Halloween Ideas

Another candy-filled holiday is fast approaching. There is candy everywhere - school, PTA activities, stores, etc. What is a mom to do?

In our family we have a tradition that is a little different that most.  I am blessed to have my parents nearby and we spend every Halloween with them. We carve pumpkins ( I like doing it last minutes so I can roast them later), watch It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, drink "Witch's Brew," eat a fun dinner and have cupcakes (I did mention grandparents right?). This year my the kids are looking forward to pumpkin chili, pumpkin brownies and pumpkin cider. My oldest is 7 now and has never wanted to go Trick-or-Treating, preferring to be spoiled at Grandma and Grandpa's house. This may change at some point, but for now everyone is happy and I am thankful.

If this doesn't sound like a good time to you, here are a few other ideas and recipes for fun:

• Trick-or-Treating with the Switch Witch - The idea here is that most of the sugary treats are traded for a fun toy. Check out this funny video for a more dramatized explanation: http://www.mamanatural.com/the-switch-witch/
• Throw your own Halloween party with a few friends and some healthy/creepy treats. My Pinterest favorites include satsuma "pumpkins" and yogurt-covered banana "ghosts." Include classic games such as Bobbing-for-Apples and Pin-the-Face-on-the-Pumpkin. The kids may also enjoy carving faces into an apple and filling with with cheese or nut butter.
• Halloween book and movie night
• Movies
• It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (this is the only on on the list that my kids have seen)
• Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie
•  Ghost Busters
• Hocus Pocus
•  E.T.
• Books for Preschool through First-Grade (or longer)
• Berenstein Bears Trick-or-Treat
• The Runaway Pumpkin by Kevin Lewis
• The Legend of Spookly the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano
• Curious George Goes to a Costume Party by Margaret Rey
• The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

• Make Witch's Brew - this idea comes from my mom, Debbie Bearden. Combine fruit juice and sparkling water (or sparkling cider) and pour into a bowl with dry ice. The resultiing fog will be a guaranteed hit with the kids.