Tiny Little Pads

As we all know the Halloween celebration typically doesn’t start until the sun goes down and the dark sets in. However, at my house we have started a new tradition where we do a Pre-Halloween Party while the sun is still up. It’s so much fun. The kids love it. It’s kind of like the night before Christmas….anticipation is high. It’s their first taste of Halloween.

But why are we throwing this Halloween party during the day? Isn’t Halloween all about the dark and the scary? Not necessarily. I feel this is a misconception in some of the countries that have picked up on this American Holiday, including my own native Norway. Halloween CAN be bright, colorful and lighthearted too and that’s part of the reason I have introduced this day to my children. Halloween can be just as fun during the day, and all the blood, skeletons, sculls and scary costumes do not need to be part of it.

So what do you need to throw a successful Pre-Halloween Party for your children? It’s really not that difficult and costumes can be optional. For this party we simply opted for a black and white dress code. Kids love to pick out their outfits and when it’s just about finding pieces from their wardrobe of the same color, then it becomes a fun and easy task for them. Remember with the little ones, simple instructions are great for self-esteem.

Start off your party planning by INCLUDING your children. After all that’s why we celebrate Halloween, right?! Find a good day when you are in no rush. Sit down with them and ask if they would like to host a Halloween party for a few of their friends…I bet you you will get a loud YES! Make time to throw some ideas around to get them excited. If you have some Halloween books, this is the time to bring them out and make a story time out of it and look for ideas for the party at the same time.

Then pick a suitable room in your house, or an area outside, that is not too big. You don't want to overwhelm yourself. The smaller the room, the less décor you need and it will be more affordable and less time consuming. At my house we have a playhouse and this is the perfect place for throwing little parties.

By the way, did you know that Tiny Little Pads can design and build a playhouse for your children too? Just like this one, or one that is custom made to match their personality and interests.

Once the room is selected, your first task would be to make or find a personalized invite. If you are a crafty person, take them to an arts and craft store like Michael’s and pick out some fun colored cardstock and stickers and get to work. Kids are in heaven when they get to cut and paste with adults. If arts and craft is not your cup of tea, Etsy is my go-to for personalized invites for my parties. Just search Kids Halloween Invites and you’ll get lots of hits. Print out three options and have your kids pick out their favorite and cut them out together with them. Once they are all done, head out the door and let your children hand out their invites in person to their friends. I love doing these things with my children. As busy adults, we sometimes forget how little things like this means a lot to them and how much they learn from simple tasks like these.

Next you need décor. This one probably means you need to do some digging in your attic or storage unit….I’m sure you have plenty of décor from last year that you can use. If not, make a quick trip to a few stores along with your kids. I know….it’s a bit trickier when they come with, but this party is truly for them. But be prepared. Know what you are looking for by telling them in advance that the goal for the trip is to find rats and spiders and other décor that is black and orange...or whatever your theme is. My favorites places to pick up some new fun décor for the holidays are Homegoods, TJMaxx, Target, IKEA, Paper Source, Potterybarn and Potterybarn Kids. But a stop at the 99 Cent Store is always mandatory! You won’t believe how much you can find here for $20. And you know what, some of their Halloween Décor has become really nice. We got the cat with green eyes and the big, black rats you see in this post from there. The cat is my kids favorite!

Last but not least, you will need some great snacks, food and drinks. Head over to Pinterest for ideas. This is your ultimate resource for fun food ideas. Tiny Little Pads has actually started a great inspiration board to help you out here. Lots of amazing ideas can be found here, like the mini pumpkins made out of mandarin oranges and cucumbers and the little green men with funny faces on skewers seen in our Halloween party.

All that is left is to charge the batteries on your camera and phone. This one is for the family album for sure. And if you are anything like my family, you might find yourself doing this again next year and before you know it, it has become an annual party that your kids talk about all year long….