Spooky season is here: Halloween with kids
Hollowed pumpkins, exciting costumes, trick-or-treat. That can only mean one thing: it is spooky season. October 31 is around the block and that means that the American situation is heading overseas again. Halloween. No one can ignore it anymore oh how we like it. Fancy some excitement with the whole family? These Halloween activities are kid proof and creepy fun.
Would you prefer a less exciting outing? We also have a list of, and those here.!
Halloween Ghost Tour at Buitenpost Estate (Gelderland), 29/10 & 30/10
An Old School ghost tour that, if you want, can also be done barefoot! The trip is most fun from the age of 8 (younger is also allowed, but the Outdoor Posters do not promise that there will be no nightmares). The idea? The tour starts at 19 p.m. Every fifteen minutes a group takes to the (barefoot) path, which has been transformed into a Halloween atmosphere. You will be given a headlamp for the journey, or you can bring your own lantern or light and come dressed up. Read more about Outpost Estate
Halloween Family Concert in the Royal Concertgebouw, 31/10
Want to be spooky and enjoy with the whole family during a spooky Halloween concert? That can be done by imagination The ghosts of Pity at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. During the ghost story – with music by the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmoni – you will hear everything about the exciting adventure of ghost hunter Bardok. More information can be found here.
In addition to these two performances, you can also easily celebrate Halloween yourself with the child. How?
- Grab that dressing up box from the attic. It's time to put on the creepiest outfit possible. Still a bit too scary? This DIY bird costume is cute, easy to make and HalloweenpAnd to top it all off: face painting is on.
- Read a horror story. Okay, not too creepy, because we don't want to cause nightmares (and sleepless nights). Think of books with ghosts, like The ghost in the attic of Ghost Spartacus.
- Baking cookies is – if we may say so ourselves – fun to do together. You can get Halloween cookie cutters and icing in various stores. This is how you can easily make spooky cookies, which are terribly delicious.
Perhaps the best (afternoon) daytime activity for you and your child. What then? To craft. From skeletons and mummies to spiders and ghosts. Here are our favorite (and easiest) crafts!
Cobwebs of coffee filters
As you may have noticed, it's super easy to put together. You simply have to fold a coffee filter (preferably white, otherwise paint it white) in half. Then again. And again. Using scissors, cut small cuts on the folded side – where the paper is 'closed'. Unfold it, stick a spider on it and you're good to go! Extra fun: hang the 'spider webs' in the window or on the wall.
Halloween streamers
For these paper streamers you can use the shapes of pumpkins, bats, ghosts, skulls or witches. Do you have a nice shape? Fold a long piece of paper accordion-style (you know: fold it in half, fold the opposite side again, etc.) and cut out the shape you want. If you want a long-long garland, you can also glue several garlands together. Success!
Skeletons made of tape
Making skeletons with pieces of masking tape is great easy, teaches your little one something about anatomy and is a great Halloween decoration. What you need? A piece of cardboard, tape and markers that's it. To draw the body, you can outline a stuffed animal or doll. Then it's time to tear pieces of tape and stick them onto the cardboard in the body shape. Add eye and nose sockets and you're done!
Photos taken by Jean Van't Hul
When you think of Halloween, you think of… Pumpkins! Great for making soup or Pumpkin Pie and super suitable for decorating during Halloween. But where do you start with such a heavy orange ball? We got you! First of all, the pumpkin. The 'Halloween pumpkin' is a winter pumpkin. Nice and orange and round. Good to keep with you are some sharp knives, a spoon and markers. Start cutting at the top. You remove the top and can then immediately remove the pumpkin pulp with the spoon. You can use the markers to make a drawing as a template and cut out this shape with the knife (or drill). Is this job too hard? Then you can also draw on the pumpkin or cover it with cardboard figures. Voilà, your Halloween pumpkin is ready!
Pumpkin too big? You can also transform tangerines into mini pumpkins.
Halloween party anyone? Halloween can't pass without it spooky party. Decorate the house with spider webs, lanterns and streamers. But what else is part of such a party? Games and snacks!
Scavenger hunt and mummy game
For anyone who dares, you can organize a nightly treasure hunt. Map out a route – past a cemetery – give everyone a treasure map with treasure (hide it well) and let the kids go on a quest.
Too exciting? A spooky joke to keep things light: divide the group into two teams. The team wraps one person as a mummy using toilet rolls. If the toilet paper tears off, you have to start over. The fastest team wins. Extra fun: supplement this rule with rules of your own making.
Snacks
All that searching and dancing makes you want something tasty. We get it. These bites will keep you in the Halloween theme and will fill your growling belly.
- Bloody fingers. Sounds a bit crazy, it is, but it tastes good. What you need? Shortcrust pastry, almonds and a red writing marker.
- Leave scary quotes floating in your (tomato) soup with letter vermicelli.
- These edible ghosts make (and eat) quickly.
- Creepily delicious cake with mascarpone, cinnamon and bloody icing.
