We tend to think of Halloween as an American tradition, without much celebration in Australia. However, given that popular culture for kids mentions Halloween so often (even Dora the Explorer has a Halloween special), your kids may be wanting to go “trick or treating” around your streets.

You probably won’t find many prepared neighbours for your kid’s trick or treating knocks on 31st October, so we would suggest that you organise a Halloween Costume Party of your own to sate your kid’s appetite for the festival and ensure they are all safe and secure in your own home.

The Halloween Party is one of the simplest to decorate! Anything ghostly, ghoulish, witchy or spidery is the key here! The kids can come dressed any way they like – or you could be more specific and ask them to come in a theme dress.

Party games for you to try include:

Pass The Pumpkins
Have kids sit in a circle and pass small pumpkins or gourds when the music is playing. When the music stops the child without a pumpkin is out continue until there’s a winner.

Build A Scarecrow
Form groups and have a variety of old clothes, pillowcases for heads, markers and newspaper. Groups have 20 minutes to create. Give prizes to the scariest or funniest, then place outside.

Build A Scarecrow Game – #2
Divide your back yard into two sections by yellow tape (maybe 2 rooms or a basement if inside). Before your party, get together 2 sets of 6-10 items that can be used to build a scarecrow. Sample items: Hat, corn stalks, jeans, string… Now hide these items in order to make a scarecrow around each half (one side for each team). For small children you may want to play this game during the day and to make the game harder play it at night. When playing at night send out team member with a pumpkin with a pumpkin light or a candle inside), have one person from each team (starting at same time) go on a hunt to find one item. After all items are found, the team has to be creative and construct a scarecrow, using all items. The team that finishes their scarecrow first, wins.

Ghost Hunter
Game for teams:
Get lollipops, ribbon, paper, tissue paper, and select 5-10 Halloween terms. You may want a Styrofoam base to stick the ghosts into during the game. Divide party guest into Ghost Hunting teams of 3-5 kids per team, the number per team may be based the ages of the kids.

Each team is given clues to find ghosts that can be hidden outside or inside. Note: Don’t place all the ghosts together or the kids will grab the first ghost they see rather than find the ghost you want them. Also, tell them not to untie the ghosts until after the game is over. So send them off to different areas. You’ll want 1 ghost per guest or a specified number per team, but have extras so each child gets a ghost.

Each ghost is a lollipop covered with tissue paper, tied with ribbon with a letter written on the ghost. Use a marker a add eyes and a mouth to the ghosts.

Send the kids with clues off to find ghosts. If young children have an adult go with them for safety and to assist if they don’t understand the clues. Example Clues: I live near the large tree in the backyard or At night I come out from under Mr. Wilson’s favourite chair.

Each team will return with 3-5 ghosts with letters. The corresponding letters will spell or help spell a mystery word that relates to Halloween. See the 2 versions below:

Young kids: Use words where all the letters are given: bat, witch, cat, hat, broom, ghoul etc… One team at a time, take the letters and mix them up. The Ghost Hunting team whose ghosts are being used get the first try to guess the mystery word. If they guess the word correctly they get a point, if they miss the word the other teams have a chance to get a point. Have them raise their hand if they know the answer, 1 guess per team. If no team guesses the word, then a simple clue is given and the process is repeated until the word is guessed. If there is a tie have a tie-breaker mystery word that is a little harder. Offer a small prize for the winners.

A little harder: In this version the letters on the ghosts only give clues to the mystery Halloween word. Word Examples: pumpkin, headless, horseman, haunted, goblins, Sleepy Hollow, etc… Arrange the letters in correct order leaving spaces for missing letters. The Ghost Hunting team whose ghosts are being used get the first try to guess the mystery word. If they guess the word correctly they get a point, if they miss the word the other teams have a chance to get a point. Have them raise their hand if they know the answer, 1 guess per team. If no team guesses the word, then a simple clue is given and the process is repeated until the word is guessed. Again have a tie-breaker word just in case and offer a prize for the victors.

Blair Witch Project
Friends with video cameras? Invite friends to create a scary 5 minute film in the style of Blair Witch, then have a Halloween Film Festival and play the tapes.

Happy Celebrating!

Kathryn