Halloween Traditions for the
Less Spooky Family
By Brandie Valenzuela

Our family has pretty much stopped trick or treating. We live in a rural area, so most streets have no street lights and homes are on large lots and tend to be spread out quite a bit. While I am not against it altogether, my husband and I have decided over the last few years to find alternate activities, and nowadays it is quite easy.

One of the alternate activities we participate in is our local elementary school fall festival. The kids are allowed to dress up (there is even a costume contest), plus their are booths set up where children can exchange their tickets to play a fun game. Everyone always wins -- candy and other goodies!

Another yearly activity in our family is decorating our home for the Autumn season and for Halloween. We have decided to forgo the "scary" decor for more seasonal decorations: scarecrows, pumpkins, fall leaf garland, and other delightful signs of fall. Our family also has great fun cooking up fun Halloween or Autumn themed meals, snacks, and sweets during this time of the year. And, like many families, we also enjoy visiting our local pumpkin patch and picking out our own pumpkins and then bringing them home for carving and pumpkin seeds!

Yet another enjoyable tradition in our family is watching the less-scary Halloween movies and cartoons. Even though my children are getting older, every year we still watch "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown". It has become a family tradition that I am sure will continue for many, many years.

If you are looking for even more fun Halloween traditions to start with your family, try these! Your children will love doing this, as I am sure you will too!

The Pumpkin Phantom
When you go out pumpkin picking, pick out an extra pumpkin to surprise someone with! You can surprise a senior citizen, a teacher, a single person, or just about anyone! Next you must get a note or card ready to give with the pumpkin. Since you will do this in secret, make sure you choose a method, such as your computer or cutting out letters from magazines or newspapers, so that the receiver won't be able to recognize your writing. Your message could say something like this:

Dear _____________________
Happy Halloween from the Pumpkin Phantom!!!

Then that night put your kids in the car and drive to the home of the person you are giving it too. Have one or more of your children sneak up to the home and place the pumpkin on the steps and ring the doorbell (or knock) and run like crazy back to the car! It is a lot of fun and a great way to do something fun for someone else!*

The Fun & Sneaky Family
Here is a variation of the above idea, but this is done with candy and a poem. The intention is to start a chain reaction of sneaky families!

Decorate a paper bag (or use a basket if you wish), and put in the bag a paper pumpkin, a bunch of candy or other goodies or treats, and a note that says:

Happy Halloween!
A fun & sneaky family has come to town
To leave you some goodies that we see you have found
If you do not wish to disappoint all
Continue this greeting, this "sneaky family call"
Buy or make some treats, 2 paper pumpkins, and two notes like this
Deliver them to 2 neighbors who may have been missed
Don't let them see you, be sneaky, no doubt
And make sure they put their paper pumpkin out.
Next, you have only one day to act, so be quick
Leave it at doors where a sneaky family hasn't hit
Deliver at dark, where there is no light
Ring the doorbell and run, and stay out of sight
Last but not least, come join in the season
Don't worry, be happy -- you need no good reason
Be cool, have fun, and remember don't be seen
Share the spirit of Halloween!
(Don't forget to hang your paper pumpkin on a door or window so other sneaky families will know you've already been visited.)

Have a Happy Halloween!

About The Author: Brandie is a freelance writing mother of three children. She is also the editor of the Family First Newsletter and a scrapbook artist. To find out more about Brandie's creations, visit: http://www.bmvcreations.com Also, check out her latest scrapbook & home related auctions: http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/bmvcreations/

*This idea is from a past issue of "Friend", a children's magazine published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.