Never mind Christmas – for lots of children, Halloween is the most wonderful time of the year. As a holiday, it has it all – a week off school, free treats, spooky costumes, a festive reason to scare your parents out of their skin… the list goes on.
With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in sight, things are going to be even more exciting than usual. While your child may be excited to get back to (para)normal, you may be feeling a little more reticent about letting them return to face-to-face Halloween traditions. If you’re concerned about COVID and Halloween, Orchard Fostering have got you covered. From lockdown-style family fun to socially-distanced scavenger hunts – we’ve got the option for you.
Read on to discover a range of activities to help your children have a happy (and healthy) Halloween.
If you’re interested in foster care, please reach out to Orchard Fostering today. We’re available on the phone or via email – you can also fill out a form directly on our contact page.
Replace trick-or-treating with a scavenger hunt
While COVID restrictions are easing, you may still be a little unsure about approaching a neighbour’s house looking for treats. Why not skip the uncertainties and arrange some scheduled trick or treating with family and friends? Gather up the kids and knock on pre-arranged doors – where you know hands have been sanitised prior to digging into a bowl of goodies. All the fun of trick-or-treating with none of the worry.
Alternatively, you could set up a scavenger hunt for your child around the house, in your garden, or even in your local park. We’ve mentioned before about getting out for walks with your child – your scavenger hunt could double up as your exercise for the day.
Create a treasure map, or a list of clues, directing your child to their treats. Head out after dark, and help them uncover their treasure. If you’re worried about the darkness, you could illuminate your treasure spots with glow sticks – adding a ghoulish glow to proceedings. Now that restrictions have eased, you can even invite along a few friends – outdoor activities are among the safest things we can do at the moment.
Design your own frightening face masks
We’ve all spent the past year getting used to wearing face masks. Decorating face masks makes for a great Halloween craft for children – it’s fun and practical. All you need are a packet of cloth face masks and a set of fabric markers (make sure the markers are safe to inhale).
Encourage your children to design their own spooky face mask, adding whatever Halloween inspired designs they can. This activity doubles up as an educational piece for your child, too – you can have a conversation about the importance of masks and why you’re wearing them.
Watch a spooky movie outdoors
One of the true joys of Halloween is sitting in a room with your friends and watching a scary movie from behind a couch cushion. There are tonnes of Halloween movies for kids out there to watch, like Paranorman, Hocus Pocus, and The Addams Family all readily available online.
While you may not be able to replicate the atmosphere of a crowded sitting room, you can still help your child have a family-friendly frightfest with their friends.
Handheld projectors are a dime a dozen these days – you can pick one up online easily. They can connect to a phone or a computer – anywhere you can stream a movie. Set your projector up outside and beam your movie onto a wall or a big sheet – wait for darkness to fall and get everyone together to experience a spooky classic.
Make sure to bring lots of blankets and cushions, string up some lights, maybe even scatter a few pumpkins around.
Go traditional and carve some pumpkins
Pumpkin-carving is an Irish tradition as old as Halloween itself. Initially, jack o’ lanterns were carved out of turnips, and connected to the old Irish folk tale of Stingy Jack – a man who bargained with the devil, and roamed the countryside with only a hollowed-out turnip to light his way.
The jack o’ lantern is one of the enduring images of Halloween – and a great way to while away a few hours this mid-term break. Carving pumpkins is simple, fun, and extremely messy – the perfect activity for your child.
Cover your work area with plenty of newspaper. Take a knife and carve the top off your pumpkin. Pumpkin insides are goopy and gross – so leave the gunk removal to your child. Set aside these insides, and you can roast the pumpkin seeds afterwards for a Halloween snack.
Get your child to draw their design on the front of the pumpkin. You’ll have to take charge of the cutting (depending on their age), but reassure your child that the design is the important part. If you want to avoid carving altogether, you can always just draw on your pumpkin with a black marker. Once you’ve carved your pumpkin up, place a tealight inside and pop it out at your front gate, on your porch, or in your window.
If you’re interested in foster care, please reach out to Orchard Fostering today. We’re available on the phone or via email – you can also fill out a form directly on our contact page.