It’s almost Halloween! As an au pair, you may not have celebrated this spooky holiday before but you’ve probably seen at least one or two movies that feature this creepiest of nights. Well, you’re in for a treat (and maybe a trick too)! Besides the typical dressing up in costume, kids typically enjoy trick-or-treating—a tradition that became very popular in 20th Century America which involves going door to door to neighbors’ homes collecting candy on October 31st. There are lots of additional activities you can do with your host kids leading up to the big day.
Check out a few we’ve highlighted from our Pinterest board to help you get into the spooky spirit:
Make a Halloween craft.
There are many Halloween crafts to choose from, but we especially love this mummy paper plate lacing craft. It’s super simple and will help develop your child’s fine motor skills. For some more Halloween crafty fun, you can try making a spider web suncatcher. The best part about making crafts is you can also use them to decorate your home for the Halloween holiday!
Create a Halloween sensory bin.
What’s more fun than digging around and finding creepy Halloween goodies? Creating a Halloween sensory bin is easy, fun, and will keep your children busy! Follow these instructions or change it up with different items. The concept is the same. We especially love using the skeleton hands as tools to dig! If you’re caring for younger children, be sure to use age-appropriate items that don’t pose a choking risk.
Eat Halloween bites.
Turn everyday foods into Halloween fun with simple twists. For example, draw ghost faces on your string cheese packages or cook mummy dogs (make your hot dogs look like mummies using pieces of Crescent rolls). There’s even a yummy cookie recipe that will turn basic cookies into colorful monsters. Sky’s the limit with how creative you can make your regular, everyday foods during the Halloween season. As always, be sure to keep in mind any food allergies that may be present in your host family (this goes for trick-or-treat goodies, too!).
Make a recipe for a Witch’s Spell.
Encourage creativity by asking your host child to come up with their own witch’s spell. Ask them how they make it, what it’s called, and what it does? There’s even a fun printout you can get so they’ll remember it for years to come.
Do a Halloween word search.
Learn all the Halloween vocabulary by doing a Halloween word search activity. You can either print one or create your own. We recommend this giant Halloween word search so everyone in the family can easily participate.
Keep in mind that some families do not celebrate Halloween for religious reasons, so it’s always best to check what is appropriate in your host family’s home.
Be sure to check out our full Pinterest board to see even more Halloween activities you can try this year as an au pair. Taking advantage of cultural exchange activities, especially during the holidays, is an excellent way to make the most of your au pair experience. Au Pair USA wishes you a happy Halloween!
