Turn the back yard into a Haunted Grave site. Then invite family and friends to pass through on Halloween night. This is allot of work, but if you lay the ground rules, you may get something out of it. Considering all the yard work that needs done at this time of year, this event could help you out. Don't do any of it, until after Halloween, then have your children do it while cleaning up the Halloween mess.
Tips for your graveyard:
Put 5 to 10 headstones in the graveyard--with R.I.P. or different epitaphs on them. Place a mound of leaves in front. In the last grave site, someone hide under the leaves and scares passer byes. Use white Christmas lights in the trees to add to lighting effect. Invite other adults to come, they can chaperone too, while they are there. Use dry ice, a bucket, and a fan for "foggy" effect.
Have your teen dress up and pass out candy. Tell them to invite a friend to help. Here's a great trick they can play! Create a scarecrow two weeks before Halloween. make it look like its sleeping, with a hat on the head. Put it on your porch, so everyone in the neighborhood gets used to it being there. Then, have your teen dress up as the scarecrow, and trick all the treaters! Variations for your teens friend. Make two scarecrows--rap one with toilet tissue, so it looks like a mummy or put a black hat, black pants and a cape on in.
A sleep over with two or three friends is always fun this time of year. Rent two scary videos, give them a book of short scary stories, popcorn and soda. Review some of the newest horror films here, 2001 Movie Reviews: A Reviewer's Odyssey. Put them in a room with a TV and VCR, then close the door. They will have a blast and you will not have to worry about them. A note: your teen will want to make the room scary by turning off the lights, but they will need light to read the stories. Provide them with a black light bulb, so they don't dig out your candles. You can also give them this word puzzle.
