Halloween home ideas needed!

[moonlight]

Hi! I've been googleing for a couple hours. I think I'm crosseyed and confussed. This is my first Halloween party for very small children this year. Most of the guests will be under 2 1/2 yrs old. I put out all my Halloween decorations and it's not nearly enough. Here's where I need help. I want to set up a couple areas of my home that will be like a mini haunted fun house for the kids to run in and out of. I don't want to make it too scary, but "fun spooky" for them to play in or around. Here are my trouble areas 1) I have a covered porch about 6' X 25' and 2) We have a deck about 15' X 25'

I'd like to put up black tarp around the porch and make is a little haunted house area. Black light, a witch? What do I put in there? I don't have a very big house and would like to make use of the deck area as extra space for people to hang out, but I want to it a decorated too. Just clueless on what I can do out there. Help!!

[MarissaNicole]

What about ghosts, scarecrows, spiders and spider webs?

Martha Stewart has some cute Halloween decor ideas here

[moonlight]

I think I have something put together. I wish I knew where my digital camera was so I could post a picture.

The covered porch has a window that is for our laundry room. I was thinking I would put black tarping all around the porch and set up a doorway cutout for adults and separate cutout entrance for the kids. I could hang little inflatable goahts/bats/pumpkins from the covered porch. We have a rocking chair that I could set up a witch with bowl of candy and have some scary music going. I thought it would be fun to make a scarry or fun scean inside my laundry room. The kids could look in the laundryroom from the porch/makeshift haunted house. I'm just not sure what I could set up in there that would be interesting to look at. I thought if all else fails I could get a window cover like this one http://www.partycity.com/product/spi...&navSet=170560

I'm not sure what I can do with the deck. I'm going to look on the computer for some pics I might have of the areas I'm talking about.

[spotty_dog]

http://pinterest.com/search/?q=halloween

Just for a few ideas.

[SoonerTexan]

I was going to suggest pinterest as well!

I'm no good on Halloween decorations because I decorate exclusively for fall...so I can leave it up longer!

[moonlight]

http://pinterest.com/search/?q=halloween

Just for a few ideas.

I like the idea with all the bats up on her dining room walls! I have a big empty wall in my living room that would work! Thanks!

[Deebs]

I actually wouldn't do a witch or something too spooky. That is an age where pretend is a really tough concept, and I think you might end up with a bunch of kiddos hugging their parent's legs. What about mostly pumpkin decorations? I'd think maybe more fun than spooky.

[moonlight]

I actually wouldn't do a witch or something too spooky. That is an age where pretend is a really tough concept, and I think you might end up with a bunch of kiddos hugging their parent's legs. What about mostly pumpkin decorations? I'd think maybe more fun than spooky.

I think you are right. I was at Target today looking at what's available for Halloween decorations. I noticed they have those plastic pumpkin trickORtreat buckets for a dollar in all sorts of bright fun colors. I was thinking I could buy a bunch of those, put a battery operated tea light in each one, and make some kind of interesting display in the little Haunted house/porch. Of course I would fill one of them up with candy as a little snack/treat.

Another thing I thought was interesting is they well the bat wall cling on's at target. I think a big roll of the bats was $10. Might be easier than buying black paper and cutting out dozens and dozens of paper bats! And did you know they make a fog machine that puts out fog BUBBLES!? Too fun! Must buy one, but DH says $60 is too much! Maybe he's right, but I think my haunted porch neeeeeds fog bubbles!

[Pollyanna]

I actually wouldn't do a witch or something too spooky. That is an age where pretend is a really tough concept, and I think you might end up with a bunch of kiddos hugging their parent's legs. What about mostly pumpkin decorations? I'd think maybe more fun than spooky.

This. Most two year olds won't even keep their costumes on and they are going to be kinda freaked out just because everything is different. I would do minimal decorations, cookie decorating at one table, buy mini-pumpkins for them to paint (do this outside), and then just let them play. The haunted house thing is not really a viable option until 8 and even then it's too much for some kiddos, even if it's not scary.

[moonlight]

This. Most two year olds won't even keep their costumes on and they are going to be kinda freaked out just because everything is different. I would do minimal decorations, cookie decorating at one table, buy mini-pumpkins for them to paint (do this outside), and then just let them play. The haunted house thing is not really a viable option until 8 and even then it's too much for some kiddos, even if it's not scary.

My parents never got the memo on this one! LOL!

I think what your saying is right. I'm going to make it more fun house rather than haunted house. Maybe I can do some sort of pumpkin decorating station set up on the deck? Our church last year bought a tons of those foam scrap book halloween stickers and let the kids put those on small pumpkins rather than messing with paint. I'll just have to bring it inside if it rains tho.

[ladymoreta]

I love the idea of decorating pumpkins! And fog bubbles!!!

[MrsK]

In lieu of paint, you can decorate pumpkins with stickers or foam pieces. The stickers don't even have to be faces to be fun. I did this with BabyK yesterday and he loved it. Now he wants to sleep with the pumpkin in his bed but that's a different story.

Last month's Parents magazine had some cute child friendly decorating ideas. Things like using painter's tape to make a spider web on the floor. I'll bet the article is on line now.

[Deebs]

Crayons work on pumpkins, too! We just graduated to markers and paint this year in our house.

[moonlight]

In lieu of paint, you can decorate pumpkins with stickers or foam pieces. The stickers don't even have to be faces to be fun. I did this with BabyK yesterday and he loved it. Now he wants to sleep with the pumpkin in his bed but that's a different story.

Last month's Parents magazine had some cute child friendly decorating ideas. Things like using painter's tape to make a spider web on the floor. I'll bet the article is on line now.

Thanks for the Parents magazine tip! I'll look that up! I love the idea of BabyK sleeping with his little pumpkin! Awwww!