Halloween Tip – The Block Party
Halloween has expanded into several other areas aside from children going door-to-door to trick-or-treat. Many churches now sponsor Halloween parties as well as schools, a few businesses, and professional organizations to name a few. Another idea is for close-knit friends, living in the same block, to have a “Block Party.” The key to this, however, is that each parent agrees to host the party on a rotation basis. Some parents will enjoy the venture and actually want to sponsor it more than once. Older parents, whose children have grown, will sometimes want to participate just because they enjoy the activity and wish to stay involved.
The block party can have as many variations as a birthday party. The key is that the hosting family will make these varied decisions. Snacks, games, and all activities must be considered according to how many children are invited, their ages, the location and space needed, and so forth.
You may want your child to spend some time with you hand making invitations to hand out to the guests. S/he should also be included in deciding on party decorations, food, games to be played along with other activities, prizes (if they are to be awarded), and any other aspect that can include your child.
Perhaps the most important decision to be made is what the children will do at the party. This will make or break the time they are together. This pretty much boils down to eating, and activities. Activities are crucial and they should be chosen with great consideration. Be certain you have sufficient activities planned so that the party doesn’t lose steam after half an hour. You may decide to separate the children according to ages. If you have a number of teenagers you may wish to have them assemble in a certain area where they can talk, listen to music, and dance. The younger children may be using this same time to play Halloween musical chairs.
There are all kinds of activities. Again, it is important to remember to plan these according to ages. You might want to use some board games such as Pictionary. A scavenger hunt is fun although this is not the best night of the year to have one. Karaoke can always be a lot of fun. Whatever you choose for your activities just be creative and spend a good amount of time planning. Speaking of creative, be sure to visit CarvingForKids for some fun, interesting, creative ideas.