Four Classic Ideas for a Safe and Fun Halloween
Christmas may get all the attention, but Halloween is actually more stressful for many moms. That’s because many moms can’t keep from worrying about the safety of the candy collected from random strangers, not to mention its effect on their children’s health. Moreover, some moms feel that Halloween, as it is celebrated today, violates their religious beliefs. Happily, there’s no reason to stress—you can offer your children a fun and safe Halloween without the stress and worry.
Trunk or Treat
A “trunk or treat” is a fun and safe alternative to an ordinary Halloween experience. With a trunk-or-treat, families drive to a prearranged place, such as a school parking lot, and bring treats and wear costumes. Kids walk between the cars and collect their treats from other families. This has several advantages: it’s safe, and it limits the amount of candy collected. That way, you won’t be scraping your children off the ceiling at 1:00 am in the morning!
It’s not hard to find a trunk or treat event to attend. Many parents groups, churches and kids clubs sponsor trunk or treat events. Often they include games to help the children use up some of their candy-fueled energy.
Indoor Trick or Treat
Perhaps the closest alternative to a traditional Halloween is an indoor trick or treat experience. Many malls, churches or schools offer an indoor trick or treating, thereby sparing parents and kids the vagaries of the weather. Of course, as with a trunk or treat, moms are assured that the candy their children consume is safe. Some indoor trick or treat nights even feature healthy snacks rather than candy.
Host a Theme House
Kids will often respond enthusiastically to the opportunity to help their parents hand out candy as part of a theme house. It’s not very hard to create a classic haunted house with witches, monsters, and spaghetti masquerading as brains. For families that are uncomfortable with the traditional Halloween focus on scary themes, a theme house offers them a chance to break the mold. For example, you can create a patriotic house where George Washington hands out candy and the kids pose as soldiers. Alternatively, you could create a home themed around the civil rights movement, or a story from the bible.
Halloween Olympics
Some people find that a “Halloween Olympics” makes for a fun evening. A Halloween Olympics allows kids to expend energy participating in various events like bobbing for apples (pre-covid)or playing hockey with a broomstick. Often there’s a pumpkin carving contest and an event reminiscent of an Easter egg hunt, where children search for candy hidden throughout the facility.