Get the children moving at the Halloween party. Set up a simple haunted obstacle course in the backyard. An obstacle course is a perfect party activity since it keeps the action outside, provides an outlet for children’s boundless energy, and is easily adapted to accommodate toddlers through elementary age children. Older children may want to challenge themselves to best a particular time through the course, while younger children may only do the stations that interest them.
When setting up the obstacle course, space the stations far enough apart that children have room to run from one station to the next. Listed below are some suggested stations for the obstacle course. Use as many or as few fit the backyard space, available supplies, and children‘s interests. Be sure to incorporate features already in the backyard, such as, a slide, swing set, or climbing tree.
Climb Through the Spider’s Web
The obstacle course can encompass everything already in the backyard. A slide makes an excellent backdrop for a spider’s web. Decorate the stairs and top of the slide with cotton spiders’ webs and plastic spiders. If space allows, create a giant spider to rest at the top of the slide. Dare children to climb into the web and slide past the spiders.
Fly Like a Bat
Turn the swing set into a bat cave. Purchase crepe paper bats or make your own. Hang them from the top of the swing set. Provide two bat wing costumes for children to put on before counting ten pumps of the swing to get to the top of the cave. Jumping off is optional!
Cross Shark-Infested Waters
Draw sharks on an old bed sheet. Place the sheet on the ground with a thin plank of wood over it. Children must balance on the plank without falling into the water. Alternatively, the entire scene, including the balance beam, can be drawn with chalk on a driveway, The scene can also change depending on children’s ages and fright tolerance. It can be a river of blood, a moat filled with monsters, or other spooky setting.
Ghost Toss
Follow the same steps used to make tissue paper ghosts to create ghosts that fly through the air. Wrap four white cloth napkins or other fabric around four rubber balls. Secure the fabric at the base of each ball with a rubber band, leaving fabric flowing from the bottom. Use fabric markers to draw a face on each ghost. Provide a bucket into which children can toss the ghosts.
Ring around the Witches’ Hats
Cover three playground cones with black fabric or construction paper to make witches’ hats. Provide the children with horseshoes or rings to toss over the hats. The hats can be placed at different distances from the throw line to provide appropriate challenges for children of varying ages.
Crawl Through the Graveyard
Use a purchased crawling tunnel, a large cardboard box (like the ones that refrigerators come in), a tent, a picnic table draped with a blanket, or a tarp staked low to the ground. Decorate the inside of the space with skeletons and tombstones. Children must crawl through the graveyard to get to the next station.
Once the stations are set up, be sure to add spooky details. For example, create construction paper tombstones for the title and directions of each station. Tape the tombstones to garden stakes and plant them in the ground next teach station. With the right amount of spookiness, the obstacle course will be the hit of the party.
 |
