How to Scare Children at Halloween

Halloween is the time of year when children dress up as ghouls, goblins, monsters and other characters and then go out trick-or-treating. For many kids, it is the most fun time of the year. There's no reason why they should have all the fun, though. This is especially true if you have children of your own. Frightening your kids on Halloween can be fun for both them and you (after they realize it was all a gag, of course).

Instructions

1. Create a scary story about your neighborhood or town that deals with Halloween. A favorite story to tell is one of somebody who went missing Halloween night and then returns to haunt the town's people. There are numerous routes to go when making this story up, so in the end it's up to your imagination. Make sure that the story is both believable and frightening for the children in your area. You should also try to get your other neighbors involved just in case the children begin asking around about the Halloween story you've been telling them.

2. Watch scary movies with the kids. This has two benefits when it comes to trying to scare children at Halloween. The kids become frightened during the actual movie. Then, they think about the horror film at a later time. Be careful when watching a scary movie with children, and don't watch a film that is too graphic.

3. Buy a machine or CD that makes scary noises and play it during the night a day or two before Halloween. This is an excellent addition to your scary story. Many times, you can find a toy or other electronic device that makes the sound of a “ghost” or “zombie." You should also be able to find numerous tapes or CDs in local stores that have these scary sounds, especially as Halloween approaches. Be sure to play the devices, CD or tapes in such a way that it isn't obvious that the noises are coming from an electronic or other device.

4. Have either a neighbor (or yourself if you can pull it off) dress up as a scary character on Halloween. This is the perfect way to finish off the scary story mentioned in Step 1. You could have that person stand outside of the children's window if their bedroom is on the first floor, or have the person be at a haunted house. Make sure, though, that the children see the person who is dressed up as the “scary villain.”

5. Create a haunted house in the neighborhood that the children must go through while trick-or-treating. This is an especially fun idea because it is something that you and your neighbors can all take part in. Choose a house in the neighborhood that is big enough to allow for numerous rooms in the haunted house. This allows for more creativity and thus more chances to scare the children.

Tips & Warnings

• Know when the children are getting too scared and try to not cross the line. Halloween is supposed to be fun, but you don't want the children to be so frightened that they don't enjoy the holiday. If things get too serious, inform them that it's all been a prank and nothing more.

Resources

• How to Make a Haunted House