Scare Up Some Fun at Your Halloween Bash!

Some neighborhoods are not suited for going door to door with little goblins, but that doesn’t mean you can’t scare up a fun party. With only a few supplies and prep work you can be the spookiest hostess ever!

Munchies
• To combat the sweets, let the princesses and ninjas make their own monster pizzas. Provide ready-made pizza shells or dough, a bowl of “worms” (shredded cheese) and an assortment of toppings that can be formed into spooky faces: olives for eyes, wedges of peppers for eyebrows and scowls, pepperoni for cheeks.

• Wrap hot dogs in refrigerated breadstick dough to create “mummies” for another hit with kids. Bake until lightly browned and serve with dipping sauces.

• Cut-up carrots, celery and jicama sticks can be monster fingers!

Weirdities
Set up a table of touchable monster parts. With a little imagination you can come up with body parts, starting in your pantry or fridge!

• Cold boiled spaghetti noodles, lightly oiled and piled in a bowl look and feel a lot like brains—ooky! Another kid favorite is peeled grapes…for creepy eyeballs!

• Another weird touchy-feely fun thing is oobleck. To make, simply put 2 parts corn starch and 1 part water into a bowl. Food coloring can be added—green is especially gross—but it can stain skin or costumes, so be careful. It changes properties from solid to liquid before your eyes! (Older kids will love to call it something gross like “bile,” but they are just as intrigued by this gooky stuff!)

Games
• Divide the group into teams, and hand out three rolls of toilet paper to each group. At the word, “Boo!” give them five minutes to wrap a mummy from head to toe! At the end of the game, gather the paper in big bags and recycle. (Even preschoolers think wrapping daddy like a mummy is pretty funny!)

• Remember apple bobbing? Try a dry take on it! Divide into teams, and have one person hold a string with an apple attached for another teammate to eat. Remember, no hands! For added challenge, blindfold the apple holders and eaters!