Our family loves fall and Halloween. We live on a farm surrounded by woods on a dead end road. Definitely, 
dark and spooky. The highlight of fall is Halloween and each year my husband and I dress up with the kids and make the rounds of the neighbourhood. It is a great opportunity to connect with the neighbours especially in a rural area. Most kids migrate to the city for better candy opportunities but we stick it out in the country and for some of our neighbours ours are the only kids they see at Halloween! It’s nice that they look forward to us coming every year.
Whether you are going out trick or treating or staying in, here are a few ideas for some ‘spooktacular’ Halloween fun!
Roylco’s brain and skeleton molds for a party with a scare! This can be the highlight of your Halloween party.
Roylco makes brain and skeleton molds that are creepy, cool and very 
multifunctional. You can use these to make creepy treats for the party. Use them as a jelly mold—what kid doesn’t want to eat a brain? After Halloween you can use then with plaster for the perfect science project. Also by Roylco are ‘true to life’ human skeleton x-rays. We put our set on the patio doors for a true 'see through' experience and then we loan them to the school for science class. Let your little monsters dig in and enjoy. Reusable molds are $15 each. Set of skeleton X-Rays is $38.
We don’t get a lot of kids at Halloween but for those that make the trip up the long 
dark driveway we give them special rewards. For those special trick or treaters you might want to consider an alternate to the candy. Be Amazing Toys has a great line of pickup items for under $4 each. Their Monster Science expanding polymer line allows you to grow mucus, brains, aliens and eyeballs. Fun for the kids to grow and use to freak out their parents! Another great treat is a Dover coloring book. Amazing quality graphics on top quality paper. One of my favourites is the nocturnal creatures colouring book with info on every page about each animal which sells for about $6.
Lastly, get outdoors! Enjoy the last of the fall days! If you are short on ideas, try a kite, a Jump Rocket, or a
Geyser Tube. Be Amazing Toys offer an amazing product to perform the menthos miracle with the Geyser Tube. The tube screws onto a large-size pop bottle and has a pin and string assembly. You load up the menthos, step back, pull the string, and watch the excitement. We use diet cola—doesn’t leave a sticky mess. Retail price is approximately $7.
Happy Halloween to you and all your favourite little monsters!
Angela Field is the owner of Tradewind Imports (Toys & Gifts), a member of Neighbourhood Toy Stores of Canada (NETS) and an active and slightly crazy mother of four little boys. She has been in retail for over 15 years and has increased her toy lines with the arrival of each of her boys and the knowledge they have imparted. The boys, along with relatives, and other kids in the community are an active part in her toy-testing. Angela’s motto is “I won’t sell it if I don’t believe in it.”
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