Halloween Safety Tip: Host Your Own Neighborhood Party!
Keeping your kids safe
Keeping your children safe on Halloween can be a “tricky” task. Parents fear the cars weaving in and out of our neighborhoods. Rebellious teens looking for trouble are also frightening. If those things aren’t scary enough, there’s always the underlying dread of child predators lurking in the dark corners or psychopaths that poison candy or slip razor blades in treats. It’s enough to cause many parents to avoid Halloween activities all together!
Within the last several years many churches and charitable organizations have hosted Halloween Alternative parties as a safer option for parents. These parties allow children to dress up in their favorite costumes, provide an abundant amount of candy and offer families many great benefits and safety features.
The benefits include many fun childrens activities and games as well as an abundant amount of candy. It’s also a great place to meet with friends or other families. Another appealing aspect to parents is the safety features. There are no cars weaving in and out of children trying to cross the street. Most people who donate candy to these events are trustworthy, upright citizens who genuinely care about the safety of children. (It wouldn’t hurt to go through the candy once it gets home, however.) These parties are also well supervised and secure.
While local Halloween alternative parties may be a big hit with parents and young children, older kids however would honestly rather go trick-or-treating the traditional Halloween way. What options are available to parents who want their kids to have fun and stay safe at the same time?
Why not host your own Neighborhood Halloween Party?
Get out where the action is. Hang out with your friends, family, and neighbors in your front yard or driveway. Host a barbecue where passerby’s can stop and chat and grab a bite to eat.
Hosting your own Neighborhood party can offer many of the same benefits that a Halloween Alternative party can offer, and then some. Here are some tips and tricks to make sure your party is a treat for all who participate:
- Don’t attempt this on your own. Invite your neighbors to join you and pitch in with food and candy. You could even open it up for the entire block or neighborhood to help.
- Pull the BBQ into the front yard or driveway and grill hot dogs to offer parents as they bring their children by.
- If you live in a cul-de-sac, block off the street from traffic. Just be sure that everything is well lit, so trick-or-treaters know that they are welcome to stop by.
- Have plenty of candy in stock. Set out a table with bowls full of treats for the little goblins and princesses to browse and fill their bags.
- Make it so fun that the kids will stay longer. Dress up yourself. Offer fun games like corn-hole or pitch in to rent a bounce house. If you have access to a projector, play a fun movie on the garage door.
- Keep everything out in the open and well lit, so parents will feel comfortable hanging out and letting their children play.
For more great Halloween Ideas:
The benefits of a Neighborhood Halloween Party
If you plan it right, and have the right location, there are many benefits that come with having a Neighborhood Halloween Party. It’s a great opportunity to get to know your neighbors as everyone’s out and about. Knowing who your neighbors are is an additional safety benefit that will last long after the holiday has passed. Parties like this can bring a sense of community and belonging.
It’s also fun for the kids. The young ones can enjoy the festivities and the older ones can help with preparation and games. Everyone will have a great time eating, visiting, and diving into the treats.
As far as safety goes, keeping your children close to home is a safer option. Being out and about where they are will also help you keep an eye on things. You’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on in the neighborhood. You’ll also get to know your neighbors, and your neighborhood kids better.
If the location is right, you can block traffic to keep cars from weaving in and out among the kids.
You’ll also be around to observe the kids that come by unsupervised. Many parents let their young teens roam the streets. This in and of itself can be a very eye opening experience.
For more Halloween Fun:
What my family doing this Halloween?
We will be doing a combination between a Neighborhood Halloween Party and traditional Trick or Treating. My husband and I have invited neighbors that live close to us as well as a few other friends in our neighborhood. We are planning to grill hot dogs, have chips and cookies, and water bottles available. We will have bowls of candy set out so our neighbors and the trick-or-treaters can browse through the treats.
My kids will want to add trick-or-treating to their festivities as well. So while my husband and I are hosting the party, my teenagers will take my 10-year-old around to some of the other houses in our neighborhood. Because we are close by, and outside, however, we know that they will be safe.
We are excited to get to know more families in our area! We believe that getting to know your neighbors and developing relationships with them will create a better sense of community and bring about awareness with what’s going on with the kids.
What are your plans this Halloween? I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below. If you found this hub to be helpful, be sure to vote it up! Thanks for reading!