Halloween is usually one of the holidays that kids love the most. How can you keep Halloween fun for your tweens? The trick is in finding something for them to do that’s fun for older kids, yet safe enough for the not-quite-teen crowd. Use your imagination and you can create a new tradition for the tweens in your family that carries the Halloween fun on for several more years.
Trick-or-treat patrol
Tween girls who like spending time with younger kids might enjoy offering to take small groups of younger neighborhood children trick-or-treating, so their parents can have a break. Make sure there is a plan for staying together and clear directions as to which streets they are allowed to trick-or-treat on. A long rope with knots tied at intervals is great for the little ones to hold on to while moving between houses. Make sure at least one of the tweens has a cell phone with phone numbers for all of the parents.
Spooky spot
Older teenagers might love the local haunted house, but they are usually over-the-top scary for younger kids. Let your tween organize a group of her friends and put together a haunted house for little ones on your side yard or in the garage. Your tween and friends become the actors and tour guides! Keep it low-key and fun, so the younger kids can enjoy it without being scared. You can even include spooky snacks like peeled-grape eyeballs or spaghetti noodle brains. Between the planning and creating, this stretches out the Halloween fun.
Check out these homemade Halloween decorations >>
Scary movie night
Let your tween gather some friends in costume and host a scary movie night. Parents should be in agreement about which scary movie is appropriate, but even old Halloween episodes of The Simpsons would be fun. Each tween can bring a scary snack to share, which can be as creative or simple as they choose. Pop big batches of popcorn, pile up the pizza slices and give them some space. Expect some screaming.
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Treat someone nice
If you have a hospital near your town with a children’s ward, find out if they sponsor any type of Halloween event for their patients. Being in the hospital over Halloween would be really hard for a younger child, and chances are the hospital staff works hard to do something fun for them. Why not have your tween and friends volunteer to help? Whether they are handing out candy to patients or just visiting rooms in costume, bringing a smile to someone’s face is a great way to spend an evening.
Being a tween doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to Halloween fun. With a bit of imagination and a few friends, your tween can have just as much fun as the teenagers — without all the blood and gore.
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Fun Halloween party invitations
Free Halloween pumpkin carving design templates