If you’re like me, and many other parents, you might be wondering how to keep the excitement and fright alive during Halloween this year for your child, while observing the guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
With help from library resources, here are my suggestions on how to have a safe, responsible Halloween at home.
Monster Movie Marathon
Screen time is certainly up more than ever this year, but some quality content is still out there for kids. You can browse the collections on Kanopy Kids and Hoopla to make a screening schedule.
Suggestions:
A Very Brave Witch (Kanopy Kids, Hoopla)
Click, Clack, Boo! (Hoopla)
Los Gatos Black On Halloween (Kanopy Kids, Hoopla)
The Canterville Ghost (Hoopla)
You can also request popular children’s titles such as Hotel Transylvania 2 or The Nightmare Before Christmas through our home delivery program.
Creepy Crafts & DIY Activities
Not all children are able (or interested) to sit through a movie or storytime — even if it’s only 10 minutes. If your child needs more stimulation, then a craft or DIY activity might be another option to keep them entertained and having fun.
Suggestions:
- Parents can pick up craft packs at all library locations (while supplies last) with the supplies necessary to make crafts such as pumpkins and skeletons.
- Our Pinterest page is full of craft ideas for parents and families — many of which have a learning objective that can help your child practice or adopt a new skill.
- Staff member Lauren M.’s most recent Preschool Fun: Halloween blog post offers an idea for making a Halloween book.
Spooky Snacks & Treats
If you can attend our Cuisine Corner Junior or Little Chef events during the week of Halloween, we highly recommend doing so. Otherwise, we’ve included two recipes for hands-on snacks and treats you can make on Halloween with the kids.
Little Chef: PB&J Spider
Ingredients:
- Peanut Butter or Sun Butter | 1-2 tablespoons
- Grape Jelly | 1-2 tablespoons
- Sliced Bread | 2 slices per child
- Pretzels Sticks | 8 sticks per child
- Chocolate Chips | 1 Bag
Directions:
- Cut two bread slices into circles with a cookie cutter or the edge of a plastic cup.
- Smear peanut butter on one bread.
- Smear jelly on the other bread.
- Put the bread together.
- Add 4 pretzels to the sides of the bread for your spider’s legs.
- Add two chocolate chips for the eyes
- Enjoy!
Be sure to attend the virtual Little Chef – Monster Mash Trail Mix for an interactive Halloween treat. We’ve included the recipe below so you can start making this monster mix a little early!
