Goodie Gum Drops

For many kids, every day is dress-up and pretend day.  Most toddlers and children can’t get enough of being a princess, a pirate, or a superhero.  Many of us have had a similar argument with our three-year-old:  “No, you can’t wear that Batman costume out to the restaurant.”  Or, “I don’t think Allison will appreciate it if you’re dressed like a fairy at her birthday party.”  But, we do let them parade around the house fully garbed in whatever crazy outfit they’ve put together that day.  Inherently, we all have the need to pretend.  And what better day to foster this craving than on Halloween.

 Halloween is such an amazing day in the eyes of a child.  Whatever the story behind the real Halloween is, it has morphed into this celebration of the imagination; a festival of fun and carefree behavior for everyone.  It’s a validation of a child’s belief that he or she really can be a professional baseball player, lead singer of a pop band, or an astronaut.  While it does only come once a year, isn’t it pretty awesome that there’s a date on the calendar devoted to all of us all coming together to play this big, elaborate game of make-believe?  Yeah, it kinda is.

 Therefore, no matter how much we, as parents, get frustrated by the over-priced costumes, abundant consumption of nourishment-free food, and constant ringing of the doorbell at 9:30 at night, it only seems right that we make the most of this “holiday”.  And, as it turns out, when we allow ourselves to be somewhat overtaken by the wonder and creativity of it all, it can be a pretty magical experience to share with our kids.  

 One way to celebrate is by hosting a Halloween playdate for your child’s friends . This is a perfect way for everyone to get some extra wear out of those costumes we all spent so much time making or money buying.  (Now if only someone would think of a way to get more wear out of those wedding dresses we purchased to wear for five hours!)  There are plenty of fun crafts and activities the kids can do to keep busy.  And, by bringing Halloween to your house, you and the other parents get to monitor what Halloween goodies your kids eat, and the Halloween related activities in which your kids partake.  Sounds like a perfect situation for everyone.

 First, you can ask each parent to bring some age-appropriate candies, snacks, or favors for everyone.  If you’re a group of parents who closely monitors what your children consume, this is the perfect opportunity to plan and prepare foods that are chosen by you, and not by some strangers who don’t have any issues with what your kids eat.  Organic treats such as lollipops, gum, and chocolate are available online and at many natural grocery stores.  Or, make a decision that you’ll all bring baked goods made with naturally based ingredients like fruit, yogurt, or vegetables.  Apple pie, carrot cake, or brownies and cake in which oil is substituted with yogurt make great treats.  Of course, it is Halloween, which is reason enough to allow our kids one day to become sugar-induced zombies and go crazy with a twizzler and fun dip feast.  Ok, so maybe that’s an exaggeration. But, you can control how much your kids consume by setting up a trick-or-treat style activity rather than a buffet style candy-a-thon.  Send a parent to each room in the house with a different candy or treat.  The kids all get into groups and travel from one room to the next while trick-or-treating and collecting whatever goodies you give them.  If the children are going to trick or treat later or in a couple of days, you can instead hide all the treats everywhere around the house before the playdate begins, and send the kids on a “hunt” to collect as much of the goodies as they can.  Hide plenty of loot in lots of different areas so that the kids who aren’t as fast as some of the others can find their share as well.  

Another fun activity is one many of us have encountered when at a halloween fair or party.  Get three shoeboxes.  Decorate them in some type of halloween tissue paper or wrapping paper, and cut a hole large enough for a hand to get inside.  Put a sign next to each box labeling what it is.  What you label each box is dependent upon the ages of the children involved.  For example, for the younger kids, you may want to get some gummy worms and just label “worms” on the front.  Make sure to instruct the kids not to take the content of the box out, although inevitably, some of the kids will.  If you put the boxes in a dimly lit room and bring the kids in one or two at a time, it will keep the kids from ruining the surprise for everyone else.  This method also makes the activity seem more suspenseful and exciting.  If the children are older, you could make jello, mash it up and label that box, “monkey guts” or something along those lines.  Other ideas are:  letting carrots sit out for a few days and cutting them into shapes and sizes that feel like “fingers”, small rubber bouncy balls for “eyeballs”, and old, soggy lettuce for “bat wings”.

The “monster mash-up” is the perfect opportunity to send kids home with a cool Halloween project.”  Before the day of the party, cut out pictures from magazines and print out pictures from websites of heads, bodies, legs, arms, and any “accessories” you think would be good.  All of these parts could come from animals, superheroes, pirates, princesses, astronauts, mermaids, and any other figures that might be fun.  (You can ask the other parents to do this as well and bring them to the playdate if you cannot find enough yourself).  Put all the cut up pieces in the middle of the table in piles.  Make sure you have plenty of glue sticks, too.  Each child should go through all the pictures and choose all the different body parts to create his or her “monster” or “creature”.   If the children are on the younger side, the parents may need to help with the gluing and placing of the pictures onto construction paper.  When the child is done, he or she should have a figure mixed up with different body parts. Tell him to name his creation, and write the name in big marker at the top of the paper.  You might want to do this activity at the beginning of the playdate, so the glue has time to dry before everyone takes his project home.  

 The beauty of Halloween is that, if parents go about it correctly, so many unique, extraordinary traditions can be created.  It’s a time to foster our children’s desire and need to be dreamers, and show them that they should be proud of their imaginations. Most importantly, it’s a time for fun and togetherness.  Simply put, it’s a sweet treat for everyone.

 To send your guests home from your party feeling extra spoiled, check out our pre-made and customizable Halloween goodie bags.