It’s that time of year: the air seems a little chillier, the leaves a little crunchier, and it’s fun to get a little spooky at the end of the month. However, Halloween 2020 might look a little different than previous years, which means it’s time to get creative about celebrating. If you and your little ones love autumn festivals and games, there are plenty of ways to bring that thrill home. Read on to discover nine fun ways you can transform your regular backyard into a fun, spooky Halloween playground for children.
1. Pumpkin Cornhole
Cornhole is a staple of family reunions across Canada, but one simple change can make a memorable seasonal game. Instead of using traditional cornhole boards, carve a face with a wide, gaping mouth into several pumpkins. Set these up in the regular cornhole configuration, pass out the beanbags, and see who can score the most points!
2. Monster Bowling
For this fun activity, all you need are a few empty soup cans, some paint, and a “bowling ball” of some form (we recommend a small pumpkin, to keep things on theme). Get the kids together and paint some classic monster faces on the cans, like a ghost, Frankenstein, or a vampire. When the paint is dry, stack the cans in a pyramid shape, grab your bowling ball, and have fun!
3. Pumpkin Mini-Putt
Similar to the cornhole activity, this is a fun way to inject some seasonal excitement into an already-loved game. Carve pumpkins as you would regularly, but place the mouths a bit closer to the ground, and set up small pieces of wood or cardboard to function as ramps from the ground to the mouths. These will be your golf holes. If your kids want more of a challenge, set up some obstacles for them to putt through (you could even repurpose the cans from your Monster Bowling).
4. DIY Pumpkin Patch
If you love the atmosphere of a pumpkin patch, but aren’t able to visit one, set one up in your backyard! Grab some small pumpkins (real or fake is fine, depending on what you have available) and set them up throughout your backyard. Remember to group some together and leave others on their own for more organic spacing. If you want them to double as a special game, you can draw small icons on the bottom (such as cats, skulls, or eyeballs) for kids to find as part of a scavenger hunt.
5. Sack Racing
What festival is complete without a sack race? All you need for this game are some pillowcases (preferably, ones that you don’t mind getting ripped or stained with grass and dirt). The kids must stand in the sacks and hop to the finish line of the race. The first one across wins!
6. Pumpkin Hockey
If your household has some hockey sticks kicking around in a closet, this is the game for you! Pick up one of the small, palm-sized pumpkins and use it as the puck in a backyard hockey game. The irregular size means that kids will have to be quick on their feet to follow the puck, and of course, it’s a good excuse to introduce more pumpkins to your backyard festival!
7. How Many Candy Corns Guessing Game
An essential element of fall carnivals are games, and this one’s especially sweet. Place a large quantity of candy (such as candy corn, jelly beans, or sugar pumpkins) into a clear jar and invite the kids to guess how many pieces are actually in the jar. The closest guess wins the entire jar of candy! If the winner isn’t quite old enough to be trusted with the jar, the candies can always be transferred into a special prize bag.
8. Candy Hedge
Your backyard foliage doesn’t have to be left out of the party. Grab some clothespins and adorn a hedge or tree with some securely wrapped candies for kids to discover! You can either turn it into a game by challenging kids to find one of each type of candy, or you can leave it be as a fun party favor for children to visit before they head inside.
9. Costume Parade
>One of the best parts of Halloween is all the creativity that comes from costume creation. At the end of the evening, throw on some fun Halloween music and invite the children to join in a costume parade around the yard. The only goal here is to have fun, although the form that takes is up to them! Will they impress with their favourite monster dance moves? Will they show off what makes the costume their favourite, or will they scare monsters away with their best yells? There are no rules for your costume parade!
Beyond the Backyard: Building a Playground for Children
These ideas are all great for at-home fun, but at SPI, we supply the plastic components required to put together your very own playground. Our products have been enjoyed throughout Canada and the world, with children in over 40 different countries enjoying the playgrounds we’ve helped create.
For more information on our playground equipment for children, call our office at (519) 935-2211. You can also contact us online.