Halloween

Whooooo……!

Yes, it´s that time of year again! The time when witches, wizards and goblins take centre stage and homes practically sag under the vast array of skeletons, pumpkins and broomsticks!

Trick AND treat

There´s no doubt that Halloween celebrations have changed greatly over the last few years. It
wasn´t so long ago that our Halloween parties consisted of nothing more than a few friends gathered round a box of indoor fireworks (remember how exciting they were….?) and lighting a few sparklers – all leading up to the inevitable basin of water being produced for the dunking for apples.

How times have changed!

Now my seven-year-old thinks that a Halloween party is a letdown if everyone isn´t dressed up in elaborate – and often expensive – outfits and gathered around a firework display in one of her
friend´s gardens!

You don´t have to spend a fortune to enjoy Halloween, however. Here are a few ideas that will allow you to celebrate the occasion without breaking the bank.

Spooky suppers

Why not spook your house up with cheap decorations and black crèpe paper? Then, invite friends and their children over to enjoy a ´pot luck´evening, where everyone brings a dish such as chilli, shepherd´s pie or soup? After the food, play games, such as tossing a ring over a witch´s hat, or relay races with brushes or broomsticks.

Halloween Hunt

Make out a list of Halloween items that kids may see in the local neighbourhood; items such as a pumpkin, a witch or a skeleton. Then, take the kids out for a wander around the area and let them tick off when they spot the item. Little ones can play too if you draw the items out for them rather than write down the words.

Haunted house party

Dim the lights, decorate the house and then invite your children´s friends around for an evening of Halloween-related games, crafts and food. There are loads of worksheets and activities that you can download for free from the internet, so the costs are minimal.

Trick or treating

An idea which emanated from America, trick or treating is being increasingly adopted throughout Ireland. The game basically involves children going round the neighbourhood doors, rapping on them and shouting ´trick or treat?´ They then return home laden down with sweets. Without being a killjoy, modern times would  dictate that it might be sensible for an adult to accompany them. And, without being an even bigger killjoy, if you don´t want them overdosing on sugar and sweets, replace the Tooth Fairy with the Sugar Witch, ie, write a note from the Sugar Witch asking your child to leave a bag of sweets at the foot of their bed. Then, in the morning, they waken up to a small, inexpensive toy and you have a store of sweets to dispense over the next few months! Result!

Whatever you choose to do at Halloween, make sure you have a great time…..