Great Halloween Party Games, Lessons and Craft Ideas

Halloween is coming up in a few weeks, time to get planning for fun parties and lessons. Here are some great resources and ideas to get your inspired for your classes and spooky get-togethers this year.

This website- Supersimplesongs.com has lots of fun games and activities to enjoy at Kids Halloween parties and for special Halloween lessons.
I love this "Walk the Plank" game (which you will see at our annual GetHiroshima family Halloween party (10/30) this year too!)

Disney's Cat Treasure Hunt Game

Disney's Family Fun website has a great Halloween treasure hunt game using a Cat theme. This is great for older kids who can read- give teams a clue on a card which leads them to another clue and another to finally lead them to a "treasure" somewhere at the end.

While the younger kids are doing hoop and bean bag toss and other simpler games, it is a great idea to have a more challenging game for the tweens or older kids to do in the group. You can also make teams with some little kids together with older kids so they can all work together.

If you still want to try the game, but do not have kids in the group that can read- you can still do the game with symbols and simple drawing clues to get them to each next clue, or you could have a parent volunteer to help with the reading or deciphering stage of the game.  The familyfun.go.com Disney website also has great craft "how-to" videos with fantastic Halloween decoration ideas.

TLC Family- "How stuff works" has some great Halloween resources for kids parties and craft ideas.

TLC Family-Fun Halloween Ideas

As I grew up enjoying Halloween in America, it has always been a way for neighbors and communities to show their generosity to the kids in their area as well as to have fun.

This generosity can be extended outside your own area to really help kids in serious need of help. If you are interested, have a look at the trick or treat for UNICEF campaign which has been going on for more than 60 years. Room to Read is another great kids charity that supplies libraries to disadvantaged school-kids around the world.

If you are doing your event in Japan, you might be more interested in local causes- you can donate to Second Harvest which is one of the only organizations still regularly sending relief supplies and volunteer support to the recovery efforts in Tohoku. They are doing great work aiding families, schools and other groups still in need of help after the devastating earthquake and Tsunami that hit the region in March, 2011.
 HELP is an organization in Japan supporting women and children escaping abusing homes, helping them get resettled in safer situations- this is often a part of Japanese society that falls between the cracks of government assistance because of the outdated family registry which gives all child and family support exclusively through the father (householder) no matter what the individual situation.

Happy Halloween everyone, I hope this information and these links help you make an even better event this year.