Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Ideas for Kids

Halloween is one of the best times of year for kids because: candy. However, it can be a little scary for younger children to see all those very realistic zombies, witches, and vampires. Help keep the holiday fun for your preschooler by hosting a not-so-scary Halloween party instead before or after trick-or-treating.

Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Music

Need a playlist for your party? Search Spotify or Pandora using terms like “Halloween Kids” or “Family Halloween” – if you just type “Halloween,” you’ll get some creepy stuff! Here are some favorites for preschoolers:

• The Elmo Says Boo! Album from Sesame Street has classics like “The Monster Mash” and fun original offerings like, “Be Kind to Your Neighborhood Monsters” and “Loveable Monsters of Sesame Street.” This album reminds us that monsters can be cuddly.
• Mickey’s Monster Bash and the Wee Sing for Halloween albums also have lots of non-scary, sing-a-long Halloween songs and are available on iTunes. Help the kids make up hand movements or a dance to a few songs for added silliness – then perform for the parents!

Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Movies

Want to have movie time at your party? You can skip the horror section for this group:

• Check out a classic like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
• Try something newer like, Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie, Monsters, Inc., or Eloise’s Rawther Unusual Halloween.
• Little Bitties will enjoy Barney: Halloween Party (though their attendant adults may not).
• An option you may not know about – if you can find it – is Halloween is Grinch Night, a Halloween-themed prequel to the Grinch stealing, and then returning, Christmas.

Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Activities

Courtesy: Dollar Store Mom

Many traditional Halloween activities like touching squishy “eyeballs” (i.e., peeled grapes) and touring haunted houses are too scary for little kids, but DIY games like Pumpkin Bowling, Pin the Tail on the Black Cat, and Witch’s Hat Ring Toss are fun alternatives.

Young children also love messy crafts so consider painting small pumpkins, decorating treat bags, or creating Halloween scenes on construction paper with stick-on foam. Just be sure you have some smocks on hand to cover up those costumes!

For an almost-spooky feel, find glow-in-the dark paint and stickers for your crafting. If you run out of activities but still have time left, consider a candy swap! Let kids trade what they collected during trick-or-treating for items they really want so everyone goes home with some favorites. Just be sure to collect the “suspicious-looking” pieces for a personal taste test. Note: I always find the Reese’s cups to look pretty suspicious.

What kind of no-so-scary Halloween party ideas do you like to do?