I knew I wanted to do something the kids might get a kick out of. Plus, since the party was meant to remain "open" during the night, I wanted to do something fun for those visitors as well... so when I saw a candy-filled beaker in Target, I came up with the idea of a "Hot Chocolate Lab"! Who wouldn't love to have a cup of hot chocolate as they walk around in the cold, and what fun to do it with a self-serve Halloween lab?! So, using names like "Powdered Blood" for cinnamon and "Ghost Foam" for whipped cream, here is our "Hot Chocolate Lab." Everyone thought it was really fun.
Other fun stuff during the night included easy, quick games the kids could play: "eyeball toss" into the pumpkin, witch hat ring toss and the "witch's stew" game I originally featured here.
But the game the kids really reacted to was the ol' "put your hand in the box to touch something creepy" game! We posted this little story for everyone to read before they started. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
It's a little story about our house being haunted and the suspicious artifacts we found in the backyard, that included the items that were in the boxes.
There were four boxes. First of all, to make the boxes, I used the boxes that copy paper comes in at your office. I used acrylic craft paint to paint them freehand. Then I cut out a rectangle from the top of each one. Over the rectangle cut-out, I used double-sided tape to attach a big square of black felt. Then, I cut an "X" into the black felt, just big enough for a child's hand and arm to go in. The contents were underneath the box in a plastic bowl.
In the boxes were: "Defective Eyeballs" (canned mushrooms); "Cold Veins" (Ramen noodles); "Brain" (head of cauliflower with gelatin spread over it) and "Knobby Toes" (baby pickles). The kids faces as they reached in were priceless! I think I may actually save the boxes for next year!
Finally, we also had cookie decorating and a glow-stick craft. I wanted a craft the kids could use through the night and wouldn't be cumbersome to carry around. Each child got a glow-stick and they got to decorate it as a wand (with craft jewels) or a spider (with black pipe cleaners) or whatever else their imagination came up with.
Everyone had fun, parents and kids. It was a lot of work for just a couple of hours, but it was totally worth it! It really helped jump-start the night and get everyone excited about going out trick-or-treating.
Other fun stuff during the night included easy, quick games the kids could play: "eyeball toss" into the pumpkin, witch hat ring toss and the "witch's stew" game I originally featured here.
But the game the kids really reacted to was the ol' "put your hand in the box to touch something creepy" game! We posted this little story for everyone to read before they started. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
It's a little story about our house being haunted and the suspicious artifacts we found in the backyard, that included the items that were in the boxes.
There were four boxes. First of all, to make the boxes, I used the boxes that copy paper comes in at your office. I used acrylic craft paint to paint them freehand. Then I cut out a rectangle from the top of each one. Over the rectangle cut-out, I used double-sided tape to attach a big square of black felt. Then, I cut an "X" into the black felt, just big enough for a child's hand and arm to go in. The contents were underneath the box in a plastic bowl.In the boxes were: "Defective Eyeballs" (canned mushrooms); "Cold Veins" (Ramen noodles); "Brain" (head of cauliflower with gelatin spread over it) and "Knobby Toes" (baby pickles). The kids faces as they reached in were priceless! I think I may actually save the boxes for next year!
Finally, we also had cookie decorating and a glow-stick craft. I wanted a craft the kids could use through the night and wouldn't be cumbersome to carry around. Each child got a glow-stick and they got to decorate it as a wand (with craft jewels) or a spider (with black pipe cleaners) or whatever else their imagination came up with.
Everyone had fun, parents and kids. It was a lot of work for just a couple of hours, but it was totally worth it! It really helped jump-start the night and get everyone excited about going out trick-or-treating.
I love the idea of a Chocolate Lab! I'm sure some parents in my neighborhood would have loved a cup of warm hot chocolate while walking the kids around.
ReplyDeleteThe 'remains' boxes are great too. I just love new takes on classic items!