Halloween Treats and Games

CTV Morning Live - October 31, 2013

MITK is dressed up as Octo-Mom to share some spooky recipes and spine-tingling games.

Halloween Treats - Less Sugary and Sweet

Halloween is one the most exciting holidays of the year at my house.  The kids are thrilled with their pick of costumes, they have chosen their pumpkins and are counting down the days until they can hit the streets and collect all of that candy. 

As a Mom, the thought of all of those sugary sweets has started to send shivers down my spine.   I know that treats come with the territory, but this year I have started to think about ways that I can incorporate healthier alternatives into our Halloween habits. 

 

Healthy Snack Options

Snacks don’t have to be over the top and sugary. 

• Packages of low-fat crackers with cheese
• Single-serve boxes of cereal
• Mini boxes of raisins
• Single-serve packets of low-fat popcorn
• Prepackaged fruits/vegetables
• 100-calorie packets
• Granola bars
• Sugar free gum

School Supplies

There are many fun Halloween and fall themed school supplies in the dollar stores and craft shops. 

• Pencils
• Stickers
• Erasers
• Pencil toppers
• Coins
• Rulers
• Stencils
• Bookmarks
• Mini crayon set
• Mini marker set
• Halloween rubber stamps
• Mini paper pads
• Small notebooks

Small Plastic Novelty Toys

Hit the dollar store and party supply stores to stock up on fun loot for trick or treaters. 

Plastic spiders

• Yo-yos
• Kazoos
• Fake vampire teeth
• Wax lips
• Mini containers or play-dough
• Silly Putty
• Bubbles
• Slide puzzles
• Puzzles
• Slime
• Fake eyeballs
• Spinning tops
• Bouncy balls
• Straws
• Glow sticks
• Whistles
• Mini Slinky
• Jumping spiders
• Stress balls
• Wind-up toys
• Finger puppets
• Slide whistles
• Balloons
• Kaleidoscopes
• Mini koosh balls
• Bendable plastic character figures
• Squishy bugs

Dress up Accessories

Don’t let the dress up fun end clock strikes midnight. These fun dress up accessories are good for both boys and girls.

• Plastic bracelets
• Snap bracelets
• Temporary tattoos
• Adjustable rings
• Disguise glasses
• Glow-in-the-dark bracelets
• Face mustaches
• Bat/Spider rings
• Vampire teeth

Ideas from my Facebook Fans

• Tooth brushes
• Dental floss
• Homemade slime

Kids Friendly Pumpkin Decorating

These kid – friendly pumpkin decorating ideas are super fun, safe and easy to do.  The best part is that they leave little mess and can be made and enjoyed well before the big day.

1. STICKERS

Stickers are the easiest, cleanest option for pumpkin decorating.  Most households with kids have lots of stickers.  On a quick  trip to the craft store or Scholar’s Choice you can pick up a sorts of Halloween themed stickers as well as a variety of textures, shapes and sizes.    You can even by stickers made for decorating pumpkins.  I really like the foam stickers because they are so easy for the kids to peel off and they bend to the shape of the pumpkin  

2. PAINT

There are so many wonderful things that kids can do with paint and pumpkins.  I love the idea of using trendy chalk board paint.  Kids can also use stencils, tape off sections or try neon paints to get a fun look.  Try puffy paint or glitter paint too. 

 

3. MR POTATO HEAD

Nothing could be easier for small hands.  Grab your Mr Potato head and stick his parts right into your pumpkin.  It’s just as much fun as the actual toy.  I have even seen sets of Halloween themed Mr Potato Head kits in the craft store.  You can get a witch or bat. 

 

4. DECORATIVE TAPE

There are so many wonderful decorative or Washi tapes available these days.  Our local craft stores have a huge variety. There are many interesting duct tapes in patterns and colours as well.   Kids can let their imagination run wild, creating fun designs and patterns. 

 

5. GLITTER

Glitter makes the most mesmerizing pumpkins.  It can be added to wet paint or glue to give a bit or a lot of sparkle.  It is fun to print off some easy pumpkin carving stencils but instead of cutting out the shapes on the pumpkin, paint some glue on it and make a glitter face! 

** cover work space with lots of newspaper and keep the vacuum handy

6. BUTTONS, COTTON BALLS, SEQUINs and all of the other fun stuff in the craft box.

Dig down to the bottom of your craft box or take a trip to your local craft store and stock up on jewels, buttons, colorful cotton balls, and sequins. Give your little crafter some glue and set them to work on their masterpiece. 

7. DECOUPAGE

Collect some strips of paper, bits of fabric or colourful leaves to create an interesting decoupage pumpkin.  Grab some modge podge and a foam paint brush.  Layer on your materials and seal.  The finished products are often great works of art.  

Follies of the Fall Forest - Guided tours of Gatineau Park

A dynamic, educational program for the whole family.  This two-hour program includes a short introduction at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre, followed by a guided hike along the Sugarbush Trail.  No reservation is necessary. Space is limited and is allotted on a first come, first served basis.

Saunders Farm

Haunting Season is now underway at Saunders Farm in Munster.  The Farm launched its most eek-citing and delicious Haunting Season ever. 

Visit a Pumpkin Patch

It’s not to early to get pick out the perfect pumpkin for this year’s spectacular Jack-0-Lantern.  There are many pumpkin pataches and stands around the region.  Nothing could be more perfect on a crisp Thanksgiving weekend. 

Carleton University Butterfly Exhibit

The Ottawa Butterfly Show is an annual event that runs daily from Saturday,October 5, 2013, to Monday, October 14, 2013, in the greenhouses of Carleton University’s biology department.

Some butterflies love to land on colourful clothing or you could just put your hand underneath and they would climb on. So bring your kids or your camera or both and enjoy this exhibit! But hurry, it’s only on as long as the butterflies’ lifespan!

Experimental Farm

At this time of year, many Canadian farms are harvesting the food crops that will sustain us throughout the year. To celebrate the harvest, join us at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, where you will see farm machinery, such as a baler and a model of a grain elevator, in action! Test your knowledge on Canadian food crops, such as apples, corn and pumpkins, by taking part in various challenges and talking to local producers (local produce will be available to purchase on site).

Pumpkinferno

Come and stroll through a hauntingly beautiful and spellbinding outdoor exhibit of now close to 6,000 hand-carved pumpkins, set against a stirring night-time backdrop just inside the gates of historic Upper Canada Village. Marvel at this eclectic display of scenes from exotic places and historic ages, meet up with forest animals and sea-born creatures, see story book heroes, mythical characters, cultural icons and more .... all carved from pumpkins!

Visit a Farmers' Market

Server and prepare on the freshest and best ingredients for your family and friends this Thanksgiving weekend.  Our local Farmers’ Markets are ripe with farm-fresh, in season products for you to enjoy. 

Kids Thanksgiving

Get the Kids Involved

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful family holiday and I love to get the kids involved in as much of the preparation as I can.  We are going to make  an autumn hand print maple tree, a table runner and a pinecone turkey decoration.   

This week, we will shop for some Thanksgiving themed paper napkins and small gourdes to decorate the house.

I will also have the kids help me write out the grocery list and then shop for all of the items we will need for the meal. 

The Kid’s Menu

Kids get so excited during family holidays.  There is so much energy and excitement in the house when decorations are put out, special foods are prepared and guests begin to arrive.  It is no wonder that kids have little appetite and find it hard to sit still for an elaborate meal.  I always make sure that there are a few fun options on the table that appeal to our littlest dinner guests. 

Fresh vegetables and dip

Cheese and crackers

Small buns / bread

Meats cut into bite-sized pieces

Bite – sized muffins or sweet breads

The Kid’s Table

Make you little guests feel welcome by sitting them at their own table.  I always start by covering the table with brown craft paper and leaving a dish of crayons in the centre.  I also printed out some Thanksgiving themed colouring pages and puzzles to keep them busy. 

This year I am starting a new tradition.  I bought an inexpensive table cloth and will ask my guest to write what they are thankful for on the cloth in permanent marker.  This will make an heirloom to treasure from year to year.