Google The Unplanned Homeschooler: Halloween parties are my favorite homeschool events

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Halloween parties are my favorite homeschool events

Yesterday, our homeschool group had our fifth annual Halloween party, and like each year before, it was our biggest and most popular party by far. We love having parties for the kids. We do Christmas parties, Valentine's Day parties, Easter parties, etc. But it's Halloween that always draws the biggest and most enthusiastic crowds.

Roughly two-thirds of the guests at our Halloween party this year.

Here are a few reasons why Halloween parties are my personal favorite homeschool event of the year, and why your group might want to consider hosting one next year, too.

The weather is usually awesome


Late October, at least in Oklahoma, is almost always mild enough to sit outdoors in nothing heavier than a sweater and sometimes in just t-shirts and jeans. But it's cool enough that we aren't plagued by mosquitoes and flies, and the kids keep their costumes on for at least enough time to get a group picture before deciding they are too hot and stripping down to their play clothes.

Kids get to show their creative sides


I love seeing all the cool costumes on the kids in our group, and especially being able to talk to the kids and hear why they picked the outfits they decided to wear. This year we had historic characters, animals, modern real-life heroes, characters from movies, monsters, and more.

One thing I really like is that kids don't have to censor their costumes like they might in schools. The young police officer carried his side arm, the Civil War soldier carried his rifle, Merida was armed with her bow, the pirate queens held daggers, and Fin from "Sharknado" had his bloody chainsaw, just in case. There were many battles waged on the playground this year, but no one was injured in the melee.  

The food is fun


Halloween themed cookies, cupcakes and other treats make for a very festive array of snacks, and because everyone is not exhausted from holiday cooking that is still a few weeks away, they're excited to bring creative goodies to share.

There are treats aplenty


We always ask kids to bring candy or other treats to share with their friends, and a bag or bucket to collect their own. With 55 children at our party yesterday, there were so many treats some kids' bags wouldn't even hold them all!

Everyone has a great time


Our Halloween parties always seem to go on for hours and hours, and this year was no different. It's just so good to sit and visit with the other parents while the kids play imaginatively, go on expeditions together, and sneak pieces of candy from their buckets. Because the Halloween party is always our biggest event, we get to meet new members each year, too.  

Nearly 90 people attended our party this year. We ended the day exhausted, but happy, and really looking forward to the good times to come.


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