Halloween can be an incredibly exciting time for kids of all ages. If you’ve opened your home to children in foster care, you may want to make the most of this important season. At AFFCF, we’re here to help you make the season magical, from costumes that you can put together with materials you already have at home to home decorating ideas that can involve the kids and build excitement.
Unleashing Creativity with DIY Costumes
DIY costumes are a great way to encourage kids to get involved in the preparation for the season–not to mention cutting costs on costumes. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can use items you already have around the house to make fun, spooky, or exciting costumes.
Simple Household Items
Take an inventory of what items you have around the house that aren’t in use or that can be transformed into a costume. Of course, there’s always the old standby of using a sheet to transform your little spook into a ghost, but there are plenty of other items that can be used for costumes, too. For example, cardboard boxes are great for making robots and cars. Encourage the kids to have fun with their designs and think creatively!
Repurposing Old Clothes
Old clothes are also a great solution for creating simple costumes. A flannel t-shirt, for example, can be the basis of a scarecrow costume. Old t-shirts can be repurposed in a variety of ways, whether you’re using a solid-colored shirt to create the base for a candy costume or turning a shirt into a superhero cape. Encourage the child to get involved in the creative process, including helping to assemble the final result.
Spook-tacular Home Decorating Fun
DIY decor is a great way to transform your home and invite the children in your home to participate in the process. Try some of these great ideas:
- Make paper cutouts of items like bats, spiders, or pumpkins
- Create spiderwebs out of cotton balls
- Draw spooky faces on balloons
- Use natural elements, like leaves and twigs, to create fascinating fall decor
Feel free to let your creativity shine as you transform your home to reflect the season.
At-Home Halloween Celebrations
Celebrating Halloween isn’t just about trick-or-treating. There are a lot of activities you can engage in right there at home. Try:
- Halloween movie marathons with themed snacks
- Indoor trick-or-treating, where you hide candy around the house and invite your little spooks to search for it
- Storytelling with flashlights–choose from an array of fall-themed stories
- Crafting Halloween-themed treats like “mummy” hot dogs and “spiderweb” cupcakes
- Playing spooky music and having a dance party
With these activities, you can make the Halloween season a little more exciting and special, whether you choose a few in the lead-up to the day or look for opportunities to celebrate throughout the month. Those at-home Halloween celebrations can create plenty of opportunities for making memories–not to mention the chance to engage in a variety of activities that can light their creative spark.
AFFCF’s Support for Seasonal Needs
At AFFCF, we understand that the arrival of holiday seasons, including Halloween, can increase needs in foster homes. When available, we can offer funding assistance for clothing, which can help children in foster care make the most of the season. Most importantly, however, we want to provide inspiration and tools that you can use to make this Halloween special for the children in your care.
Do you want to learn more about our mission, including how you can participate in supporting foster families? Learn more about our services and how we aim to support children in foster care.
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