Start a new Fall Tradition...
Do you ever wonder how family traditions first started out?
Maybe your family has a tradition you have been following for years…and you don’t even know how it began.
Well, here is our quirky story and how it all came about.
Baby Halloween…
Years ago, when the first grandkids were babies, my daughters would come over on Halloween to show us their costumes.
They were too little to “trick or treat”, so I would have the house all decorated in non-scary Halloween décor.
We would have a simple meal and a special Halloween treat for them.
Hectic Holiday...
Soon enough, the kids were old enough to go out on Halloween to trick or treat.
We all remember those days right?
Rushing home from work to get a quick supper made, trying to get your kids to eat something before putting on their costumes, lol!
Four Seasons...
In Northern Illinois, it is absolutely beautiful in October, sunny days and crisp cool evenings.
One of the best months of the year.
Until October 31st…every year, on that specific date, the wind picks up from the North, the temperature drops to around 40 degrees.
It usually rains, as everyone and their brother has the streets filled with excited, slightly frozen kids.
It is a hectic evening for the moms. Of course, Halloween usually falls on a school night too, lol!
Needless to say, we wanted to see the grandkids in their costumes…but didn’t want to add another thing to our daughter’s plates as they are frantically looking around the house, to find the missing fairy wand…while putting on coats and mittens over the costumes, lol.
So the Idea was born...
Next year, we could host a “little” costume party, the weekend before Halloween.
Our daughters could invite a few friends and their families.
A kid friendly supper and a few old-fashioned games with prizes, how hard could it be?
First Party...
That was the fall of 2013. As I’m planning the menu, shopping for the prizes, creating the games….Lucy (age 2 1/2 could talk perfectly and wanted to be “Belle princess” (from the Beauty and the Beast)
So off to the fabric store I went, in search of the perfect yellow satin fabric.
Using an old toddler dress for a pattern, I cut it apart and laid it on the satin.
Somehow, it turned out pretty good and best of all, she loved it!
An Invitation...
Wish I would have saved all the invites from over the years…but here are a few.
One thing I didn’t want to happen was parents dropping off 20 little kids at my front door, lol!
So from the beginning we made it a family affair.
Usually, I just made a basic format and printed them at home.
Old Fashioned Games...
The kids were still pretty little, so the games had to be appropriate for their age.
Soon I realized, we would need help to run the games
Also another problem…the
older siblings of the guests, were probably to old for this “kid stuff”.
So we killed two birds with one stone, asking the older to kids to run the games!
They were thrilled and I had a goodie bag for them “as pay”, lol!
Loot...
When the families arrived, each child received a bag with their name on the outside “for their loot”.
Tip: On the off year…I buy any kind of container, bag etc. on clearance after Halloween. Also buying the prizes that way too.
Prizes were anything from a little bag of candy to small trinkets.
But one year, I hit the jackpot!
I found 40 Beanie Babies at a garage sale, still with the tags on.
An adult had collected them years ago, I paid fifty cents a piece!
Inside was an envelope with a list of the games with tickets for each game, and a name tag.
DIY Games...
The kids would wait in line for their turn.
Present the “ticket”, play the game, then get a stamp on the list (so they knew which games were left)
The games were all homemade and age appropriate.
The all time favorite… the fishing game!
The mommies dressed up too.
Kid Friendly Supper...
The first year we had all orange food, lol!
Adding Fun Over the Years...
A photo booth.
My daughter Emily, made a Frankenstein from large pieces of cardboard and a paper bag for a nose.
You would reach in and feel something slimy, feel for a token and pull it back out.
Reading a number for a corresponding prize.
Another party favorite!
A spooky walk was added, lighted plastic pumpkins showing the path through the trees in the front yard.
Fast Forward to the Farm...
The fall of 2019, was our next scheduled Halloween Carnival.
Now that we lived on a farm, we had a huge pole barn!
It could all be held outside, regardless of the weather.
Wouldn’t it be fun if we could do some kind of hayride, using the tractor?
Join us next time to see how far our “little” Halloween Party has come!
Be sure to subscribe below so you won’t miss it!
Fondly, Sandy
I wish I had half your energy.
I get ideas when I sleep, lol!
Looks like so much fun! I don’t know how you do it though, I’m exhausted just reading it lol
Love it, looks like so much fun! I don’t know how you do it though, I’m exhausted just reading it lol
Oops, sorry for the similar responses…it’s early 😬
I just finished setting up our farm stand…I’m sitting in my recliner as we speak!
Thanks for your continued interest in our crazy lives❤️
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