Halloween Party Ideas for Preschoolers

Halloween looms around the corner and I'm anxious for the fun. This year, we're hosting a Halloween party in our yard with approximately 50 people in attendance that I'm very much looking forward to. Many of the children here will be between the ages of two to four so I had to think of age-appropriate activities for them to do. Planning a party and in a rut? Try these activities:

Bobbing for Apples Preschooler Style:
A more preschooler-friendly take on this classic. I have a good amount of small tubs that I've used with my boys for such things as splashing in water in the summertime. I'm going to line these tubs up on our lawn outdoors, fill them about halfway with water, and place one apple in each of them. If you have a preschooler, you may well know how difficult it is for them to wait when they're anxious to do something. This will enable a good amount of children to bob for apples at the same time and reduce the amount of children waiting in line. I am going to demonstrate how to bob for an apple, but I fully expect children to use their hands in conjunction with their mouths as these are preschoolers partaking in this activity. If you don't have any small tubs/containers to use, feel free to use any large plastic bowl that a child can dip their head into. The smaller the better with preschoolers as the edges will help them to grasp their apple. As I stated, I don't expect a lot of children to accomplish this task with their mouths only, but what great fun and what a great photo opportunity!

Doughnut on a String:
Doughnut on a String is another classic that was around when I was a child attending Halloween parties. If you have a large branch that is somewhat parallel with the ground, or even if you've got a play gym, you can take the swings down. Tie strings to this branch or swing set and on the bottom of the string, you are going to tie a small doughnut (the kind with a hole in the middle, not a munchkin). The children need to place their hands behind their backs and attempt to eat this doughnut with only their mouths. Again, because these are preschoolers, I fully expect them to want to use their hands, but their parents can be with them encouraging them to place their hands behind their back or simply out to their sides. In the original version, the winner is the person who finishes their doughnut first, but in my preschool version, there is no winner. Again, another great photo opportunity. If you don't happen to have an area where you can tie up string, you can have a parent holding the string for their child.

Trick-or-Treating:
Adults will line my property and the children will be given the opportunity to trick-or-treat from adult to adult (trick-or-treating bags are provided by the parents). We've got such things as lollipops, stickers, tattoos, bubbles, Halloween rings, and candy.

Halloween Music:
Halloween music will be playing from a music player in my backyard. These are preschooler-friendly songs and sounds one of which is "Hot, Hot, Hot." To this, we'll have a Halloween costume parade/conga line.

Craft Station:
I have a small child-sized table and four chairs that I'll bring outdoors. I'll have this table on my deck with crayons and markers and Halloween coloring pages weighed down with a rock so they don't fly away with any breeze. Parents will monitor their child to be sure the crayons and markers remain on the table. Children can take their coloring pages home with them.

Our Halloween party should last approximately two hours, which is plenty of time for a preschooler's somewhat shorter attention span. Beside the activities planned, the children will also have a bounce house to play in as well as our swing sets.

Of course, the above activities can move indoors if you're planning an indoor Halloween party and don't mind a little mess. Have fun, and Happy Halloween!