3 yo Halloween party - prizes and games

[frostysarah]

My almost 3.5 year old son has asked to have a Halloween party. We've decided to do it: 2 crafts, 2 games, decorate cookies, huzzah. There will be 10 invitees, and based on his birthday parties anywhere from 5-9 will be able to come. Most moms will stay to help. I have two questions:

1. I have decided one game will be a haunted house-shaped bean bag toss (you know, a cardboard cut out with holes for the kids to toss the bean bags through). What sounds like more fun for the second game, keeping in mind the kids are all around 3?

pin the tail on the cat/ nose on the pumpkin/ wings on the bat/ something
ring toss onto stacked pumpkins
ghost-shaped "dartboard" (with those fuzzy balls that stick)
croquet through spooky-shaped wickets

Or any other suggestions? We'll be inside, in an empty room.

2. I'd like to give a little (non-food) prize when they play a game. Would you have the kids pick their prizes from a variety, or have them each get the same one? It seems like it would be more fun to pick, but these kids are starting to care about "fair" so maybe the same prize would be better. I don't know!

Thanks for any ideas and comments!
sarah

[Adele_Mommy]

I would do pin the tail/nose on the cat/pumpkin because that has been a hit at my house every year we have done it and because you already have a bean bag toss, so it might be nice to have the second game not also involve throwing something.

For the prizes I think picking is good and you can make it so it is still fair. For example one year I gave little animal figures as prizes and the kids got to choose from a selection of different animals. Or you could have Halloween sticker sheets with a few different varieties to choose from. Or give out mini glow sticks and the kids can pick the color they want. That kind of thing.

Sounds like a lot of fun! Good luck!

[BlueSkyJennifer]

Last year ds and I made a homemade ghost pinata. It was super easy and it was a big "hit" DS was just turning 4 at the time and he loved the whole process making the pinata, it took several days. I can give more details on how to make it if you are interested.

[KyleAnn]

I think all your game ideas sound fun, but I'd say go for pin the tail/nose/etc on the _____.
I remember the last time ds did this, all the kids thought it was so much fun, watching their friends get blindfolded and spun around, and laughing at where the tail actually ended up.

We've never had a Halloween party, but we have done a big bday party every year and we stick to the same prizes/goodie bags for each. Sometimes even the slightest difference in something can set one off...unless-you have enough trinkets where if everyone ended up choosing the same thing, you'd still have enough. Does that even make any sense? LOL

It definitely is more fun to pick though, hmmmm......

[proudmamanow]

ooh--were planning a Hallowe<en party too & I'm so excited. I think your ideas sdund great Sarah & I will be watching this thread. So fun

[frostysarah]

Thanks for your input everyone. I'm bumping this puppy up, to update and to ask another question.

I've decided to buy the games at Oriental Trading, rather than making them. They won't be as cute as handmade, but they're cheap and my time is pretty limited right now (sick kid + sick mommy = NO TIME, and I'll be catching up for a while I think). Regardless, I'm getting pretty excited. I love Halloween!

For those of you who have done pin the tail games, have you done it with kids as young as 3? I'm wondering if the wait for other kids to go will be too much for them, or if they'll like watching. The fewer loose moments for preschoolers to whack each other, the better! Anyway, any thoughts?

PS - Jennifer, I do have pinata instructions, thanks! Do you have any particular tips? I've never done it before.

[BlueSkyJennifer]

Originally Posted by frostysarah

Thanks for your input everyone. I'm bumping this puppy up, to update and to ask another question.

I've decided to buy the games at Oriental Trading, rather than making them. They won't be as cute as handmade, but they're cheap and my time is pretty limited right now (sick kid + sick mommy = NO TIME, and I'll be catching up for a while I think). Regardless, I'm getting pretty excited. I love Halloween!

For those of you who have done pin the tail games, have you done it with kids as young as 3? I'm wondering if the wait for other kids to go will be too much for them, or if they'll like watching. The fewer loose moments for preschoolers to whack each other, the better! Anyway, any thoughts?

PS - Jennifer, I do have pinata instructions, thanks! Do you have any particular tips? I've never done it before.

It is funny to see this thread bumped up again today. We just pulled our Halloween decorations out this morning. I wanted to wait until October, but ds was pleading to do it sooner. So it is really feeling like Halloween in my house now!

My biggest tip would be do it far enough ahead if you have to you can do it twice! Our first attempt was a flop, it was too wet and heavy to dry properly. But having that one to practice on (thankfully we had time) the second time was a breeze. Now I knew just how much paste to put on the newspaper, I did a better job of coating it lightly and scraping off the excess. I also did not make it as thick, fewer layers allowed it dry through and harden properly. It will take at least a full day to dry ime. You need time set aside for a very messy project day, then at least a day or two to dry, and then you can decorate it.

For the ghost, obviously use a big round balloon for the head. Then I used big, flat sheets of white tissue paper to cover the newspaper and then we hung long sheets of white tissue down off the sides all the way around and I gathered them a bit under the ghost's head with some ribbon.

I'll check tonight and see if I can link to a photo.

[Eliseatthebeach]

My dd's b-day is on Halloween and we have done plenty of theme parties. Every year I try to come up with different ideas.
Here are a few that could work with 3 year olds:

-Pass the pumpkin/gord/ghost (whatever you have really). Something small though, even a little stuffed halloween figure. Gather the children in a circle on the floor sitting cris cross. Have someone play some fun Halloween music. Start the passing around the circle and the person controlling the music randomly shuts it off and of course the child holding the pumpkin is out!

-The Mummy toilet paper games is fun too. Have the children pair up and give them a roll of tp and let them take turns turning each other into a mummy (it doesn't have to be perfect) they have soooo much fun doing this game!

-The spider web game is fun too but will need lots of adult help. Gather the children in a circle again, this time standing. Depending on how many children you have you may want to make a few small groups. Give them a ball of yarn or string. Wrap it around the waist of one child then have them throw the ball to another child across the circle. That child wraps it around their waist and then throws it to another, etc. Do this until they are goo ans wrapped up and it looks like a great big spider web!! Then throw a bunch of plastic spiders and spider rings on them and the web (then cover your ears). The bonus on this game is they can't get away, lol!

-An alternative to pin the tail is the make a pumpkin face game. Cut out jack-o-lantern face pieces from black construction paper and laminate (you can use big plastic tape too). Get some blue sticky tac and put them all on a big poster board. Set up a table with a huge pumpkin on it and the poster board with the face pieces. Have them pick out their face then blindfold them (or not) and have thenm stick the face on the pumpkin. After, take a pic and you can send it to them in their thank you card!

Here are some pics of these games from our last party.

Spider web game

Pumpkin face game and another

Mummy game

Another thing you could do is set up a table with a bunch of small pumpkins and gourds (we have used pre painted sea shells b/c they are free!) and some sharpies. Let the kids draw a face (or whatever) on their own pumpkin. This can be ongoing as some may not wan to join in certain activities. Bonus, they have a pumpkin to go home with!

I hope these ideas help, have a fun party!

[KathinJapan]

I did a pin the pumpkin in the patch game once. I had a large green patch and lots of different pumpkin shapes, it was not a winner or looser type game. I did more than one child at a time, and some wanted to go again... you do need a larger wall space.

my DDs B-day is also near Halloween, and I am gathering ideas.

I also second the sample pinata. For work we once made a ton, and while they dried, they were heavy and took ages to break. I was at a different game, but I heard it was a nightmare trying to get them open.

kathryn

[thixle]

Originally Posted by frostysarah

For those of you who have done pin the tail games, have you done it with kids as young as 3?

We did it at dd's 1st b-day party... with tape on the back of the paper, instead of pins.
You might want to have 2 lines set up with 2 boards so the kids don't have to wait so long for their turn. Other than that? It goes over well.