Countdown to a New Kind of Halloween
By: Krystle Gard, Bridgetown Baby
Halloween is our family’s favorite holiday. And it’s even on Saturday this year! But what does Halloween look like during a pandemic? Here are my tips for creating a pandemic-safe yet thrilling countdown to Halloween – with these tips, you can either celebrate all week with a couple of activities each day, or create one big bash on Halloween that your kids will never forget
Monday, Oct 26:
Get out paper, markers, stickers and other art supplies to make Halloween cards for hospitalized kids or a local senior center. (Ideas here: cardsforhospitalizedkids.com/holiday-cards
Tuesday, Oct. 27:
Pumpkin carving and roasting pumpkin seeds.
Wednesday, Oct. 28:
Make baked pumpkin doughnuts and watch a Halloween movie.
Thursday, Oct. 29:
Face painting with watercolor crayons, make witches’ slime and play Halloween bingo with candy corn.
Friday, Oct 30:
Make monster cookies and read Halloween books.
Saturday, Oct. 31:
Halloween: pumpkin pizza from Papa Murphy’s, Halloween Music Dance Party with costumes, Candy Piñata and Candy Hunt (like an Easter egg hunt without the eggs!).
Dance Party Songs
“Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley
“Monster Mash” — Bobby (Boris) Pickett
“I Put a Spell On You” — Bette Midler
“Thriller” — Michael Jackson
“Ghostbusters” Theme — Ray Parker Jr.
“This Is Halloween” — The Citizens of Halloween (or anything from Nightmare Before Christmas Sound track)
“Time Warp” — Little Nell, Patricia Quinn, & Richard O’Brien
“The Addams Family” Theme — Vic Mizzy
“Halloween Sharks” by Pinkfong
(or add the Halloween Station to your stations on Spotify or Pandora)
Halloween Week Movie Recommendations
Toddler:
Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest
Room on the Broom
Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie
Super Monsters Save Halloween
6+:
It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Hotel Transylvania
Casper
Toy Story of Terror
Hocus Pocus
Monster House
Goosebumps
Addams Family
Recipes
Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts: thespruceeats.com/pumpkin-doughnut
Monster Cookies: lilluna.com/gooey-monster-cookies
Witches’ Slime: littlebinsforlittlehands.com/make-witch-fluffy-halloween-slime-recipe-kids
Krystle Gard is a Certified Postpartum Doula with Bridgetown Baby. She lives and parents in the Tigard/Beaverton area. Krystle enjoys baking and cooking with her three boys ages 8 and 5, but enjoys cooking for new and growing families most of all.
Bridgetown Baby is Portland’s premier postpartum doula group, providing comprehensive postpartum and feeding support to help families grow with strength & confidence. During the pandemic, Bridgetown Baby is doing everything possible to minimize risk to families and doulas while providing the support families need now more than ever. To learn more go to: www.bridgetownbaby.com