8 Fun (& Spooky) Ideas for a Trick-or-Treating Pre-Party

Gather the neighborhood kids for some pre-trick-or-treating fun. Eat, drink, and be scary!

Break guests into two teams, set a timer, and instruct the pairs to cover one player in white paper streamers like a mummy. At the end of the allotted time, the duo with the most mummified teammate gets a prize.

Create a creepy-crawly "fishing" activity with homemade spiders, fishing poles, and a spider web game board. Challenge kids to pick up only spiders in their color while a timer runs -- the child with the most arachnids at the end is the winner.

What You'll Need:
24"x 24" -in.-thick black foam-core board (available at art-supply stores)
1/2-in.-wide white painter's tape
Scissors
Chenille stems in two colors
Wooden dowels
Yarn
3/4-in. donut-shaped magnets

Make It:

1. For the game board: Create a spider web pattern on the foam-core board with painter's tape. 

2. For the spiders: Cut chenille stems into 8-in. pieces. Twist four of the pieces together at their centers several times. Bend each of the eight resulting appendages into leg shapes (one bend for the "knee" and one for the "foot"), so each spider can stand on its own. Repeat to create at least eight spiders (four in one color, four in another).

3. For the fishing rods: Tie a piece of yarn slightly longer than the dowel to one end of the dowel. Tie a donut-shaped magnet to

Note: Supervise any kids under 4, as the magnets are a choking hazard.

Originally published in the October 2015 issue of Parents magazine.