Halloween Activities for Young Children

Celebrate the annual Fright Night with these seventeen fun (and not so scary) ideas, especially for young children.

1. Try your hand at face painting, or allow your children to paint each other's faces with washable face paints.

PRINTABLE COUPONS

2. Make your own goodie bags. Set out some brown paper bags with the standard art supplies or embellish an old pillowcase with fabric paints. You can even spring for blank canvas baggies from your local discount store or craft store without spending a lot.

3. Tie-dye some T-shirts or socks using orange and black fabric dyes.

4. Make ghosts. Fold a piece of black construction paper in half and let your child squirt white paint inside. Squish the paint between the paper, let dry, then embellish the white ghost with paints, markers and other craft supplies.

5. Make homemade slime. This is always a popular activity. Here is a great recipe from Family Fun Magazine: http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=10684

6. Watch a Halloween movie. Make popcorn, cuddle up together in blankets, and take in some spooky cinematic sights. Harry Potter, Dracula, or Ghostbusters are great choices. For younger children, choose Heffalump Halloween, starring Winnie the Pooh or The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad by Disney Classics.

7. Eat creepy cuisine. Cut sandwiches or tortillas into Halloween shapes with cookie cutters. Create a ghoulish look with almost anything by mixing in a little green or red food coloring.

8. Play "Guess How Many Pumpkin Seeds." Each family member or party guest gets to take turns guessing how many pumpkin seeds are in a jar. The winner gets a prize.

9. Go apple bobbing. Fill a bucket or tub with water and apples and see how many apples each contestant can snag.

10. Make masks. Set out the art supplies and see who can make the scariest mask with a paper plate, construction paper, yarn, and markers or paints.

11. Create a family costume. Come up with a costume theme that the whole family can participate in. One year, we were all Star Wars characters. Maybe you will all be people from the Wild West or fuzzy forest animals.

12. Have a pumpkin seed spitting contest.

13. Roast pumpkin seeds. Clean the pumpkin seeds and toss them in just enough melted butter to lightly cover the seeds. (One tablespoon of butter is generally enough for the seeds from a medium sized pumpkin.) Salt the seeds, then spread them on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 250 degrees until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

14. Play Pin the Tail on the Black Cat (or Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin.) Any variation of Pin the Tail on the Donkey is fun for young kids.

15. Make a Scare Tape. Record you and your family members making spooky sounds. All you need is a tape recorder and a little imagination. Include footsteps, slamming doors, creepy howling werewolves, and crazy cackles. Play the tape from your front porch on Halloween.

16. Give each child an inexpensive disposable camera for the big night. This is a fun way to see what Halloween looks like from their perspective. I love to give my kids a blank journal and let them tell the story of memorable events, such as Halloween. This is a great tradition and really helps them to tell their personal stories, which they will cherish for many Halloweens to come.

17. Once Halloween is over, make sure to shop the post Halloween sales for fun additions to your dress up closet, which your young children are sure to enjoy year round.

Happy haunting!

Halloween Activities for Young Children

PRINTABLE COUPONS

Children Do Not Want Fairy Costumes For Halloween

If you know me a little, you already know that I am Belgian.

In Belgium, we always celebrated All Saints Day and the Day of Deaths on 1st and 2nd of November instead of Halloween and I cannot say that they are subjects very funny to write about. In Belgium also, the weather is always rainy, so, since I work in a school, children are often inside rather than outside and I always have to find an activity for them so that they are not bored. This week I also had to find some Halloween subjects to write about.

SHOE CARNIVAL

So, I found the solution: instead of writing an article dedicated to Halloween and called "top 10 Halloween Kids Costumes" based on articles and information written by adults, I asked the children what are the Halloween costumes they would like to dress on October 31st.

I must acknowledge that I was terribly disappointed. When I was a child, I adored being dressed up as a princess, baroness, White-Snow, etc. For Carnival, the boys were all dressed like Robin Hood, The prince of Arabian Nights, cow-boy, indian, musketeers...

But what kind of costume do the 2007 children like? I asked the children at school what kind of costume they want to dress for Halloween. The answers were diversified even though they did not have much of magical touch.

"What kind of Halloween costume would you like for Halloween, Sylvie?"

"Scream's costume including the mask of course, Madame Domi!" She is only 10 years old! I thought that her answer would be a Cinderella or Esmeralda costume. It was not! She wanted to dress the Scream's murderer costume. Why? Because Scream was the most interesting movie she saw!

Anaïs answer was the following one:

"I want to dress a rich witch costume, with a pointy hat, a black wig, a large hooked nose with a big button on it, long nails like claws and pointed shoes".

Agon hesitated between the Devil's costume: the same as in the bible, with a tail, a fork, horns... or a pirate costume.

"As Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean?" I asked to him.

"No, sometimes pirates are skeletons and I want to be a skeleton-ghost-pirate."

Another one answered:

"I want to dress the Monster Mash costume, Madame".

The kid probably heard talking about the Monster Mash when he watched The Simpsons' Halloween show. I love the Monster Mash song but never saw the Monster Mash in person and I do not think that someone saw this monster and knows what kind of costume he dresses.

The youngest children interviewed want to dress a Superman or a Batman costume.

My greatest surprise was Cynthia answer, who we call Brutus because she is not a delicate young girl. Cynthia wants to dress a princess costume.

So, the top 5 Children Halloween Costumes are:

Scream's murderer costume,
Witch Costume,
The Devil's costume,
Pirate costume,
Spiderman or Batman costume.

I will interview my +40 years old friends on what they would like to dress as Halloween costumes!

I think I will be surprised!

Children Do Not Want Fairy Costumes For Halloween

SHOE CARNIVAL

Saint Or Sinner - Which Will You Be This Halloween?

Do you still think that wearing fancy dress costumes at Halloween is something to be enjoyed only children and the young? If you do; then read on and let us attempt to convince you that adults can get in on the fun as well. And if you already enjoy the fun of the day stay with us and we'll look at some tips so that you can get the best out of your own Halloween fancy dress costume.

Firstly, if you already have a Halloween costume party to attend, check with the host to see if there is a suggested theme. Although it will be Halloween and there is an almost endless choice of costumes for you to select from, it maybe that your party host has identified a more specific costume theme. It maybe that Halloween Movies is the theme in which case you will need to develop a costume based on a Halloween movie, something like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre or Friday the Thirteenth. There will be plenty of costumes to select from, but be sure that it is a fully licensed version if it's a trademarked character.

SHOE CARNIVAL

Assuming that you have an idea of the costume that you are going to get you, and if you have a partner you can find complimentary costumes, here are some useful tips for your Halloween costumes:

Top Halloween Costume Tips

1) Select something appropriate. Remember that sexy little costume that works so well at home may cause you more than a little embarrassment if little Johnny is still up and about during the party, again it's always worth checking with the host as to what age groups are expected. Similarly, some of the scary costumes recently introduced can be just that and although an element of shock should be expected at Halloween, we're sure that you wouldn't really want to cause weeks of nightmares, would you?

2) Make sure that your costume is comfortable. Try your costume on and make any little adjustments required in before you get ready for the party. This trial run will also let you work out what accessories your costume comes with and will allow you time to get the rest. Remember, a comfortable Halloween costume will let you party on past the witching hour of midnight.

3) At the risk of repeating ourselves, accessorise, accessorise, accessorise. Your Halloween costume is just like any other outfit you choose to wear. It's all about the accessories that you choose. For example, if you are going to dress up as a sexy witch don't just stop at the costume, consider wearing a short lace petticoat which will give the skirt some extra 'flounce' and add some Halloween inspired spider jewellery and finish off with a themed handbag (this will be extremely useful).

And if you are now getting into the spirit (unintentional pun - honest) of the event, why not finish of with a pair of gloves - the longer the sexier, plus some fishnet or patterned hosiery completed with a pair of witches shoes or boots. If you don't want to invest in themed shoes or boots, you can easily add some shoe buckles which are easily fitted and are available in a huge selection of styles.

4) Select a colourful or themed Halloween Wig. Costumes wigs are a fantastic addition to your fancy dress wardrobe and will really add to the overall effect of your costume. Costume wigs allow you to truly become your alter-ego for the night, and who knows for time beyond.

5) If the party is themed to only Halloween in general and you're at a loss for a costume idea, why not write yourself a short list of costume ideas which appeal to you? For example your list could include pop or rock star, pirates, Wild West, doctors and nurses, movie star etc. From this list you should be able to find a costume that you really want rather than simply buying the first costume you come across.

6) You and your partner could select a couples' costume. Again unless there is a specific theme, let your imagination go wild but only after you've discussed it with your partner. Again a shortlist of ideas helps to narrow it down. Your list could include; Playboy and Bunny, Pimp and Ho, cop and robber, Cleopatra and roman emperor, pharaoh and Egyptian queen, doctors and nurses. The list goes on but you should only include costume themes that you will both be comfortable with.

So whether you're a die-hard fancy dress aficionado or this will be the first Halloween that you will be considering wearing a fancy dress costume, we hop that we have given you some ideas.

Saint Or Sinner - Which Will You Be This Halloween?

SHOE CARNIVAL

Halloween moving Props - Top Five Props

Halloween is the time for spooky Halloween exciting Props. These decorations used to be straightforward and unexciting in the past, but they are very advanced now.

To spice up your Halloween celebrations, you will need much more than motionless props. Props are other name for figures settled in and covering the house. With the correction of technology, there are a whole of very real, life-like props that accomplish acts. Hence they are given the name, Halloween exciting Props. The top five are listed below:

SHOE CARNIVAL PRINTABLE COUPONS

Igor the Butler
Meet Igor the Butler. He is five feet tall and over eighty years old. He is a typical Victorian era butler. His over-sized nose sits on his face which is lined with age and experience. He is immaculately dressed in a black coat and black trousers. He has a gray bow-tie and a white silk scarf over his left arm. He carries an exciting skull on a platter. When anyone approaches, he talks and the skull lights up and replies. Their mouths open and shut every time they speak. They pass sarcastic remarks too. He should be settled at the door to welcome visitors.

Halloween moving Props - Top Five Props

Dobson the Butler
Next in line is Dobson, other butler, and what does he do? He shakes all over. His shakes are very vigorous. He has a battery unit or an alternating current plug attached which gives him this shaking effect. He is perhaps, over ninety years old. He is bald, has a hooked nose and stands five and a half feet tall. Made from fibre glass, wearing a bow, he starts shaking when approached. His outfit is characteristic of a well-groomed butler. The shining black shoes complement his black suit.

Crazy Carnival Clown Prop
Clowns are regularly funny, but not this one. He is dressed like a clown. He wears a clown's mask which has big red lips. He is a dwarf and looks demented. His costume is yellow and purple and made of satin. He wears large boots and carries a large knife in his right hand. He is activated by whether motion or sound. Being forty-four inches tall, he turns his head a full hundred and eighty degrees. He is capable of exciting his mouth and arms too. (You will have to beware of his killer knife). His eyes light up now and then to startle unsuspecting visitors.

Helga the Fortune Teller
This is no ordinary witch. Standing five feet and six inches tall, she looks the embodiment of evil. She is dressed in a red cotton dress, tattered at the cuffs and hem. She has a black shawl and a red witch's hat. Her gray hair falls all over her face which is hand painted. Her hand painted hands have long, red nails. She is activated by whether shadow, light or motion. You will not like what she says about your hereafter when you go near her. Reading from her frosted crystal ball, exciting her hand back and forth over it, her eyes glow red from within as she mutters your future. She foretells a very evil future. She is a very scary prop.

The Gypsy Fortune Teller
This gypsy carries a glowing crystal ball. The prop features realistic eyes which glitter eerily. The attached hair looks very real. She has a motion-maker unit which makes her sometimes shiver, shake or clatter her jaw insanely. As for her attire, she is dressed like any other gypsy. In her former skirt and top (which is laced in front), a black sash and a beautifully embroidered shawl, she looks like any old grandmother. The walking stick helps her hobble along in exquisite boots.

These are some of the many gorgeous props available in the market.

Halloween moving Props - Top Five Props

SHOE CARNIVAL PRINTABLE COUPONS