How to have a fun and worry free Halloween this year

When out grocery shopping last weekend with the hubby, we found the eyes of our little ones glued to the rows of black cats and bright orange pumpkin paper cut outs that were on display at the local arts supplies shop. Feeling a little amused ourselves, we took the kids into the shop with the intention of only having a quick browse. One hour later, the hubby and I found ourselves still in the shop with the girls enthusiastically trying on one Halloween costume after another. Needless to say, the day ended with shopping bags filled with arts and crafts supplies for our family’s first Halloween adventure.

How to make your kid’s first Halloween experience safe and memorable?

Preparing your kids for their first Halloween experience is a great way to get the whole family involved in some fun and quality family bonding time. As parents, the well being and safety of our kids will of course always be our first priority and Halloween night is no exception.

If you’re like me and have concerns about losing your kids in a sea of children high on sugar on Halloween night, below are a few handy tips to help you breeze through your family’s first Halloween experience: 

Addressing children’s fears 

Although most kids would jump at the opportunity to dress up and indulge on endless sweets on Halloween night, seeing the street filled with people in unusual masks and costumes can sometimes be overwhelming and even frightening for some kids.

To help ease the fright of monsters and unfamiliar sights, child psychologists advise for parents to try the following techniques during the weeks leading up to Halloween:

• if your child gets frighten by someone who is wearing a mask, kindly ask them to remove it to show that it is a make-believe situation and there’s nothing to be afraid of
• I’ve been getting my little ones to try on their Halloween costumes each night as I get them ready for next week. By preparing the kids to get used to seeing themselves in costumes, it’ll help them to adapt easier and feel more comfortable on Halloween night 

Trick-or-Treating - Dos and Don’ts 

• if you plan to take your kids trick-or-treating, make sure they wear comfortable shoes for walking, plan costumes of highly visible colours so that they’ll be easy to spot in a crowd at all time
• if your child is under the age of 10, it is best to accompany them. For older kids, make sure they only travel to streets within your local community that are familiar to them 
• attach each child’s name, address and phone number to their costumes so that other people can easily contact you in case they get lost 
• for parents giving out treats on the night, consider some healthy food alternatives such as fruit rolls, mini boxes of raisin or popcorn. I have also prepared some non-food treats for the local kids, such as stickers and stationaries

Go easy on the sugar

• have your children pace themselves with the sweet treats collected on the night. Be sure to only allow them access to a few on the night and store the rest away. I plan to feed my two kids with a good meal before they head out to trick-or-treat to help ease their cravings for sugar on the night
• be sure to check the content of what your kids have collected at the end of the night to make sure there is nothing that they’re allergic to

Now that you have all the safety tips covered for your family’s first Halloween experience, browse through our ActiveActivities directory for some great arts and crafts ideas  to make your family’s first Halloween experience an unforgettable one! Now, time for me to get back to putting together those Halloween costumes for my kids!