October 16, 2007

Halloween Party Game Ideas

Here are a few Halloween party game ideas for you to chew on and plant the (pumpkin) seed to make up your own games...

Pass the Pumpkins
Similar to musical chairs, simply have your young goblins sit in a circle and pass small pumpkins or gourds while scary Halloween music is playing. When the music stops, the child without a pumpkin is out. Keep playing until there's a winner. Reward them with Halloween treats...

Build a Scarecrow
Form two teams and have a variety of thrift clothes, old pillowcases for heads, and magic markers and newspapers. Give the teams a 20-minute time limit to make their scariest (funniest, silliest. etc...) scarecrows. Have the scarecrows judged by a non-participant and have prizes ready. Once they are complete, you can put them outside to help decorate your yard.

Halloween Candy Hunt
Just like an Easter egg hunt: Buy plastic eggs and paint them in Halloween colors. Put candy inside the eggs and hide them. The prize can be the candy inside or some of the eggs can contain notification of winning a small prize or party favor.

Halloween Corners Game (Good for ages 3 - 8)
Stick up large Halloween-themed posters or pictures (ie witch, bat, ghost and black cat) in the four corners of a room. Play some scary Halloween music and when it stops, have each child run to a corner (if you have small numbers you can limit the number of children in each corner). Then, the person running the music - without looking - calls out one corner (the cat corner, the witch corner, etc...) The kids in that corner are out. The last person left is the winner.

Stay tuned for more fun Halloween games coming up...
Until then,
BusyMOM

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October 15, 2007

Halloween Graveyard Hunt

16 more days until Halloween!!!!

Having a party or just a little gathering before the kiddos go out and trick or treat?
If you have the time and motivation, do this for your goblins and ghouls.

Decorate your backyard to resemble a scary graveyard or just add lots of scary things.

You can add cut out black felt bats, plastic spiders, fake web, fake tombstone, jack o lanterns and even scary music.

Hide prizes and treats amongst the plants and decorations and let the kids go on a graveyard hunt.

For older kids you can even have a disguised adult or two hiding around a spooky corner -- but please don’t do this with younger children as it can really traumatize them.

Courtesy of the Let's Celebrate Halloween book.

until later...
BusyMOM

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October 14, 2007

A Twist on Bobbing for Apples

Hasn't everybody bobbed for apples at least once in their life? Well, here's a new twist - courtesy of the Let's Celebrate Halloween book. Try it. Get messy. Have fun...

Make this traditional game a little scarier by filling the bobbing tub
with milk and adding red food coloring.

Add enough coloring until the milk resembles a bright red color.

Then add the apples and let the kids take turns bobbing for apples.

This game can get messy, so it’s best played outside if possible.

Enjoy! And for some yummy Halloween goodies to go along with all that hard work bobbing, visit this Halloween Snacks page or the Halloween Treats page for some great ideas.

That's all for now...
BusyMOM

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October 13, 2007

Pick Their Brains - A Halloween Cook-Off

Well, Halloween is just full of the most ghoulish things.

Kids love this. Try this out if you are having a few little goblins over on this spooky night...

Cook a large pot of different shaped pasta such as spirals or macaroni
drain and cool completely.

Place cooled pasta in a large plastic bowl and add a few olives.
Add some wrapped candies or treats like mini fun-sized chocolate bars.

Cover the bowl with material that you’ve cut into a decorative shape
like a pumpkin or monsters head.

You can even use a scary cloth mask that will go over the bowl or a
decorated plastic bag.

You basically need to cover the bowl with something decorative and
head shaped that has a slit in the back.

The kids should not be able to see the contents of the bowl.

Sit the kids in a circle and let them take turns digging into the bowl to
find the candies.

They won’t be able to see into the bowl and the squiggly texture of the
pasta along with the olives will feel like “brains.”

Courtesy of the Let's Celebrate Halloween book.

And for some yummy Halloween goodies to go along with all that thinking, visit this Halloween Snacks page or the Halloween Treats page for some great ideas.

Over and out until next time...
BusyMOM

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October 12, 2007

Scary Story Time

Story time at Halloween... here are a few ideas...

Kids love a good scary story. Set the scene by lowering the lights and perhaps lighting a few candles (always supervise children around candles).

You can also play some low spooky music in the background. Take turns telling scary stories appropriate to the age group of children.

For younger children you can read a suitable scary and not make the scene too intense for them.

Make this time special by serving a Halloween punch or witch’s milk (warm milk sprinkled with a little chocolate and cinnamon).

Courtesy of the Let's Celebrate Halloween book.

Until next time...
BusyMOM

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October 11, 2007

Mummy Wrap

We had a blast with this game at a Halloween party that we attended. The kids thought it was a hoot wrapping up the parents. Or play the game with teams of kids. Read more below...

Buy a handful of party wrap rolls (preferably in Halloween colors and decoration, but you can even use toilet paper).

Split the kids up into teams of two. One child will be the “mummy” and the other is in charge of wrapping up the child like a mummy.

When you start playing the music, the teams can start wrapping up the mummy. Try to play some fun and Halloween songs like “Monster Mash.”

When you turn the music off, the kids need to stop. The team whose mummy is more “mummified” (or wrapped) wins.

Courtesy of the Let's Celebrate Halloween book.

Until next time...
BusyMOM

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October 10, 2007

Pin the Big Ol' Wart on the Witch

Halloween's just around the corner...

Do you need a new game for the party you might decide to throw this year? Here's a fun one for all ages from the Let's Celebrate Halloween book:

Using black felt material (available from crafts and art supply stores)
cut out a witch’s outline. It doesn’t have to be perfect, as most kids
won’t mind, but remember to include the pointy hat and nose!

Stick the cut out up on the wall or on a large pegboard. Decorate the
witch with plastic spiders and fake web.

Then cut out large shaped warts (yuck) from a green felt material and
either stick a thumbtack onto the end of each one or some strong tape
for younger children.

Use a plan dark colored rag as a blind fold and let the children take
turns sticking the wart on the witch’s nose.

Enjoy! And for some yummy Halloween goodies, visit this Halloween Snacks page or the Halloween Treats page for some great ideas.

Until next time....
BusyMOM

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October 9, 2007

Creepy Crafts

Getting ready for Halloween? Well this might help you out... I found this great little website that Ben & Jerry put out - just for the spooky holiday. This page is all about fun and creepy crafts you can do for everybody's favorite time of year...

Here's a preview...

Make your own Halloween decorations. Print out these craft pages, color them, cut them out and fasten them together to make your own Ben & Jerry's Halloween decorations. Stick them in your office, your classroom, your car, put them everywhere. Stuff you'll need:

  • Computer and printer - that sort of goes without saying
  • Scissors
  • Paper fasteners - available at office supply shops or department stores
  • Hole punch
  • Crayons, colored pencils or markers
  • Optional - glue stick or white glue or paste, light cardboard
Check out Creepy Crafts and make your kiddo crow with delight...

Until next time...
BusyMOM

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