Aaaah Halloween. Time to encourage our children to dress up in questionably safe masks, act like ghouls, wander the neighbourhood after dark, demand food from strangers and eat sugar with abandon.
So what to do when our very sensitive four-year old balks at all of these normally shunned-upon activities? Against my best parenting judgement I did spend a fair amount of time trying to cajole, convince and bribe said four-year old into going with the flow. However, when she couldn’t be bribed with the promise of bagloads of candy I knew she was serious.
Time to bring Halloween home, and our friends at Hallmark will help us! With Halloween falling on a Satuday it’s the ideal opportunity to throw a treat-filled party for the little ones, and leave the tricks to the older kids!
The invitations on the left will set the tone for a fun and silly costume party for all ghouls and goblins. Hallmark’s also the source for matching table covers (to protect the dining room table from pumpkin innards during the carving part of the party), plates and beverage napkins (fruit punch with floating hands and eyeballs anyone?)
To decorate, Hallmark’s got spooky chenille spider webs (at last a cobweb that belongs in my house!) and fun danglers to set the tone.
I plan on developing a scary playlist complete with Thriller and Monster Mash to get the dancing started. I’m working on a way of turning that old party favourite statues into a Halloween-themed game. For the younger set, I plan on investing in a bunch of little pumpkins to hide all over the house for a game of “Where’s the pumpkin?” I just hope that we don’t end up finding leftover pumpkins in unexpected spots when the Easter Bunny visits next Spring!
So if you’ve got a child who is more frightened than frightful, for these and more party planning ideas, check out Hallmark’s party planning site.
Cheers for the information, your website is really good! My sisters and I regularly have lunch for Easter and have a lovely time. This definitely made me smile!
your party sounds like so much fun! i wasn’t really feeling halloween this year – a party sounds like a great alternative!
Great idea, Jen! Maybe this will become an annual tradition? Better than being left at home alone shelling out.