The nights have drawn in and Halloween is upon us. Although some people are uncomfortable about Halloween and its associations with witchcraft, for young children it is a time of innocent magic and mystery. Try some of these ideas for fun with the children in your care and make this year's celebration an experience none of you will ever forget!
TRICK OR TREAT
Children love dressing up in creepy costumes and if they can go out after dark, even better. Unfortunately, not everybody is quite so enthusiastic about 'trick or treating'. Check in advance which neighbours are happy for you to call at their door, and always accompany the children - decked out in full costume, of course!
Before setting out, it is also useful to establish some ground rules: * Absolutely no tricks to be played on people who choose not to give treats (however tempted you might be!)
* Practise saying 'thank you' in a ghostly or witchy voice.
* No booty to be eaten until after tea.
DRESSING UP
Whether trick or treating, or simply partying at home, everyone must look the part.
* Ghosts, witches and wizards: make a poncho-style costume from a rectangle of fabric. The width of the rectangle should be just shorter than the child's outstretched arms, the length double the distance from neck to knees. Fold into quarters and cut a quarter-circle from the folded corner to make a symmetrical neck opening. Choose white for ghosts and sew on strips of green material and black netting. Choose black for witches or wizards and stick on sequins and felt stars.
* Hats: cut a circle from black card, approximately 40cm diameter (use a round tray as a template). You can use potato printing or string glued on to a wood block, in the shapes of crescent moons and stars, to print on the card with fluorescent or metallic paint. Once the paint is dry, cut across the circle to the mid point and roll it into a cone to fit the child's head. Tape up the join and attach a loop of thin elastic to the rim of the hat so that it stays on. Tape brightly coloured wool around the inside of the rim to make hair, and you could add sequins and jelly snakes and spiders for decoration.
* Masks: cut masks from cereal packets or card. Decorate with paint, fur fabric and shiny paper. Make a handle by attaching a wooden spoon to the back of the card with parcel tape - it's much easier for a young child to hold up in front of their face with a handle than to try to tie it round their head.
PARTY GAMES
Children of all ages can help you to prepare for games like these, as well as playing them.
Murky menus: Make 'ancient parchment' by soaking paper in coffee. Once dry, scorch the edges with a match (do not allow the children to help you with this one!). Ask the children to think up horrible names for the party food - for example, crisps can become witches' toenails. Provide red, green and silver pens along with the parchments for writing the 'murky menus'.
Pin the nose on the witch: Create a big painting or silhouette of a witch to hang on the wall. Cut out separately a warty witch's nose. Blindfold the children and challenge them to Blu-Tack the nose on the witch. Award a prize to whoever comes closest.
Halloween bumps: Record a tape of spooky noises, such as wails, screeches, howls and cackles. Use the tape to play musical bumps, urging the children to make appropriate movements and sounds too.
Apple bobbing: Float an apple in a large bowl of water and use a stopwatch to time individual children bobbing for apples. Older children should keep hands behind backs. Give little ones an apple with a stalk to catch with their teeth. To avoid spreading germs, change the water for each child, and supervise closely. Award a prize to the child who grabs their apple in the shortest time.
Dangling doughnuts: Tie ring doughnuts on to strings and hang from a line stretched across the room. Challenge the children to eat the doughnuts where they hang, with hands behind backs.
When the party is over, make sure that fangs are given a thorough brushing after all those sugary Halloween treats!
We recognise that not everyone approves of celebrating Halloween, but many families enjoy this increasingly popular event We recognise that not everyone approves of celebrating Halloween
