Halloween is mostly synonymous with kids dressing up in spooky clothing and trick-or-treating from one house to the next. However, there are many other ways Halloween can be made enjoyable, including neighborhood- and church-focused gatherings. Did you know you can make your kids outdoor playground the hub of a fun Halloween festival for all to enjoy? Here are a few tips to make your event one they’ll remember:
Spooky Decorations
Get creative by decorating playground equipment with spooky props like scarecrows, carved pumpkins, witches, black cats, scarecrows, and spider webs. This will help create a ghostly ambience to serve as a backdrop for your “ghoul-tastic” activities.
Costume Contest
It just wouldn’t be Halloween without kids dressing up in costumes to represent their favorite characters. Host a costume contest to reward their creativity, and include special categories such as Scariest Costume, Funniest Costume, and Best Cartoon Character. Some events include a “costume swap” where the kids try on each others’ costumes, which can also be a lot of fun.
Face Painting
Face painting is another popular activity during Halloween that both kids and their parents can enjoy. Ask around to find a professional face painter in your community, and be sure to check out their work online before you hire them. Look for an artist with a broad range (not just scary faces) to accommodate the requests of kids and grownups alike.
Storytelling
Telling scary stories is a time-honored Halloween tradition; you might want to check with your local library to see if one of their more popular storytellers is available to read a favorite ghost- or goblin-themed kids’ book. Alternatively, you can also set up a projector and screen some scary (but still family friendly) movies.
Halloween Games
When it comes to Halloween games, the choices are endless; here are a few you options to consider:
- Pumpkin decorating
- Eyeball spoon races (with a plastic eyeball balanced on a spoon)
- Mummy wrap races (teams wrap one member in toilet paper from head to toe, and the fastest team wins)
- Skeleton bone hunt (disassemble a plastic skeleton and hide the pieces around the playground; the child who collects the most pieces wins)
- Pumpkin bowling (using empty soda bottles as pins)
No matter which activities you decide to include, you can make your playground the site of a fun, safe Halloween event that parents and kids will remember all year long.
