Skip to main content

Getting Pumped for Halloween


Incorporate some helpful tips into your October 31 to join the fun with the kids and to keep them safe and warm on Halloween.  Plan ahead, be organised and practical while joining the fun.
Pumpkin Carving
Buy small pumpkins for the kids to decorate themselves.  If the kids are too small or not able to manage a carving tool – provide a marker and some food from your kitchen for a unique look.  My favourite is a ‘roasted red-pepper tongue’ – very realistic.  Instead of real candles – battery operated candles are readily available as a child-safe option (Canadian Tire).  If Moms or Dads are particularly crafty, keep a pumpkin for yourself so as not to hinder your child’s creativity.  

Costumes
Encourage your child to pick a costume that is both warm enough for the weather and bright to warn cars of their presence.    It is critical to keep their line of site clear for safe street navigation.  Convince them a nice ‘Crossing Guard’ costume with fluorescent stripes is ideal.  Unique costumes are fun but being safe is better!!

Treats

If your family is like mine – don’t buy the treats too early or they will be gone and you’ll be back to the store for more!!  Candy and chips are not the only options!!  How about stickers, fake teeth, and a slew of other options available at the local party or dollar store? Have standard gifts for the masses and then some special packages for the children you know well, with their tastes in mind.  You neighbours will appreciate the extra effort and so will the kids!!

Make sure to check all of the treats for safety and allergy issues prior to letting your child loose on them!!  Limit them to 2-3 pieces that evening.  Keep the stash out of reach and dole out over several days/weeks to limit the sugar rush that keeps us ALL awake at night!!  Dentists too suggest it is better for the teeth to get rid of candy quickly but instead, we just double the brushing time for nights after candy consumption.
October 31 Evening Logistics
Feed the family early with healthy food, filling their tummies as much as possible before they start eating ‘junk’.  It's like shopping for grocery stores when you are hungry - you will buy more and lean towards high calorie foods.  A healthy, filling dinner won't leave as much room for a large candy craving.

If you are a 2-parent household, remember that one stays home to dole out treats while the other takes the kids on their adventure.  If you are lucky enough to secure help – get someone else to manage your door and join the kids for a special family memory maker!  If you must leave your house unattended –it's extra kind to leave a small basket of goodies with a note for each child to take one or two while you’re gone.
Clean up
When the candy runs out and lights go out, also remove pumpkins from public areas to limit the temptation of kids who prefer the ‘trick’aspect of the evening.  Smashed pumpkins are tough to clean up and attract unwelcome critters throughout the night. 

Lastly – have a spooky, kooky good time!!  Halloween is for the kids – even those of us who are over 40 and young at heart.

 

 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

It Only Takes One

My son's daycare had five amazing, 8-foot sunflowers growing in their garden this summer.  My own sunflowers didn't do very well so we asked if we could have some of the seeds from daycare to plant in our garden next summer.  Shawna began to harvest the seeds from the faces of the sunflowers.  She took some home with her and a creature destroyed most of them - only a few remaining in their shells.  She returned to daycare to learn that the heads of the remaining sunflowers had been stolen right off their stalks in the yard of the daycare.  The ladies were upset and disappointed that they might not be able to carry on the tradition of their sunflowers. Cornell Sunflower - see the attempt at taping the stem ... When my husband got home from work today he told me their story and asked,"hey - do you have any more of those books with the 'Cornell Sunflower' story?"  A story I wrote was published by 'Chicken Soup' and the similarities to th...
1 comment
Read more

Elvis the Cat

Elvis the cat went missing last Thursday night.   For 14 years Elvis the Cat lived with me indoors. He was afraid of the outside.   Due to kidney disease, he has been living on borrowed time but was still vibrant, fat and happy.   Lately, he seemed desperate to get outside.   I had been warned he might run away to die.      I searched for two days and nights, was sad, and began to look back …. We met at a farm in 1999.   He was undernourished, with mites and fleas.   I was embarking on a new, independent life.   We knew instantly that we belonged to each other.   I nursed him back to life – physically, and he nourished my spirit.   I didn’t hear him meow for the first few years of his life.   I always thought it was because I saw to his every need before he knew he had it.   At night, he would sleep curled in my arms.   If he heard a noise, he would perch on the end of my bed between me and a potenti...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cornell Community Soup

“Cornell Community Soup” is more than just a metaphor for the melting pot of cultures, religions, beliefs and politics we embody.  The Village of Cornell is nestled in the eastern boarder of Markham, Ontario, surrounded by sister villages that continue the tradition of service and support throughout the community.  I have lived on my block in Cornell for 16 years.  Bigger houses with lower prices from the north continue to tempt, yet the warm hug of this community always keeps us home.  In anticipation of another exciting Blue Jay’s post season game, a pot of turkey soup is simmering on our stove.  Turkey from the Markham Butcher , and carrots and garlic from Reesor Farm .  Both local small business run by families who suffered losses this month.  The Markham Butcher and his wife lost their precious baby son earlier this month.  An unfathomable tragedy.  Reesor Farm was   targeted by trespassers and looters  on Thanksgiving Mon...
Post a Comment
Read more