Only a month away

[Josiegirl]

Do you all throw a party for Halloween? Do you give them a treat bag or something else or nothing at all? How far exactly do you go as to the party thing?
Just trying to plan ahead.....

[nothingwithoutjoy]

Nothing. Halloween is over-stimulating and sugary enough; I see my role as giving them a nice calm normal day and plenty of sleep and good food to balance the sugar/stimulation/late night that's to come.

Our town has a "Rag-Shag Parade" where kids and parents all parade down the street in costume. Most years, we've coordinated a meeting spot so all the kids can go together, or at least see each other in costume. But that's off the clock.

[kendallina]

We do a halloween party. Kids dress up in pajamas (I really don't want costumes here) and we paint pumpkins to take home, play a couple of games and usually decorate and eat a cookie. I LOVE halloween! Some years with my older kids (4-5 year olds), I've done a "haunted cave"-which was just a piece of gray fabric hung in the corner of the room, which made a wonderful little hide out for them for the day.

[littletots]

Daycare nothing. I do follow a Fall pumpkin theme in Oct. I used to decorate outside until my provider girlfriend got into whole crazy thing when her dcp complained to the office that oversees us. Dck afraid of her decorations (crying getting out of car), DCM upset child was upset, asked provider to remove decorations, providers own kids & husband mad, office gets involved, decorations were modified. It was stressful just hearing her updates. Just not worth all the drama.

[jenboo]

Pajama day and decorate cookies. That's what I do for everything.

[Baby Beluga]

We....
-wear pjs
-watch a Halloween movie (this year it is Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest) -eat regular food dressed up for Halloween (juice box wrapped in TP to look like a mummy, pretzels stick and string cheese to look like a witches broom, banana ghosts, mummy hot dogs, pumpkin cutie oranges)

[Josiegirl]

Pajama Day sounds good! I've been wanting to do one for awhile anyways. And I love all the Halloweenish food ideas.
Maybe this year I can plan early so I can avoid the last minute stressed out 'what do I do now' feeling.

[bklsmum]

I do a PJ party and we watch a Halloween movie and do a Halloween craft. I do a little goody bag of Halloween stuff from the Dollar Tree too.

[Play Care]

Last year I changed it up - I had been allowing them to bring and wear their costumes. The boys were usually superheroes or ninjas which led to constant play fighting and wrestling. The girls had pieces and parts (tiaras, wands, shoes, gloves, etc) inevitably some one lost a small costume piece and it couldn't be located before pick up every. single. year.

Soooooo, last year we went to more of a Harvest party - No outside costumes. Instead I brought up dress up that never sees the light of day for them to play with, we had lots of games, decorated masks, and had a treat (cider with cider donuts) Soooooo much better.

And the best part was that I closed early that day (4:00 rather that 4:45) happyfacehappyfacehappyface

[finsup]

I'm doing a party a week and a half or so before! It will be the day I go on maternity leave too kids can wear their costumes or pick one from the dress up collection, or not wear one at all if they don't want to. Then we'll paint pumpkins, decorate cookies, do a scavenger hunt for the bigger kids and a movie in the afternoon. It will be a busy day but fun!

[Blackcat31]

Nothing. Halloween is over-stimulating and sugary enough; I see my role as giving them a nice calm normal day and plenty of sleep and good food to balance the sugar/stimulation/late night that's to come.

This. ^^

If Halloween falls on a weekday, I make it very clear to parents that I do not do "candy hangovers" and WILL call for pick up if the child(ren) are cranky or sick due to staying up too late or due to eating too much sugar.

In the last few years, I've actually closed on the day after Halloween.

I'd love to close every year on Halloween and the day afterwards... because honestly....I hate Halloween.

[Ariana]

My kids are not really aware of what Halloween is so other than bringing out the dress up clothes and maybe painting some paper pumpkins I likely won't do anything. I don't do themes so unless the kids are showing verbal interest in it I don't do anything.