Sugar-free Halloween: Sweet ideas without the tooth decay
BY BETH ENGELMAN Mommy on a Shoestring October 18, 2011 9:44AM
.
Be part of
history
The city of Highwood is ready to make pumpkin carving history, as host of the Great Pumpkin Fest of 2011. Everyone is invited to the four-day festival that runs through Saturday. Be sure to join in as the city attempts to break the Guinness World Record for the most jack-o-lanterns lit in one location. Plans call for 32,000 pumpkins to light up Highwood on Saturday, which would break the current world record set in 2006 of 30,128 pumpkins in Boston, Mass. This year, there’s added competition as the city of Keene, N.H., plans to hold a similar event to beat Boston’s record. Will Highwood unseat Boston as the holder of the world record or will Keane sneak in and cause an upset? One thing is for certain, it will be loads of fun so come out and enjoy! Visit www.highwood pumpkinfest.com for more information.
Operation
Gratitude:
Donate your candy to the troops
Avoid candy overload by having your kids donate their Halloween goodies to Operation Gratitude. The organization is once again working with local dentists, community centers and schools to include donated Halloween candy in the care packages they send overseas to our troops. Operation Gratitude reports that our troops love the candy, as it’s a welcome reminder of home. To learn more, including locations where you can drop off candy, visit www.halloweencandybuy back.com/index.html.
Article Extras
Updated: October 27, 2011 5:49PM
Hoping for a little less candy and a little more sugar-free holiday fun? Try these activities that are kid friendly and dentist approved.
DIY Halloween Baggo
Tailgaters and BBQ goers can vouch for this simple yet competitive game that appeals to both kids and adults. For this modified version, I use only one board, but you might want to consider making two boards if you plan to play with a large number of guests. Another tip? Use easy to remove stickers so you can instantly change the board into a Thanksgiving game in just a few short weeks.
You need:
Foam board (2 x 3 feet)
2 yards of durable fabric (flannel or soft corduroy)
Fabric glue
Sharp scissors
Halloween decorations (stickers, foam figures, glitter, clip art, etc.)
Beanbags
Directions:
Use sharp scissors to cut a large circle toward the top of the foam board (6-inch diameter).
Cover board with fabric, which will help prevent the beanbags from sliding off the board during game play.
Cut a hole in the fabric that matches the hole in the board. Decorate using spooky stickers and glitter.
To play:
Prop up board against a small table or box so that it is at a 30-degree angle. Players take turns tossing beanbags toward the Halloween Baggo board.
Scoring is as follows:
Bag lands in the hole = 2 points.
Bag lands on the board = 1 point.
First player to get to 21 wins. This game can also be played in teams. For more information visit: www.playcorn hole.org.
Popsicle Stick Puzzles
This activity is almost as fun to make as it is to play. It’s also an easy craft to do with large groups of kids, making it the perfect activity for school Halloween parties.
You need:
6 or more Popsicle sticks (The more sticks you have, the more challenging the puzzle.)
Paint pens, crayons or markers
Masking tape
Directions:
Tape the tops of the Popsicle sticks side by side with masking tape.
Have your kids draw and color Halloween images onto the taped sticks.
Carefully remove the tape and mix up the sticks.
The puzzle is now ready to be put back together.
For an added challenge: Have your kids create another image on the back of the Popsicle stick puzzle. That way you have 2 puzzles in one, which is twice as fun and twice as hard!
Haunted House
Sensory Box
It’s your turn to gross out your kids with this haunted house that’s filled with eyeballs, worms and maggots.
You need:
Large box
Felt or fabric
Duct tape
Scissors
Maggots (cooked rice)
Eyeballs (peeled grapes)
Worms (cold cooked noodles with a touch of olive oil)
Brains (steamed cauliflower)
Directions:
Make the haunted house by cutting a 4- to 6-inch hole on each side of the box.
Cover each hole with fabric and a few pieces of duct tape.
Inside the box, place bowls of maggots, eyeballs, worms and brains.
Let the gross-out begin.
Bowling with
Pumpkins
This “odd-ball” game is a big hit in our house. I like to use a fake pumpkin to avoid any potential pumpkin explosions on our kitchen floor!
You need:
10 recycled 1-liter soda bottles
Water
Orange food coloring
Large pumpkin
Directions:
Fill plastic bottles with water and a few drops of food coloring.
Grab a pumpkin and you are ready to bowl.
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