Haunting Halloween (2-6yr) Monster Cakewalk

Haunting Halloween Party for 2-6yr olds:  We just had a great Halloween party for 14 children ranging in age from 2-6 yrs. 

We sent out Halloween Invitations, requesting that each child come in costume and bring an orange Halloween treat to share with the group. 

We stated that "Halloweenies" (Hot Dogs) would be provided, and we served them alongside orange chips (doritos, cheetos, etc.), carrots (chopped of course!), orange slices, and a Black Cat chip dip, which was a Mexican Style dip in a circular shaped pan with triange chips sticking out on top for ears, green onions laying across for whiskers, olives for eyes.  We set up the room in stations, with a 8x10 signs to help parents guide their children in each station. 

The first section was Pumpkin Bowling where we had 3 small decorated pumpkins which each child rolled toward 10 "bowlings pins" which were actually 2-liter bottles painted green w/black hair to look like Frankenstein, and White to look like ghosts.  We placed a small amount of sand in the bottom of each bottle to keep them upright, but they tumbled pretty readily when a pumpkin hit them!(They won small Halloween Kaleidescopes)

The next game was made from a large dryer box, painted orange with cut outs to look like a giant jack-o-lantern.  We had 3 small stuffed pumpkins which each child tossed, trying to get them into Jack's mouth, then they chose either a Pumpkin Sipper Cup or a Halloween flashlight necklace as a prize.  The back of the box had a large whole cut into it where the kids climbed in and out before the game.  (They had great fun just chasing each other in and out of the box!)  On another side of the box, we had just eyes and a mouth drawn, and gave each child a black paper triangle to stick onto the pumpkin while blindfolded, to be a "Pin the nose on the Pumpkin" game, where they won plastic Halloween Straws & Clown Noses (from Oriental Trading). 

A (cupcake) cake walk to the "Monster Mash" music and a Bat Pinata gave the party some "action" and gave us a chance to play all together.  We also had a game (which could be played indoors or outdoors)with 14" diameter plastic rings which the children tossed toward pumpkins of different sizes, winning a spider or bat ring as a prize.  In the sink, we had a black Cauldron filled with water.  Floating in the water were Ping Pong Balls colored with markers to be eyeballs, complete with red capillaries branching around the ball; spider rings; and black plastic mice.  We had a skeleton hand which the children used to dip into the cauldron and draw out an eyeball.  The color of the eyeball determined which prize they won (Bubbles in containers of different characters and McDonald's Gift Certificates).  Each child got to make a ghost with a Tootsie Pop by wrapping it with a paper towel and tying with ribbon. 

They then tossed it toward a small basketball hoop positioned over a Halloween (Popcorn) Canister.  When they made the "basket" they won a small Halloween Frisbee.  While all of these games were going on, there was also a corner where we placed paper bags & stickers for "Make your own Treat Bag,"  "Coloring Corner" where we placed Halloween Packages of Crayola Crayons (you can get them most places where you buy Halloween Candy)and coloring sheets, and a "Paper Bag Puppet" area where we placed white paper bags, crayons, scissors (tied to the table so they wouldn't be carried around the room), and copies of parts for Monster Puppets.  Parents guided their children around the room to do each activity, so at any given time, there were a few children at each station.  It was great fun, and really went smoothly.  On their way out, the children selected a Tootsie Pop from a hollowed-out pumpkin.  The Tootsies were pressed into the body of the pumpkin, leaving holes once the kids took them.  We were then able to place a candle in the pumpkin, and the light shined through the holes!  Happy Halloween!