My own MNSSHP

[ban26ana]

Dh and I don't let our kids go trick-or-treating. We're overprotective and don't like the idea of our kids taking candy from strangers. (Hey, at least I admit that we're overprotective. LOL) So every year we have a Halloween party instead.

This year we decided to do our own MNSSHP. I'm so excited about it! I'm looking for ideas though. Here's what I have so far.

Costumes:
DD#1 (3): Boo from Monsters Inc (homemade)
DD#2 (1): Mike Wazowski
Me: Witch Minnie Mouse
Dh: Dork who wants to not go with a Disney theme. He'll dress as the weird guy from The Hangover. *Sigh* It's the first time he's ever dressing up though, so I guess it's a start.


I made an invitation that is shaped like a Mickey jack o'lantern. It folds up at the ears and the writing inside is in Disney font.

I'm buying one of the inflatable Mickey pumpkin things for outside, and I'm going to attempt to put together a real Mickey jack o'lantern. As for the rest of the decorations, I'm going to use most of the ideas from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Halloween party site. I'm also going to make headstones for outside that match the ones at the HM.

Food:
Minnie's spider dip
Apple bites
Cheese finger food
Halloween shaped cookies
Halloween shaped sandwiches
Disney pumpkin cakes


Goody bags: (Will be jack o'lantern buckets for trick or treating. Any ideas on how to put on Mickey ears?)
Mickey pumpkin head caramel apples (scroll down a little to see them)
Halloween crazy straws (Christmas Tree Shop)
Halloween coloring books (Christmas Tree Shop)
some candy, but not a lot


Activities:
Pin the nose on the Mickey jack o'lantern
Teams make a mummy with toilet paper


Any other ideas, suggestions, or critiques? My kids are ages 3 and 1, and they have some older friends. There will be a mixture of kids at the party. I'm hoping the weather will be nice so they can play outside in the backyard. I'm having the party at 2pm. I should be good with just serving snacks and not a meal, right?

 

[bas71873]

I'm not going to bash you for not letting your kids trick or treat, to each his own and you have your reasons, but I can give you one piece of advice. If you don't trick or treat, then DO NOT hand out candy at your house. Turn your light off. I babysat for two kids while in college, they were 8 & 9, and they were not allowed to trick or treat either, BUT, their family gave out candy. I was there for Halloween night (don't remember why now, maybe they just asked me to stay), but they were sooooo bummed not to be running from house to house with all their dressed up friends. It was sad for them. 'Nuff said on that, but, there might be a way they can still trick or treat without KEEPING the candy. Do any local dentist offices offer a candy for $$ trade in? My dentist last year had a program where they gave you $1 for every pound of halloween candy turned in (and I think they boxed up the candy and shipped it over to the troops if memory server here). I had a friend do this because she didn't want her kid to have the TONS of candy he had. Just something to look in to so maybe your kids can participate in the fun. Do you not know any of your neighbors (which is why you call them strangers?) .

Your Halloween party sounds cute, good idea having it the afternoon and yes, 2:00 PM, I would just to snacks too. Halloween in my favorite holiday and we live a great neighborhood and I personally LOVE to see all the kids (and some adults too) all dressed up.

I make these nutter butter cookies every year and they are so good. Get a pack of nutter butter cookies and a bar of the white almond bark. Melt the almond bark as instructed and dip the nutter butters in to cover. Put 2 mini chocolate chips for the eyes and there you have it. Ghost cookies. Put them on wax paper to cool & harden (I store them in a container w/wax paper between the layers in the fridge).

 

[aprilgail2]

If you don't trick or treat, then DO NOT hand out candy at your house. Turn your light off. ).

That rule does not apply everywhere--- I have asked many people here if they have ever heard of it and the answer was always "NO"---or "you can opt out of Halloween??????" Here you knock on every door- lights or no light...in fact many people don't even have a light outside by their front door!

 

[zoemurr]

I always thought the "no light on" rule applied everywhere.

Your party sounds fun, but I think you should check out this link: http://www.snopes.com/horrors/poison/halloween.asp It explains the backround of why people are afraid of Halloween, and the logic why there is no reason to be.

Have a great time!

 

[Anna_Marie]

LOVE the idea of ghost cookies! I am going to try this!

 

[bas71873]

LOVE the idea of ghost cookies! I am going to try this!

They are YUMMY. But a tip, buy your nutter butters EARLY. The past few years I"ve really had to hunt them around Halloween time!

 

[book_junkie]

OP, your party sounds awesome! Where's your house again, and when does it start? What can I bring?

Just a thought for you (and others) who are worried about letting your kids trick-or-treat around the neighborhood but you don't have any objections to the holiday (I know some do), you might want to check out what your city is doing for the holiday. In my area, we have an annual Trunk or Treat, where the city departments bring vehicles and gather in the parking lot of the rec centers on different nights leading up to Halloween, and the kids can "trunk" or treat all the different departments.

We've had fire, police, library, parks, city manager, streets, etc., along with some neighborhood organizations and businesses. Everyone had to register if they wanted a spot, and anyone not affiliated with the city had to donate pre-wrapped candy or juice boxes.

It's been really fun, and we have had really good turn outs, and it's been a good community builder and a safe way for kids to trick or treat without going everywhere in a community where they might not know all the neighbors. It's caught on big-time, and last year on Halloween night a lot of the churches in our area did something similar, although I don't believe they called it the same thing...

 

[fall08CP]

Just wanted to let you know I was not allowed to trick-or-treat as a kid and I've grown up normal Actually, my first time trick-or-treating was in 2008 at MNSSHP in my 20s! We had 2 options on Halloween- my church would hold a huge party with games much like the one you're planning, or my parents would take us to dinner at a nice restaurant.

The kids' costumes sound adorable