Little Children's Halloween Party
Are you considering throwing a kids Halloween party for your preschoolers?
Perhaps you are worried about the responsibility and stress of having a dozen or so small children under your care at your home? Do you despair at the thought of facing a room full of tired and crying toddlers, thoroughly over-stimulated with fizzy drinks and sweets, with a full hour to go before their pickup time?
Here's your guide for throwing a preschoolers party for a crowd of five or under kids. It's surprisingly simple and you CAN do it without losing your mind!
Rule 1: MAKE IT SHORT
You don't need to host an all day or all afternoon party for preschoolers. Two hours is fine for a child three or under. Three to four hours is enough time for children up to five.
Small children will tire easily from the excitement of a party. That leads to crying and fighting. With a short span of time you can have a game, food and free play without too many tantrums to interfere.
Rule 2: MAKE IT SMALL
A good rule of thumb is to invite the number of guests according to your child's age. Two year old's will be quite satisfied with two other party-goers, and do you really think five guests (plus your own) is too few for a five year old? This is especially important if you have other children of your own. You may chose to buddy up the party guests so each child has a friend. It's not about making a splashy show - it's about creating a fun and memorable experience.
Rule 3: HAVE HELP
You'll have much more fun yourself if some of the moms or dads stay around. The younger the child, the more necessary this is. For older children, be certain that SOMEONE is helping. You will need to prepare games and serve food as well as handle potty calls and be on hand to supervise. Having extra eyes and hands will go a long way towards keeping the party running smoothly.
Rule 4: PLAN ACTIVITIES
The great thing about entertaining preschoolers is that they will be quite happy to enjoy some amount of free play. If it's warm outside, try having a sprinkler available. If the party is inside, you could set up a small tent, or build some tunnels from cardboard boxes, to make up a simple haunted house. You will have a difficult time convincing them to even stop for a planned game.
However, party games and activities are what make a preschooler kids Halloween party special. Try face painting with a Halloween theme and dressing up as scary ghosts and witches with just a few sheets of old cloth and some water soluble markers. Easy treasure hunts, trying to keep balloons in the air, or even ring-around-the-rosy are popular party games that are sure to please. You could even try traditional Halloween games like trying to eat an apple on a string without using your hands. Just take care not to give the little ones nightmares by allowing older children to make scary Halloween games too frightening.
Move onto the food and provide finger friendly treats like crackers, cheese, and cut fruit they can dip in yogurt. Preschoolers may be too young to cope with the extreme kids Halloween party food ideas that fascinate older children, like portraying spaghetti as worms.
Allow some free play before winding things down with cake or 'make your own sundaes' just before pick up time. This will get the kids sitting down and breaking up the play without too many complications, as well as saving the worst of the sugar rush for when they get home!