How to Cast a Halloween Spell

A surefire way to entertain at a children's Halloween party is to bring some whimsy and magic to the table. Children are easily scared by ghost stories but easily enchanted by fun magic. Have your little witches and warlocks watch "The Worst Witch," a fun children's movie starring Tim Curry and a very young Fairuza Balk. It includes such fun songs like "Anything Can Happen on Halloween," and it will set the tone for casting some fun Halloween spells of your own. You can create the laughing potion like they do in the movie.

Things You'll Need

• Cauldron
• Wooden spoon
• Green tea leaves
• Pumpkin pie filling
• Rosemary
• Mint
• Orange dye
• Soda water

Instructions

1. Gather everybody together in a circle. Everybody should get close to one another.

2. Put the cauldron in the middle of the circle. Put it on an electric burner if possible. If you have a little fire pit, that will work nicely as well.

3. Pour tap water and soda water in the cauldron. Two-thirds should be tap water, and one-third will be soda water.

4. Assign each child something to put in the pot. Have the first child put in green tea leaves. Follow that by having someone add rosemary. Different individuals want to then add rosemary and mint. Have the last member of the circle pour in the pumpkin pie filling.

5. Put the orange dye in the water as you say, "With this spell, I thee wait. Twenty seconds, not a moment late. At that time, I shall start to boil. Water in the pot and dirt to the soil."

6. Count down the 20 seconds with the children and light a candle in the fire pit. Turn on the burner if that is your option.

7. Stir the pot. It should give off a wonderful autumn scent as it cooks. Warn children not to come near the pot for safety concerns, but you can add a fun warning with it. Let them know that the magic wears off if things are not done in a certain way.

8. Turn off the heat when it starts to boil. Join hands once again. Everybody, including you, should be in one circle around the pot. Make sure everybody appreciates the wonderful smell that comes from the pot.

9. Repeat "Let this Halloween give me lots of sweets. Hardly any tricks and a whole lot of treats." If you say this three times in a row, you should have a successful Halloween night. All hands should be locked and all children should repeat it in unison for full effect. This can be a very fun game for any Halloween party for pre-trick or treating shenanigans. It certainly beats some of the mischief that is tempting for children to get into on such a night.

Tips & Warnings

• Use your imagination to create a "spell" for any particular needs and wishes the children may have. If it's for a lot of candy that night, alter it towards that goal. It's all up to you.

• Don't take this spell too seriously. It's fun for kids and adults alike, but it is meant for entertainment purposes only.

• Don't let children near the boiling concoction. There should be no running or horseplay near the pot. Serious harm could come if the boiling water or mixture has contact with someone.