Halloween is a fun fall holiday, but for kids new to the holiday, whether foster or adoptive, it can be scary and not in a good Halloween way!
What can you do to help prepare new foster children or newly adopted children for Halloween?Start Off with Some Fall Fun With Your Kids
Slow down and enjoy the fun stuff that fall naturally brings. Fall itself is fun. Think of the things you enjoyed when you were little. Many foster children have not experienced these every day little pleasures.
Rake leaves and jump into the piles. My past foster children loved this and had never done it before.
Enjoy walks together as a family and note the changing colors. We try to find the most interesting leaf shape or color.
Visit a pumpkin patch and have every family member pick a pumpkin or get a great big one for the entire family to enjoy.
Visit a crop maze. These are fun for all ages. My teen boys had a blast running through one last season.
Plant fall bulbs together. Allow the kids their own section of a garden.
Some Kids Have Never Gone Trick Or Treat Before
For some kids in foster care or who have been adopted internationally, Halloween can be over-whelming. One of my foster sons had never been trick-or-treating before. Helping him get ready for the night was very exciting for us both. He turned out to be a very dashing, and of course, scary Vampire!
What Can You do to Help Kids Prepare for Halloween?
- Read books together about fall, Halloween and trick-or-treating. For ideas visit Top 10 Halloween Books for Children selected by the Children's Book Guide.
Stroll down the Halloween section of stores and pick out fun props for decorating or get ideas to create spooky stuff on your own.
Enjoy television shows like It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown or other holiday hits offered on TV.
Look through magazines for costume ideas.
Let the kids choose their costumes or help create them. Make sure they can easily walk in the outfits, that there is nothing to trip on and that masks have large eye holes. Make-up is a better option as it doesn't obstruct vision.
Preparing to Go Trick-or-Treating
- Go over safety rules like:
- crossing the street
- only go to houses where the porch light is on
- don't eat candy before it's checked by an adult
Teach your kids to trick-or-treat at houses where your family is familiar with the occupants.
Accompany the kids or have an older child, like a teen, go with them.
Talk about the fun some houses put into the night with scary music, lighting, or costumes. Being scared is more fun when you know it's fake.
Go over manners with the children, remind the kids to say, "Thank you" and to not disturb any fun props that a house might have on display in the yard or on the porch.
Set a time limit to the trick-or-treating so that the kids don't over do themselves or get enough candy to last until next Halloween.
Set out a fun dinner before the kids go trick-or-treating. Be creative and of course, gross. For example: put cheese-whiz on a pretzel and call it "buggers on a stick". Serve chilled grapes and call them eye balls. We love this tradition.
Some Kids May Not Be Able to Celebrate Halloween Due to Religious Beliefs
What are some fall fun options?Rent movies, stay home, and eat pop corn.
Start a new tradition - order pizza and stay home telling each other dumb jokes. See who can tell the funniest story.
- Attend fun fall parties that some communities or churches offer.
Bake cookies together.
Build a scarecrow together for the front yard. Set up other fall decorations like gourds, pumpkins and bales of hay.
Enjoy many of the other fun fall options mentioned above, like the corn mazes and pumpkin patches.
