Planning for Halloween

If you’re like a lot of parents, the list of things that could go wrong on Halloween is enough to make you walk right out of your skin. The last thing you want to do is scream into the holiday without a plan. That would be ghastly—horrific even. So here are several Tricks to help ensure that your little goblins have a safe and fun holiday:

1.  Don’t let your party sneak up on people. If you’re planning a Halloween party, send invitations now. You’ll want to give the other parents plenty of time to arrange for your little get-together.

2.  Don’t wait until the last minute to buy candy and costumes. In fact, your local Halloween store may already be running thin in the costume department. You’re better off to start looking now. If you’re handy and plan to make your own costumes, be sure to give yourself enough time to finish.

3.  Sort and save the candy you collect. Sorting your young children’s candy makes it easier to ration. You could sort it by child to be sure each kid gets their own candy, or you could dump all the loot into one collective pile and sort it by candy type: chocolate in one bowl, chewy candy in another, sours in another. You decide. But keeping it separated and stored can help you control what gets eaten and when. (And it makes it easier for you to find your favorites once the kids have gone to bed.)

4.  Create a costume organization system. If you have several children of varying ages, you’re likely to have perfectly good costumes from previous years. Keep them in a large container in a closet that is separated by age and size so you can quickly find a costume for a child. It’s also a good idea to share your costumes with family and friends. Halloween is a one-day event, and you may not want to purchase a new costume each year that you’ll only wear for a few hours.

5.  Don’t postpone taking down decorations. The day after Halloween is November first—just weeks away from Thanksgiving. Don’t let your Halloween decorations molder on the lawn into November. That’s just scary. Put them away quickly so you can start celebrating the next season.

6.  Keep all Halloween decorations together in a labeled box. It’s much easier to decorate and get into the ghoulish spirit when everything you need is in one convenient place. Plan ahead for next year when you take down this year’s décor.

7.  Shop for new decorations right after the holiday ends. The day after Halloween is the best time to buy Halloween decorations for next year. Stores are in a hurry to clear their shelves for Thanksgiving and Christmas and you’ll find incredible sale prices on what’s left of their Halloween display. Although, by then you may just be picking at the bones.

8.  Shake things up with local events. You may be surprised at the number of fun family-oriented events that are taking place on Halloween. Local churches may be holding parties where all are invited. Your community center is sure to be alive with amusing activities. And there’s always a haunted house somewhere for the oldest members of the bunch. But while you’re running around, it’s wise to keep someone at home to man the door for the trick-or-treaters. You’d hate to disappoint the ghosts and goblins—there’s no telling what they might do.