Halloween can be a fun time. Indeed, it’s my sister’s favorite holiday. I think it appeals to her need to hide in plain sight by being transformed into whomever she wants to be. I digress though…
Since I have been a mom, I have developed more affection for Halloween and have learned how to celebrate it in a family fun way along the way...
One thing I have learned is that what might be fun for adults may
be downright terrifying for little kids. Indeed, my daughter had nightmares for
about two weeks after we visited an amusement park whose version of celebrating
Halloween involved actors posing as zombies, vampires, and goblins walking
around in the dark with smoke coming up from the ground who apparently
practiced method acting and attempted to reach out and touch people as part of
their routine.
That was a great thing for adults to experience, but was a bit much for
my already timid seven year old. And we paid for it…
This experience got me to thinking about information that other families
might need to make Halloween season enjoyable for all ages. Below are five tips
to help you do it.
Four Family Friendly Halloween Fun Tips
- Enjoy Nature and Visit a Pumpkin Patch-Make visiting a pumpkin patch as part of your fall celebration tips. Not only do you get lots of great photo opportunities, it allows for the kids to enjoy a part of the celebration that’s not remotely scary. Walking around and searching for pumpkins is a lot of fun. Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes that you don’t care about messing up (waterproof boots like those made by Hunter and the series of knockoffs that exist are great choices).
- Have a Party at Home-My husband introduced me to the tradition of making pumpkin carving a family affair. Generally, our extended family joins us for a meal, snacks and pumpkin carving. Last year we included one of my daughter’s friends. It’s an event at your home. So, you control the amount of scary. It can be as wholesome or as gruesome as your family can tolerate.
- 13 Not-So-Scary Halloween Movies for Kids-Nothing makes Halloween more fun than watching movies that are just a bit scary. Check out our favorite kid-friendly movies.
- Get Photos Taken-We recently had a photo shoot at Portrait Innovations where the kids wore their Halloween costumes. I'll write about the experience in more detail. However, what I can say is that I may have discovered my new favorite Halloween tradition! You never know how the weather will be on Halloween, especially in Pittsburgh. So, having them pose in their costumes in a controlled environment took the guess work out of the process and made for a great afternoon. Now, I won't be too stressed trying to "capture the moment" and interrupt their trick or treating on Halloween!
Halloween Posts From Years Past
A Peek Into the Life of a Working Mom: Creating Fall Traditions: One of my favorite things to do in the fall is to pick out pumpkins with my daughter. It's not a tradition we had growing up. However, Andre got us in the habit of doing it and now I'm hooked!
Mommy Mondays: Preparing for Halloween - Chaton's World: Mommy Mondays: Preparing for Halloween. I consider sunny days in Pittsburgh akin to holidays. Today was a sunny day in Pittsburgh and I was thrilled! I greeted the day by seeing our jack-o-lanterns. They made me smile ...
A Peek Into the Life of a Working Mom: Halloween and ...: Thanks to Andre, now that I've become a mom, I no longer view Halloween as a day. I view it as a season. A few weeks ago we ventured to the pumpkin farm as has become our tradition. We walked around in the mud, took ...
When Halloween Finally Came to Pittsburgh - Chaton's World: On Saturday night Halloween finally came to Pittsburgh on Saturday night. Because of the rain and fear that accompanied Hurricane Sandy on October 31st, the City of Pittsburgh postponed trick-or-treating until Saturday, ...
Halloween Ain't Just for Kids: Sometimes you need a reminder that things don't have to be serious all of the time...
Comments