Well here we are. It's Trick or Treat today and it's disgusting out. It's raining and cold and muddy and gross. I've got two under three and you know what? The best part of this day was always going to be the running outside and swinging a pumpkin bucket. Because Pants doesn't fully grasp the idea yet and Plum won't know what she's missing, we are skipping ye olde T & T today. I mean, I'm not gonna risk wet feet and muddy ruby slippers for candy Plum can't eat anyway.
Side note: This also means I no longer need to get all the little goodies to distribute to everyone to give to the little allergic baby Dorothy when she happens by their house. There will be plenty of years for that because peanuts/peanut butter and milk are in just about every single candy bar. So there's that.
Anyhoo, moving on....the point is that while Trick or Treat is pretty much the most amazing night of any school age kid's life, the littles can take it or leave it. Soooo if you are discouraged about the Frankenstorm ruining all your fun and you have tiny people let me give you a few ideas!
Side note: This also means I no longer need to get all the little goodies to distribute to everyone to give to the little allergic baby Dorothy when she happens by their house. There will be plenty of years for that because peanuts/peanut butter and milk are in just about every single candy bar. So there's that.
Anyhoo, moving on....the point is that while Trick or Treat is pretty much the most amazing night of any school age kid's life, the littles can take it or leave it. Soooo if you are discouraged about the Frankenstorm ruining all your fun and you have tiny people let me give you a few ideas!
There's no place like home
1. Carve/Paint MORE pumpkins: Be honest. Did you carve your pumpkin yet? Or did it rot on the porch. Tell mama the truth. Regardless, pumpkins get cheaper the closer you get to Halloween and who says you should only carve pumpkins one time? If someone said that they were wrong. Cause that's a dumb rule. Go get a few more pumpkins and have some fun painting and carving them.
2. Go shopping: Get the babes gussied up and go to an indoor shopping center (are they still called malls?) First of all, no extra layers or bundling needed so their costumes will be seen for the magnificent creation that they are instead of hidden under raincoats and umbrellas and boots. PLUS, I betcha the stores at your mall (seriously, are they indoor shopping complex's now or what?) have employees with bowls of candy if that's your thing. Then take in some lunch with your little superheroes at the food court. Because eating at a food court is totes the equivalent of a bucket full of candy if we are talking about nutrition. And there is something magical about a food court experience for kids. It's like the food is made by Santa Claus. But if you choose not to hit the food court....
3. Have a harvest floor picnic/tea party: Encourage your people to get super dressed up. That includes you too, mom/dad/grandpa/grandma/others. Everyone must come to the harvest floor picnic looking amazing. So don't even try to get out of that or you will be pooping on the party. Don't be a party pooper. Slap on some ridiculous clothes and funky make-up and join up. Lay out a blanket on the floor and have a Halloween themed lunch or tea party.
4. Go and make someone's day: Now this will take a little investigation on your part. There just might be a place to Trick or Treat after all. Some senior complexes have T&T inside. This is an everybody wins option. The kids get to beg for candy and the seniors are delighted to have young ones to talk to. When I was little my mom would take us to a nursing home or senior living complex to sing Christmas songs and visit with some folks who may not be getting a lot of visitors.
5. Get old fashioned up in this business: Have an indoor Halloween party, Man! Halloween doesn't have to be all about the big begfest. Have your kiddies make some art for the walls and put on some jams. Dance and play. Better yet, don't just dance. Bust out the Ghost-style Freeze Dance. Get the costumes on and have a photo-shoot then get your party on. Here's a sample play by play for you...
A) Make the art/ decorate the house.
B) Bob for apples toddler style: If your little person is too small to plunge their face into a bowl of water (like mine), just put some apples in a bowl and show them how to pick them up in their mouths. I guarantee you they will think this is the coolest thing they have ever seen. Laughing will ensue and probably some growling dog impressions. Once all the apples are properly destroyed and slobbered on, cut 'em up and make an apple pie or apple crisp together.
C) Freeze Dance! Ghost style: Did you know that toddlers and preschoolers think it is HI-LAR-IOUS to freeze while dancing? Oh yes they do. Did you also know that they love to put things over their heads? It is true. Get some old sheets out, cut a few holes and do some ghost dancing. Shout out "FREEZE!" and freeze yourself. I betcha you only have to show them once. Oh and make sure that at the end everyone collapses into a heaping ghost pile because if I know toddlers, they love to fall down. Good stuff.
D) Eats: No need to get all fancy with the food. Just make it something they really like. You will get awesome parent points if you make it something they aren't always allowed to have. I mean, it IS Halloween after all.
E) Finish up your party with whatever you want. Silly ghost stories or songs. or both. A candy/prize hunt (think egg hunt). Camp out on the floor with some candy corn and watch It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Anything at all. Just be sure that you are in this win this. The most important part of any indoor party with littles is that YOU are having a blast. Kids love it, and I mean they LOVE it when the adults let go of their adult stuffiness and get silly. Go all in. Be a kid with them. You will find you had a crazy amount of fun.
2. Go shopping: Get the babes gussied up and go to an indoor shopping center (are they still called malls?) First of all, no extra layers or bundling needed so their costumes will be seen for the magnificent creation that they are instead of hidden under raincoats and umbrellas and boots. PLUS, I betcha the stores at your mall (seriously, are they indoor shopping complex's now or what?) have employees with bowls of candy if that's your thing. Then take in some lunch with your little superheroes at the food court. Because eating at a food court is totes the equivalent of a bucket full of candy if we are talking about nutrition. And there is something magical about a food court experience for kids. It's like the food is made by Santa Claus. But if you choose not to hit the food court....
3. Have a harvest floor picnic/tea party: Encourage your people to get super dressed up. That includes you too, mom/dad/grandpa/grandma/others. Everyone must come to the harvest floor picnic looking amazing. So don't even try to get out of that or you will be pooping on the party. Don't be a party pooper. Slap on some ridiculous clothes and funky make-up and join up. Lay out a blanket on the floor and have a Halloween themed lunch or tea party.
4. Go and make someone's day: Now this will take a little investigation on your part. There just might be a place to Trick or Treat after all. Some senior complexes have T&T inside. This is an everybody wins option. The kids get to beg for candy and the seniors are delighted to have young ones to talk to. When I was little my mom would take us to a nursing home or senior living complex to sing Christmas songs and visit with some folks who may not be getting a lot of visitors.
5. Get old fashioned up in this business: Have an indoor Halloween party, Man! Halloween doesn't have to be all about the big begfest. Have your kiddies make some art for the walls and put on some jams. Dance and play. Better yet, don't just dance. Bust out the Ghost-style Freeze Dance. Get the costumes on and have a photo-shoot then get your party on. Here's a sample play by play for you...
A) Make the art/ decorate the house.
B) Bob for apples toddler style: If your little person is too small to plunge their face into a bowl of water (like mine), just put some apples in a bowl and show them how to pick them up in their mouths. I guarantee you they will think this is the coolest thing they have ever seen. Laughing will ensue and probably some growling dog impressions. Once all the apples are properly destroyed and slobbered on, cut 'em up and make an apple pie or apple crisp together.
C) Freeze Dance! Ghost style: Did you know that toddlers and preschoolers think it is HI-LAR-IOUS to freeze while dancing? Oh yes they do. Did you also know that they love to put things over their heads? It is true. Get some old sheets out, cut a few holes and do some ghost dancing. Shout out "FREEZE!" and freeze yourself. I betcha you only have to show them once. Oh and make sure that at the end everyone collapses into a heaping ghost pile because if I know toddlers, they love to fall down. Good stuff.
D) Eats: No need to get all fancy with the food. Just make it something they really like. You will get awesome parent points if you make it something they aren't always allowed to have. I mean, it IS Halloween after all.
E) Finish up your party with whatever you want. Silly ghost stories or songs. or both. A candy/prize hunt (think egg hunt). Camp out on the floor with some candy corn and watch It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Anything at all. Just be sure that you are in this win this. The most important part of any indoor party with littles is that YOU are having a blast. Kids love it, and I mean they LOVE it when the adults let go of their adult stuffiness and get silly. Go all in. Be a kid with them. You will find you had a crazy amount of fun.
The Family Pants will be attempting the in house party today. I will be taking a ridiculous amount of pictures. Make sure you stop by the Facebook page tomorrow for some highlights. And while you're there, if you haven't already hit that little button that says you 'LIKE' us, I'd love it if you did.
Now I want YOUR ideas! What kinds of fun are you having with the tiny
humans in your life this Halloween?
Now I want YOUR ideas! What kinds of fun are you having with the tiny
humans in your life this Halloween?
