It’s said that Halloween is now the most decorated holiday, even more so than Christmas! We are sure your little ones, and maybe the not-so-little ones, are excited about dressing up for trick-or-treating or school parties. Here are some fun ideas for treats, decorations, and activities for the upcoming fall season!
Halloween Food!
Tasty Halloween-themed foods can be great at any meal. Think of ghost or pumpkin-shaped pancakes for breakfast. Pumpkin and gingerbread mixes are even available to “autumn up” those morning flapjacks!
For lunch, use a cookie cutter to make the shape of a pumpkin, apple, or Halloween character from a peanut butter sandwich. A whole orange or clementine could also be decorated like you would decorate a pumpkin. For older children (not young enough to be at risk of choking), frozen grapes in their drinks can act as ice and look like eyeballs!
Simply wrapping a packaged cheese stick with tissue or crepe paper can make a quick ghost or mummy, too. Use a marker for the eyes and either wrap the paper around it for the mummy or add a small bow for the ghost.
Halloween-themed party snacks are always fun! Look at this fruit tray that would surely be a hit at any party. What kid wouldn’t want to decorate fruit to look like ghosts, Frankenstein, a monster’s mouth, or candy corn!
This Veggie Skeleton is easy and exciting to create, and even small kids can help by putting the shape together after you cut all of the ingredients. Munching down on a pepper rib will be fun!
Or what about making these cute mummies on a slice of squash or zucchini? You could also use an English muffin or rounds of pizza dough for the base. The mozzarella bandages and olive eyes help to bring out their personality, don’t they?
Your kiddos can help put together any of these easy snacks. This could even be an activity within your party agenda. Make a tray with the ingredients, let them be creative, and the adults could even get caught up in the fun as the decorating gets going!
It is a good idea to have the adults or teens do the cutting and peeling. Melted chocolates can also get hot enough that they should be temperature tested before little children do the dipping.
Non-Candy Treats
Pre-packaged snacks are always best for school or for giving out at your front door, but it doesn’t need to be sweets you share. Halloween pencils, themed erasers, stickers, and glow sticks are only some of the great ideas for giving. Mini squishy characters like ghosts, pumpkins, mummies, etc., are trending this year.
Now for the Activities!
If you are hosting the party or hanging out with your kids, here are some ideas for do-it-yourself decorations and fun games!
Capture the Cone
Decorate a traffic cone with paint or colored tape, then use an inflatable ring to toss it over the pointed end. Transform the traffic cone into a witch’s hat, a mummy, a piece of candy corn, creepy mushrooms, or even a ghost. Let the little ones use their imagination! Whichever child can make the ring go over the cone from the farthest distance wins the game.
Mr. Bones
Craft a drawn skeleton or get a paper cut-out to place on a poster board, and then give each child a bow to pin on the skeleton’s neck for his bow tie. You can blindfold the child and see if they can get the tie on Mr. Bones in the right place!
Hanging Eyeballs!
Kids of all ages may like to make these Hanging Eyeballs for a door decoration or to hang on the fridge. They are easy to make with crayons or colored markers, and you can construct them from inexpensive paper plates.
Local Events and Activities
The autumn season brings a sense of comfort when just thinking about it. Warm and cozy clothing, shorter days, and the beautiful colors of the outdoors make almost everyone want to slow down and take it all in. Now is the time for families to get together and take advantage of the cooler weather.
Here are some suggestions for fun fall family activities that the whole family can enjoy! We’ve added a few links to events near us.
Visit Phoenix has a great list of fall events, including Fall Festivals, Pumpkin Patches and Corn Mazes, and even beautiful scenic drives. Check it out!
Schnepf Farms Pumpkin and Chili Party
This fun event runs Thursdays through Sundays throughout October. Enjoy the Schnepf Roller Coaster, Swing Ride, Flying farmer, Jumping Pillows, Lil farmers play yard, Ropes Course, Zip lines, Pig Race, Bonfires, Live entertainment, Dog Show, Carousel rides, Giant board games, Shops, a 4-acre corn maze, a 10- acre Celebrity corn maze, Amusement rides, and more. Click Here to learn more.
Canyon Lake on the Tonto National Forest on the Apache Trail
Now that temps will start getting lower, it’s the perfect time to enjoy some of the phenomenal hikes that Phoenix has to offer.
And last but not least, don’t miss the Arizona State Fair 2023!
That’s Fall, Y’all!
As we enter this season of celebrating harvest and Thanksgiving, we would like to thank you for making us your dental home, and hope you enjoy this wonderful time of year!
