Spooky Halloween Story Secrets for Costumed Kiddies

by Mac Duffy

Halloween is a night filled with ghosts, goblins, witches, and cats, but FORTUNATELY, it's also a night filled with superheroes, princesses, cute little clowns, and rock stars! Break out the candy! Get ready to carve that jack 'o lantern! It's time to party Halloween-style!

There are all sorts of fun activities for the whole family to take part in. From the traditional bobbing for apples to full-out masquerade parties, there is something to do for everyone. As a Storyteller, though, my favorite Halloween activity is to tell spooky tales!

A good spooky story can add some fun to your Halloween event, but a great one can make it a memorable experience for everybody.

Step 1: CHOOSING YOUR STORY The choice of your story depends on a few factors, such as age of your audience (most important), type of event (large party versus small gathering), and your own story telling skills. If you are great at improvisation, choose a story that leaves room for bringing your audience into the action. If not, no worries. There are plenty of classics at your disposal, from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (by Washington Irving) for older kids to "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (watching the DVD might even be better) for younger kids.

For me, I LOVE to improvise, and I make sure that each child has a part. I'm not interested in creating "scary" stories for kids. That's why I always say "spooky". It's fine for details of the story to be spooky, but I feel it is vitally important that all Halloween stories involving my audience have plenty of humor tied in and, even more importantly, a happy ending, not only to keep the kids happy, but also to help foster in them the hope that with perseverance, tough situations will work out. There are plenty of scary stories for kids on the 5 o'clock News. If anything, children need stories that counterbalance the effects of everyday media.

Step 2: ATMOSPHERE It's important to set the right mood when you are about to tell a spooky story.

For older children, I'd recommend dimming the lights and grabbing a flashlight to hold under your chin at key moments. You might want to also get each child their own Halloween themed flashlight to hold under their own chins as they follow along with you. Just because they're "older" doesn't mean that everyone is on the same level, and you want to give those children who might be more inclined to be "spooked" a chance to save face in front of their friends.

For the younger kids, "lights on" is a must. You might want to get each child a flashlight, too. But, that's up to you. I prefer making the story as active as possible. Get the kids out of their seats and incorporate games like "Simon Says" and "Duck, Duck, Goose" as part of the story. Remember, for the little ones, the focus is more on entertaining with holiday themes like pumpkins and cute little ghosts than on spooking.

Step 3: THE WRAP UP For any age group, I always recommend launching right into a fun game right after the story is over. Try to find or make up a game that has some connection to what the story was about. Regardless, the simple act of having the kids get up and active will reinvigorate your party's momentum after your sit-down and keep the fun rolling!

GAME SUGGESTIONS

For Older Children Instead of bobbing for apples, which can be hard for kids, blindfold them and have them bob for gummy worms. Sure, it may not be the most appealing thing to parents, but a lot of kids will love the gross-out factor. Instead of water, put them in a bowl with other types of candy. The point of the game is to see how many they can get in 30 seconds. The winners each get a special prize. And, everyone gets a prize for participating. Of course, that prize is the bowl of candy they just had their faces in.

For younger children, I like to go with a pumpkin hunt. As you search for the perfect pumpkin to carve this year, pick up a bunch of tiny plastic ones, the kind you can fill with candy, and hide them throughout your party area. Just like an Easter Egg Hunt, everyone who finds a mini pumpkin gets a prize.

Whatever you decide to do this Halloween, may you and your family have a safe and joyful holiday.