How to Help Make Halloween More Fun, and Less Scary, For Your Preschool Child

The Halloween season is full of many sights and sounds that young children have not yet encountered. By explaining some of Halloween's tricks in advance, you can make the experience more of a treat for your child.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Non-threatening mask or paper plate made into a mask
• Stuffed animals
• Time

1. Talk about masks. Use a non-threatening mask that you already have, or make one out of a paper plate. The idea is to demonstrate that the person underneath the mask does not change when he is wearing a mask. Start out by trying the mask on one of your child's stuffed animals. Put it on and take it off a number of times, talking about how "silly" it looks. Try the mask on different stuffed animals; if she becomes comfortable, let her put the mask on you, or try it on herself. Pretend to make the stuffed animal talk in a different voice when it has the mask on, and then take it off, and say something like, "oh, it's just bear pretending to be a cat!" You can also make it into a game, by hiding some stuffed animals behind you, and then trying a mask on one of them to see if your child can guess which one it is. You can take this to another level by using costumes, on a different day.

2. Talk about how beautiful it is after dark. Look at the stars and the moon. Identify animal and insect noises. Try out flashlights and light sticks. Discuss the differences between night and day.

3. Play "surprise" games. Have your child hide behind something and jump out at you, yelling "boo!" (she will love this, and want to do it again and again). Get out a jack-in-the-box. Play hide and seek.

4. Make Halloween decorations together, and put them around the house. When you pass other houses with Halloween decorations, point them out.

5. Practice trick-or-treating during the daytime at your house. Explain how it works, and then be the trick-or-treater. Let your child answer the door after you ring the doorbell, and say "trick-or-treat!" Have her put a pom-pom (or something else representing candy) into your bag or bucket. Try this activity a few times, and then see if she wants to be the trick-or-treater. Even if you don't plan on going trick-or-treating, this will prepare her for the children that come to your house on Halloween night.

Tips & Warnings

• If you prefer to avoid traditional trick-or-treating, you can always call ahead to a few friends or family members, and make arrangements to "trick-or-treat" at their houses during the day.
• The idea of these activities is to help your child to understand Halloween, so that it will be more fun and exciting. She will probably still be surprised and/or scared at things she encounters. Avoid forcing things on your child, and saying things like, "don't be a baby!" and so on. This sends her the message that her feelings are invalid.
• Always remember to be safe on Halloween, and to check your child's candy.
• Have fun!

Resources

• For fun Halloween activities, programs, and parties for kids in Connecticut, click here

[LettyMaldonado]

on 10/13/2008 Great ideas.