Alternatives to Trick-or-Treating

It is cold, wet, and nasty here.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not looking forward to toting our two kids around for trick-or-treating in this weather.

Yes, we will probably go out, after all, I just finished little guy’s Kwazii costume, but we probably won’t stay out as long as we would if the weather were nice.  (Right now I’m thinking 5-10 good houses would give them plenty of sugary sweets to make them happy….)

Laying in bed last night, I started to think about what kinds of activities you could do INSIDE with little ones who expect to go out on Halloween.  So if you’re little one is sick, or the weather is just nasty,or you just want to extend the festivities, here are a few trick-or-treat alternatives.

1. Halloween Crafts!  There are so many fun and easy Halloween crafts out there for little ones!  Get supplies together to do 2-3 of them and go at it!  Kids under 5 may only have the patience to do one craft, but older ones could be entertained for quite a while!
2. Put on a Play.  Got some great costumes the kids want to wear?  Have them dress up and put on a mini play for you.  (For little ones it will pretty much be like playing dress up, with an audience.  Older ones could even jot down a script ahead of time.)
3. Trick-or-Treat Indoors.  So the weather’s got you staying in?  If you bought candy to give out, grab some and have them trick-or-treat inside.  They can even knock on bedroom or bathroom doors and yell “Trick-or-treat!”  Didn’t buy candy?  Look around the house for lollipops, fruit roll ups, or little boxes of raisins to dish out.  (My kids did this several times this year, off and on, recreating the fun of Halloween.  They especially loved it when I used different voices to pretend to be a little old lady or other characters.)
4. Halloween Videos.  Got a copy of Charlie Brown’s Halloween special?  Put it on!  A lot of channels will be showing Halloween specials that night, so if you don’t have a video, scroll through the channels.  Make some popcorn, snuggle up, and laugh together.
5. Throw a Party.  Yes, you heard me (or read me) right!  Throw a little party.  Grab a large bucket, put a little water in it and a few apples and teach your little ones to bob for apples.  Have them put on their costumes and do a costume parade.  Give out awards for the best costumes.  (A paper award taped to their shirt will do for little ones.)  Feeling brave?  Let them do your make-up for you and have a costume of your own.

If the weather is bad, the kids are sick, or you just don’t feel like trudging the kids around the block, these alternatives to trick-or-treating are sure to make Halloween fun for the family.

More Halloween Fun:

• DIY Halloween Party Games
• Crayon Drip Pumpkins
• DIY Cardboard Costume Helmet
• Pumpkin Volcano