It’s Halloween!

It’s Halloween!
By Elan Slavin, MSW

It’s Halloween! It’s Halloween!
The moon is full and bright
And we shall see what can’t be seen
On any other night

Skeletons and ghosts and ghouls,
Grinning goblins fighting duels,
Werewolves rising from their tombs,
Witches on their magic brooms.


A chill is finally in the air.  Costumes are being made and sold and Halloween candy seems to be everywhere we look tempting us and our kids.  If you are a parent, you may be trying to think of ways for your child to celebrate Halloween in a safe, healthy way; especially if you are a parent of a child with an illness. Here are a few things to consider as you and your kiddos look forward to Halloween:

If your child is in the hospital during Halloween, ask the healthcare team if there is a celebration planned.  Oftentimes pediatric centers will host trick-or-treating or have costume parties for patients. It may also be fun to decorate your child’s room with Halloween decorations. If your child would like to wear a costume, you may want to make sure it’s comfortable and that the medical team has given the ok!

There are also some fun activities you can do at home if your child is unable to go trick-or-treating.

• “Camp out” in your family room! Set up sleeping bags, have some yummy snacks and tell a ghost story or two
• Turn on a scary movie (well, not too scary) and make a fort to snuggle up in!
• Carve a pumpkin (or paint one) with silly faces
• Bake a few Halloween themed treats!
• Have a MONSTER MASH Halloween Dance Party! Turn up the music, put on your costume, and rock out to your favorite tunes! 

If your child is able to trick-or-treat and you don’t want them to eat every single piece of candy, you can:

• Have your child choose their favorite 10 pieces of candy, then donate the rest! (Maybe to your local VA or to women and men overseas who would really appreciate it.)
• Bake cookies using chopped up candy bars instead of chocolate chips and share them with your neighbor.
• “Buy” each piece of candy from your kids for 10 cents each.  Let them use the money to buy a new book or small toy or decide as a family where to donate the funds. 

Most importantly, have fun, be safe, and celebrate the season!