Guest post by Jackie Walter, Owner of Sprinkles & Confetti party supplies.

When you have young kids at home, Halloween can be a real mix of fun, stress, and chaos which is why we reached out to the experts at Sprinkles & Confetti parties for some tips on how to make sure this year’s Halloween season is all about the treats, not the tricks!  And as you know, Halloween certainly has turned into an all-month long celebration in addition to the actual holiday on 10/31!  

Keep reading to hear some tips & tricks from Sprinkles & Confetti on hosting a Halloween playdate for your tiny tots and their friends…

There’s nothing that really replaces the long standing tradition of trick-or-treating on Halloween eve, but sometimes it can be even more enjoyable to celebrate Halloween a weekend or two before the actual holiday!  We’ve been hosting a Halloween playdates with friends for a few years now and it’s been a huge hit. It started when the kids were toddlers and the tradition easily lives on into the school aged group too! There are a few reasons why the weekend playdate works:

• Keep it small:  Invites can be limited to your neighbors, a small group of families you enjoy hanging out with, or small group from school.  No need to throw a huge bash or stand outside at a Trunk-or-Treat with strangers you don’t know! 
• Bad Weather – No Problem:  This celebration isn’t weather dependent.  Don’t stand out in the rain or freeze with your little ones if a brush of cold weather gets the best of your Halloween plans.  Entertaining inside allows for a bit more relaxed and non-weather dependent celebration which helps avoid the bundling up of little ones!
• No Scares for the Littlest Ones:  Halloween can come with sensory overload for any child, especially those who are scared of costumes.  Entertaining at home with friends creates a familiar environment and allows everyone to be able to take their guard down a bit. 
• Aaaaand an added bonus is that the adults might actually get a chance to visit with their friends too!  So invite a few friends over, have fun drooling over all the cute costumes, and then enjoy the snacks and play time all while getting to use those Halloween costumes more than once!  

Now let’s Make this Party Simple, here’s your shopping list:

1. Halloween Printables, FREE: These cute black & orange printable are free from Elva M Designs.  Get your set today!  
2. Halloween Party Supplies, starting at $2.99: Choose from a variety of Halloween themed plates and napkins in traditional orange & black as well as fun themed decor.  
3. Halloween Balloons, $3.99: Add quick and easy decor with these printed skeleton, bat, and spider balloons.  
4. Spider Web Snack Bowl, $5.00: Serve up your snacks in this spider web snack bowl perfect for popcorn, chips, and more! 
5. Halloween Candies & Snacks: All the goodies for our Halloween treat tray were purchased at Target for a one stop trip. 

Want to win a FREE HALLOWEEN PARTY PACKAGE? If you like the idea of this Halloween playdate and happen to be reading between Oct 1 – Oct 5th, make sure to check us out @sprinkles_and_confetti on instagram because we’ve partnered with Legally Crafty Blog & Elva M Designs to give one lucky winner a free Halloween party package!   

Interested in seeing years’ past or  more party ideas. Check out the Sprinkles & Confetti party blog!  

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