Family Halloween Movies

Yesterday I wrote about Halloween movies for grown-ups- now here are some ideas for families. Pop some popcorn and settle down to one of these family Halloween movies that kids can enjoy.

• It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown- The boy just wants to see the Great Pumpkin! Why is life so mean to Charlie Brown?
  
  
• Casper- A girl and her ghost
  
  
• Monsters, Inc.- It might be more fun than Halloween, but this sweet movie is great for all ages.
  
  
• Hocus Pocus- The story of three witchy sisters and a young boy's quest to help those they threaten
  
  
• Beetlejuice- Older kids will enjoy the icky antics of Beetlejuice as they ramp up for Halloween
  
  
• The Witches- A black comedy for the tween set, based on a Roald Dahl story
  

Good Halloween Movies!

Nothing gets more more in the mood to be scared than turning off the lights, powering up the DVD player, and putting in a scary movie. Halloween is the perfect time of year for this- a good Halloween movie can set the tone for a party, trick or treating, or even some post-movie cuddling.

To get yourself scared, put the kids to bed, turn out the lights, and pop in one of these flicks:

• The Rocky Horror Picture Show- A scary Halloween movie? Guess that depends on what you think of Tim Curry in a dress...
  
  
• Halloween- If you watch any scary movie for Halloween, this should be it.
  
  
• Poltergeist- Creepy. Just... *shudder*
  
  
• Nightmare on Elm Street- the film that made Freddy Kreuger a household name
  
  
• The Exorcist- the film that ruined pea soup for so many people
  
  
• The Ring- Hands down, the most terrifying movie I've ever seen. After my roommates and I watched it, we all slept in the living room together with the TV face down. I haven't had the courage to watch it again since.
  
  

Halloween Safety

SaAs you prepare for Halloween, you'll naturally start to think about trick or treating. If you have children, Halloween safety revolves in large part around keeping them safe while they trick or treat. Here are a few tips:

• Try to trick or treat while it's still light out. If you have to go after dark, make sure a grownup comes along.
• If you're letting older kids trick or treat without you, set a curfew and know what neighborhoods and streets they plan to be on.
• A big part of Halloween safety is also common sense, everyday safety- make sure children know that on Halloween, just like any other day, they need to stay out of the houses or cars of strangers and look before crossing the street. Just because there's candy involved doesn't mean normal rules don't apply!
  
• If trick or treating after dark, send a glowstick or flashlight with your child. If their costume doesn't have reflective elements, consider a stripe of reflective tape so that cars can see them easily.

Easy Halloween Recipes

Halloween is coming, and it's a great time to pull out your Halloween recipes! Two of my favorites are witches fingers cookies and peanut butter caramel apples, but there are many more easy Halloween recipes out there- here's one that's incredible simple!

First, buy a box of sugar cookie mix and some icing- consider using Halloween colors to match the theme. Roll out the sugar cookies and use Halloween cookie cutters to cut them into Halloween-themed shapes. Cook, cool, and decorate with icing. You can make the decorations intricate, for instance, making faces on pumpkin shapes with icing and candy, or you can go the simple route and ice with a single color, using Halloween sprinkles to make your cookies festive.