most kids will be happy if the games involve running around. You can start with outdoor games and slowly move indoors as time goes on and it gets later in the evening. Pace the games out so that the high energy games are done first.

Relay Games

Relay games are great to play outdoors but can be done indoors if you don’t have enough yard space. Halloween games can be very simple like an eyeball relay race. Use ping-pong balls or bouncy balls that have been painted to look like eyes and plastic spoons for this game. Have the children divided into teams and let them take turns carrying the "eye" ball from one end to another in a marked course. You can spice it up by having spooky Halloween decorations or covering the spoon in slime or even have something jump out and try to scare the kids while they walk (remaining age-appropriate of course).

A mummy race is another one of the easy Halloween relay games you can play. This one might need willing adults or older siblings to work. Each child is given some tissue paper and divided into teams. At one end is an adult who must be wrapped in the tissue to form a mummy. The team that does this first wins. You can add to the challenge by forcing a creative element to the mummy building by saying the best looking mummy wins. Have some candy or treats available to use as decorations on your mummy.

Balloon Treats

Put treats in balloons and then blow them up. Let the balloons loose in an area and tell the children how many balloons they can pop by sitting or rolling on. There are no winners in this game; the challenge is in trying to get the treats inside the balloon. Put one to two treats in each balloon. You can use cheap rings, plastic toys, stickers or key chains that come in fun Halloween shapes. All the fun is in popping the balloons; the kids might not even notice what’s inside once it is popped.

Pin the Scarecrow Nose

A Halloween variation of the classic party game. Simply draw a scarecrow or cut one out and make a nose seperately. Blindfold children and tell them to try and pin the nose to the scarecrow. Make it harder by spinning kids around before they try and pin the nose on. Of course, the possibilities are endless with this one - pin the scar on the zombie, pin the broom on the witch, pin the fang on Dracula...the list could go on.

Halloween games for kids are simply variations of the same games children usually play at parties. The fun of Halloween is being able to dress it up, make it scary and silly and, of course, messy. Children of all ages can still enjoy the games we play on Halloween!

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Halloween Decorations For the Whole House

Many people love to decorate their home for Halloween. They usually decorate both the inside and outside of the house with some really cool Halloween decorations. Next to Christmas, Halloween is the most decorated holiday of the year. Decorating your house is not hard and for this particular holiday, sometimes the tackier the decor, the better. Here are some really fun and easy Halloween decoration ideas for the entire house.

Halloween Decorations for the Living Room

The living room is probably where the family and guests spend most of their time. Therefore, you should decorate this area using some Halloween hang ups around the walls, maybe some Halloween figurines on the tables, and some Halloween static stickers for the windows. Fake spider webs and gory pictures are also popular decorations for this room. A small Halloween candy dish on the coffee table is also a nice addition to the living room.

Halloween Decorations for the Kitchen

Similarly to the living room, you do not want to over-decorate the kitchen for Halloween. You can place some Halloween place mats on the table and use Halloween dish clothes around the kitchen. You can also hang some Halloween hang ups around the kitchen and on the windows. Try to find a cute Halloween center piece for the kitchen table and place a bowl of Halloween treats on the countertop for quick and easy snacking.

Halloween Decorations for the Rest of the House

Decorating bedrooms, bathrooms, and other parts of your home is up to you. It would be nice to set a few Halloween figurines in each room along with some nice Halloween hang-ups on the walls and in the windows. Guests may or may not see these decorations, so you will only need as many or as few as you feel like putting up there. Halloween toilet covers, bed sheets and towels are nice additions to these rooms of the house.

Halloween Decorations for the Front Yard

Decorating the front yard with Halloween decorations is probably the most exciting part because you can have a lot of fun with it. Hundreds of people will see your fabulous Halloween decorations as they drive or walk down the street. You can create a huge tarantula out of large black trash bags and old leaves. A stuffed mummy, pumpkins on the porch, spider webs in the bushes, and old grave stones scattered about the yard are just a few popular ideas. You can also include outdoor Halloween lights, a fog machine or some scary sound effects for added enjoyment.

Decorating the house with Halloween decorations is a fun and exciting thing to do each year. With a little bit of imagination and a lot of creativity, you can really decorate your home for the Halloween holiday. Your guests and family will simply love what you have done to the house and you might even be the talk of the neighborhood for a while!

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Halloween Activities are Fun For All Ages

One of the great things about Halloween is that you don’t have to be a certain age in order to enjoy it. You can never be too young or too old. You're also rarely under any social gift-giving obligations that are connected to holidays like Christmas and Valentine's Day. Halloween is a time when you can really let your silly side out safely in society. This means that there are tons of fun Halloween activities for all ages.

Haunted Tours

More and more, haunted houses or haunted tours are being offered in big and small cities alike. This is a safe and fun Halloween activity, since you are among other people and not alone with any strangers in strange garb. National and local haunted houses are monitored closely to make sure they are safe and usually have age recommendations posted. Haunted houses sometimes spring up in aid of charities in October. They are usually manned by college kids to aid the charity being benefited.

Trick Or Treat

Despite scares of some evil pranksters in the late 1980's spiking Halloween give outs, trick or treating is still the most fun Halloween activity for everyone – whether giving the candy away or those receiving the candy. Kids think they have it easy for this fun Halloween activity – they dress up, get a pillowcase or some other sack and go fill it with treats. It is not uncommon today to find books, small games or puzzles and healthy snacks among all the candy in that bag.

But many adults who give treats away make those kids work for it. This is really the fun part for the older folks. They make their homes spooky with strobe lights, sudden blaring noises, distorting cobwebs and spooky costumes. Usually even the adult neighbors have to come check it out. This is one time where you are allowed to socially scare your neighbors.

Dressing Up

Another one of the most fun Halloween activities is just the act of getting into costume. Some employers will allow employees to wear costumes to work (as long as it doesn't interfere with their mobility or vision). Some will let you wear a discrete costume or even just a mask, black lipstick or silly pin. This is a great way to get to know your co-workers better and have at least one fun day at work a year.

Some restaurants, bars and clubs will also offer discounts if you come dressed in costume on Halloween night. Some will not offer a discount, but will allow you to dine or dance in full regalia. It's fun for you and for the employees, who may also be dressed in costume, at the club or restaurant. It's a way to safely show a hidden side to your personality.

Halloween has always been the one holiday where you can step outside yourself and be a completely different personality. That excitement is the main reason Halloween will always be fun for all ages!

The Fine Art of Halloween Decorations - How To Be Scary and Beautiful at the Same Time

If you have children, Halloween is a great excuse to have some family fun together. It's an opportunity to dress up the whole family in weird and frightening costumes; and to decorate your normally peaceful home in the out-of-this-world Halloween theme, turning it into a scary haunted house to the delight of your children.

Every year can be such family fun opening up the boxes of your stock of Halloween decorations. Children love getting out the hairy giant spiders and spider webs, spooky ghosts, witches on broomsticks, ghoulish outfits and costumes, vampire teeth, witches hats and noses and everything else that goes into making up Halloween. You would think it would frighten them, but children take great delight helping put up the the haunting and eerie decorations that go with Halloween.

Everyone goes about their Halloween celebration in a different way. Some are too busy or not interested. Many people just make their Halloween decoration simple, such as simply carving out a pumpkin face, putting a candle inside and placing it in a window facing the street.

Others like to put in an all-out effort in their front yard, with subdued and changing lighting, lightning flashes, cemetery tombstones, zombies, ghosts, vampires, bats, spider webs and even fog machines and sound effects. It's quite a wacky idea when you think about it, but all good fun. Yet other people concentrate on a Halloween decoration for their front door entry way, to offer a spooky welcome to trick or treaters.

It can be well worth loading up the family and friends in your car at dusk and driving around your neighborhood in the days leading up to Halloween, just to see and enjoy the amazing effort some people will put in to participate and share in the celebration. You can bet your children will be planning out their trick or treating when they know who is in the Halloween spirit and likely to welcome them with good fun, and a good stock of candies and sweet treats.

Occasionally you will find people who also decorate the inside of their homes, and perhaps have tours through their seasonally haunted house to show it off and to raise funds for a charity. Your family will take delight in the visit experience if you are fortunate to have one of these enthusiasts in your neighborhood.

Others like to decorate just a room or two in their homes as the theme for a Halloween costume dinner or party, and invite guests around for some Halloween fun.

Whatever your budget, there is a growing choice of Halloween decorations to choose from today. With better manufacturing methods and more imaginative designs, the quality of Halloween decorations on offer seems to get better every year. Even if you prefer to make your own decorations, or have accumulated a stock of decorations over the years, there will always be a few new additions to catch your eye in the shops leading up to Halloween.

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Check out OneStopShopForKids.com for great Halloween Costumes for kids!

Your Halloween party decorations will probably include the standard range of items, but there are some simple little extra tricks you can easily add that will add a scary surprise, and give your guests a chilling fright and cause a few screams.

You will no doubt be planning plenty of carved pumpkin jack-o-lanterns lit with candles placed around your party room, their ghoulish faces gleaming in the subdued lighting. Luminous images of ghosts and ghouls of all description can be bought and hung to glow in the low lighting around the walls of the room. Gossamer cloth or commercial imitation spider web quickly creates a haunted house atmosphere.

Suspending decoration items like bats, flying witches on broom sticks, large hairy spiders, balloons with ghostly faces, skeletons and the like from the ceiling, down to to face level, will have your guests dodging around among these horrors in the flickering candle light, and always on the lookout for their next fright. Distributing plastic spiders and other shocking surprises around where people sit, or on tables among the drinks and plates, will help to keep your guests on edge.

If you hang a number of thin threads from the ceiling in different parts of the room they will not be noticed in the subdued lighting, but will be felt unexpectedly as your guests move around. This can be a surprising sensation, and suggests a ghostly presence that will often get a shrieking reaction from your guests.

Frights come when unexpected things suddenly happen. You could set up a few lights on timers to occasionally briefly illuminate scary scenes or pictures in two or three otherwise dark corners of the room. The effect is increased if you are able to coordinate sound effects to draw attention when the light comes on. Depending on the age group of your guests, you could create a frightening three dimensional scene that is briefly revealed, such as a ghostly headless or hanging man.

Fog machines are readily available from party hire specialists. Used with lighting effects, they will immediately create a chilling and eerie atmosphere in the room as the fog floats across the floor of the room around the feet of your guests. If you can, set up an artificial tombstone or two to conceal the exact location of the machine.

With large screen televisions becoming more common, you could play a horror movie in the background, with the sound turned down, to help to set the scene.

Music plays a large part in creating the atmosphere. At least for the early part of the party, Halloween sound effects and music like the classic Monster Mash will heighten the sense of tension in the room. With the party in full swing later on, your guests will expect to hear their favorite dance music tracks. A compilation interspersing Halloween sound effects would help to maintain the atmosphere.

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Halloween for Babies and Toddlers!

Ok Parents Halloween is just around the corner so get ready for candy, costumes, carving pumpkins and much more! It can be loads of fun but stressful too to find just the right Costume for your little one so I am here to help.

When it comes to picking a costume (especially for a baby) it is so hard because they are all adorable and you know you child will be priceless in each and every one. One thing parents have to consider is the age of the child when Halloween rolls around and the comfort of the child in the costume. The worst thing is a child hot and unhappy when they are supposed to be having a blast!

Here are some Parents favorite choices for baby costumes:

Baby Bee Costume
Price: 9.99

This honey of a costume has the flower world abuzz. Includes plush jumpsuit with attached hood and iridescent wings. Polyester. Imported. Size 12/18M.

Future American Idol™ Costume
Price: 14.99

She’s born to be a star! Glistening top, pants with ruffle cuffs, and contestant number. Polyester. Imported. Size 12/18M

Infants/Toddlers Minnie Mouse Costume
Price: 19.99

Absolutely adorable! Costume includes dress with sewn-in undergarment and character headband with ears and matching bow; 2-piece set. Polyester. Imported. (Socks not included.) Size 12/18M

Infants The Incredible Hulk™ Costume
Price: 19.99

Take away this baby’s candy, and you may be in for trouble! Costume includes a headpiece and jumpsuit; 2-piece set. Polyester. Imported. Size 12/18M

Little Devil Costume
Price: 19.99

The name says it all. Your little devil will be so comfy in this soft, stretchy jumpsuit with detachable foam wings. Also includes hood. Polyester. Imported. Size 12/18M

Tootsie Roll® Halloween Costume
Price: 19.99

Baby may be to young to chew Tootsie Rolls, but he or she can be one! Simply slip this hooded bunting over baby’s head and tie the cording at bottom. Polyester. Imported. Fits sizes 3/9M

Baby Pumpkin Halloween Costume
Price: 19.99

The cutest little thing to come out of a pumpkin patch. Hat and plush pullover pumpkin with attached leaves and face. Polyester. Imported. Fits up to 24M

Little Batman Costume
Price: 19.99

Ka-Pow! Criminals are no match for this little hero. Mask, jumpsuit and cape. Polyester. Imported

Fish Baby Bunting Halloween Costume
Price: 19.99

Slip this bunting on over baby’s head, and snap on the cute hood; 2-piece set. Polyester. Imported. One size fits babies up to 28"L

Baby Shrek Costume
Price: 24.99

Cutest ogre ever. Super-soft romper with bottom snaps and character hood; 2-piece set. Polyester. Imported. Size 6/12M

Future Fisherman Costume
Price: 29.99

Little anglers get hooked on the sport of fishing just like Dad. Costume includes hat, vest, shirt, pants, boot covers and fishing pole with fish; 6-piece set. Polyester. Imported

Tinky Winky Teletubby Costume
Price: 29.99

Dress your preschooler just like his favorite Teletubby – Tinky Winky! Costume includes headpiece and jumpsuit with attached hands and feet; 2-piece set. Polyester. Imported

Farmer Costume
Price: 29.99

Your little farmer will be ready to talk to the animals and hop on that favorite tractor. Hat, shirt, and overalls with pitchfork, chicken, cow and pig; 3-piece set. Polyester. Imported

Baby Einstein® Lion Costume
Price: 29.99

Little cubs love the crinkly sound the lion face makes. Suit is made of super-soft plush fur, with attached hood, tail, bottom snaps and fully covered feet with skid-resistant soles. Polyester. Imported

Sweet Pea Costume
Price: 29.99

Nestle the newest addition to your pod into this sweet suit. It’s made of ultra-soft fleece, with an asymmetrical zipper. Also includes cap and removable peas. Exceptional quality. Polyester. Imported

Baby Flower Costume
Price: 29.99

Cute as a bud. Your babe’s sweet face will shine in a circle of fleecy petals. The bonnet and suit are made of ultra-soft fleece and feature attached leaves with a zipper stem. Exceptional quality. Polyester. Imported

Little Spider-Man™ Costume
Price: 29.99

For your favorite little web crawler. Includes half-hood with large eye openings and jumpsuit; 2-piece set. Polyester. Imported. Size 12/18M.

Baby Einstein® Dragon Costume
Price: 29.99

This baby dragon doesn’t breathe fire, it giggles! Kids love to play with the crinkly front, dragon claws and scales in back. Embroidered dragon footprint on each sleeve. Bottom snaps. Exceptional quality. Polyester. Imported

Turtle Costume
Price: 34.99

For tortoise-loving tots. Character hood, jumpsuit and gloves; 3-piece set. Polyester. Imported

Frog Costume
Price: 34.99

Tadpoles leap at the chance to hop inside this frog suit. Character hood, jumpsuit and mitts; 3-piece set. Polyester. Imported

Monkey Costume
Price: 34.99

Dress-up your little monkey in this adorable suit. Costume includes hood with ears, suit with tail, and feet; 3-piece set. Polyester. Imported

Scooby Doo™ Costume (Size 2/4T)
Price: 44.99

Trick-or-treat and Scooby-Dooby Doo! What better disguise to wear while collecting Scooby snacks? Hee he he he he he he! Jumpsuit with attached character hood. Polyester. Made in USA. Fits sizes 2/4T

Baby Lion Costume
Price: 49.99

Oh, what a cute cub! Costume includes hood with ears and plush mane, zippered lined suit with bottom snaps, and slip-on booties with skid-resistant soles; 4-piece set. Polyester-acrylic. Imported


I have also included a few links that will help you get organized for the Halloween festivities.


Halloween Themed Candy

Halloween Invites & Thank You Notes

Halloween Partyware

Halloween Decorations

Halloween Party Favors

Halloween Party Supplies

Halloween Cookie Cutter Set

For more great costume ideas and products visit http://www.onestopshopforkids.com/