Have a Fun, Happy, and Safe Halloween with Kids

Of course, you'll need to provide some quality candy for whatever party you throw or trick-or-treating group you host on Halloween. Smaller size candies can help you at least try to control portions, and if you're worried about nutrition make sure to read the caloric information on the label carefully. Oftentimes, you may think the calories listed don't look too bad- but the panel lists calories in a much smaller portion than anyone would eat. Be careful not to underestimate what you're actually taking in.

For safety reasons, when you're handing out lots of candy, small, prewrapped bars or mini-bags are best. This helps keep the candy clean, untouched by lots of grabbing hands, and reassures trick-or-treaters that no one has gone through it before them.

If you throw a party for small children, it's always best to have prizes or party favors other than candy. Their parents will thank you. The above items are all cute party favors for elementary school or preschool aged kids. Buying the above Halloween themed plastic (read: unbreakable) cups and filling them with a little candy, a little colorful tissue paper, and a few other little gifts, and even personalizing them with each child's name if you have time, make great goodbye gifts for kids to pick up at the door as they leave the party.

A fully decorated house will help make your party lively and unforgettable! On the left are two large decoration kits, for those that might want to buy in bulk. I also think the pumpkin lights on the far right are adorable! Getting your kids to help brainstorm decorating ideas is a great way to get them involved with the party and to help them work on their planning skills. Make sure that your decorations are securely taped to the wall or tied to the ceiling, so they can't be torn by rowdy, sugar-high kids, leaving you to pick up shredded paper scraps for the next three weeks. Of course, avoid anything that could be broken, and for much younger children make sure no decorations look like candy, but are really choking hazards.

If you're not the type of parent to hand your 3rd graders a butcher knife and a 12-pound pumpkin and tell them to have at it... mini pumpkin painting kits are the best ways to allow your kids to make jack o lanters without actually having them make jack o lanterns. The mini pumpkins are cheap and easy to handle, so kids can whip out 3 or 4 in an artisitic frenzy, and you can just toss them in a trash can if the kids want to start a new one. You should be able to find mini pumpkins at many supermarkets and farm stands in October, and I would recommend one painting kit like the one above for every 3-5 kids at the party.

This can get messy, so definitely lay down a lott of newspaper underneath the kids' painting area. Designate a spot for finished pumpkins to dry without any danger of being tripped on or smeared.

If you're slightly more ambitious, face painting can also be fun for a kids Halloween party. Hopefully, a parent volunteer can paint the kids' faces, so you as the host won't have to do everything yourself. If you choose to do this at a larger party, make sure you have plenty of kits and painters so kids aren't stuck waiting in line and so they don't get frustrated. Keep plenty of cleaning supplies handy for this as well!

In case anyone forgets a costume, or just wants to dress up a little more, it might be a good idea to lay out some cheap, durable costume items for the kids to accessorize. These could also be for any parents that stop by, or for them to put on at the end when they come to pick up their children. It's always good to have something to offer everyone!