Children love to dress up in pirate costumes. If you are planning to have a fancy dress party for kids then this would make a very popular theme for it. You might think that it will limit things a little by just organizing it around pirates but it will actually prove to make it all a lot easier. Instead of having to cater for so many different things, absolutely everything to do with your party can hinge on the swashbuckling theme.

If you have more than one child of your own then you have already solved several problems. You are not going to have to think of ideas for what your children are going to wear. If you are just sticking to pirate costumes then it will make it a lot simpler. As long as each of your children is happy with their outfit then you are onto a winner.

Depending on the amount of work that you are prepared to do (and if you have someone who is going to help), there are all sorts of activities that will fit around the theme of pirates costumes. As far as the children are concerned, if they are dressed up in pirate costumes then they want to behave like buccaneers.

Organizing a treasure hunt for all of the children to take part in would be a great idea. Kids love things like this and it will keep them all occupied for quite a while. You could perhaps design some treasure maps on your computer and print them off beforehand. They don’t have to be anything too elaborate as long as they are going to fit in with the rest of the party. You could even tie them all up with sashes and give them to the kids to wear on the belts of their pirate costumes until it is time to look for the treasure.

Plastic swords are very reasonably priced and would look great when worn with their pirate costumes. It might be a good idea to have some ‘organized’ sword-fight though. If a few children are left alone with plastic weapons without a little supervision then it is only a matter of time before one of them is wounded… Perhaps, to avoid any squabbles, you can have some proper contests for them where they are able to show off their swordsmanship to the fore.

If you have your children’s’ party in the summer then another idea would be to have some themed games in the back garden. With a bit of imagination, you can soon adapt some ordinary children’s activities into something that is more in keeping with pirate costumes. Perhaps you have a sandpit where you can bury some ‘treasure’. The kids will love to dig away hoping to be first to find it, especially if they don’t even know what it is that they are looking for.

With a little thought and planning (and minimal outlay) you can easily create a whole afternoon of fun that everyone will thoroughly enjoy.

Halloween costumes are about being creative and having a good time, which makes them the most fun costumes out there. However big or small your age, or your size, there’s a costume out there with your name on it. They’re the biggest element of the holiday because people enjoy the opportunity to get dressed up in something that they would never normally wear.

But of course, Halloween night would not truly be Halloween night without some terrifying Halloween costumes. Zombies, Grim Reapers, and monsters are classic creepy choices. For those grown-ups who value education, there are historical scary Halloween costumes or simply plain and simple some examples such as extravagant Marie Antoinette dresses, sharp colonial George Washington suits, seductive Cleopatra gowns, or honest Abe Lincoln ensembles. Whatever costume you end up with, don’t forget that sometimes it’s an accessory that will pull your entire outfit together and separate it from everyone else’s. Hats, wigs, swords, belts, capes, boots, scarves, and accessories will all take your Halloween costume to a whole new level.

One such company offering scary Halloween fancy dress costumes and accessories is http://www.novelties4parties.co.uk/department/Scary-Halloween-Party/ who have developed their business in supplying scary Halloween costumes and accessories to the UK consumer market.

Homemade costumes are great because they are truly one-of-a-kind, they’re as much fun to make as they are to wear, and they’ll perfectly express your unique personality. Lots people decide to use homemade costumes to save cash, but then they proceed to go out and buy all their materials, rather than using things that are lying around their house. As a result, after all the materials are bought, some home-stitched costumes end up costing even more than the store-bought ones. Don’t make that mistake.

Halloween, as we know it, originated from the pagan Celtic holiday of Samhain (the eve of All Saints Day). The day allows anyone to step outside of their normal (boring?) self and be someone or something entirely different for the evening. Usually restrained people let loose and get spooky, wild, or wicked without fear of peer judgment. That’s why it’s a favourite holiday of so many: they love the merriment, amusement, and creativity, as well as the chance to publicly show off their alter egos.

Today, candy is the central focus of the spookiest holiday of the year.  In fact, the average American consumes 24 pounds of candy in a year, most of which is eaten right after Halloween according to the U.S. Census Bureau.   But for diabetic children, it can be difficult to enjoy the festivities when all their fellow goblins are in a frenzy to get their hands on mounds of sweet treats.

Marc Wolf, registered pharmacist and CEO of Diabetic Care Services, provides the following tips to help parents of diabetic children shift the focus off Halloween candy so the kids can have more fun.

- Explain to diabetic children ahead of time that they should not snack on candy until you are home from trick-or-treating. (Parents, that goes for you too!)

- Lots of walking can affect blood glucose levels for anyone with diabetes, so pack a healthy snack that you can rely on to battle lows.  This way, you avoid the temptation of dipping into the Halloween treat bag for a quick solution if your child’s blood sugar levels begin to drop.

- If your child has diabetes, choosing which type of candy to pass out is important because there is a good chance you will have leftovers.  If you select the correct type of candy, you can use leftovers to treat lows throughout the year.  According to the American Diabetes Association, chocolate and other higher-fat treats do not work well for treating lows.  Therefore, if you anticipate leftovers, choose hard candy, gumdrops or lollipops to pass out at Halloween so you can use the leftovers to treat lows.

- Do not feel you have to deprive your child of all Halloween candy because they have diabetes.  Instead, allow them to choose a fun size, smaller version of their favorite candy.  Just remember to adjust their meal plan based on the number of carbohydrates in the sweet treat. Visit the JDRF web site for a list of common Halloween candy carbohydrate values.

- After trick-or-treat hours are over, sit down with your child and help them choose a few of his or her favorite pieces of candy they can enjoy throughout the week.  To help diabetic children part with the leftover candy, allow them to exchange it for money, a toy or some other special treat (a special dinner, trip to the movies, etc).

- If you do not want to waste the extra candy by throwing it away, go with your child to donate the leftovers to a hospital or senior center.  Not only will your child learn healthy diabetes management habits, they will receive a lesson in sharing.

- Take the focus off Halloween candy by encouraging diabetic children to create an exciting Halloween costume.  You can even involve the entire family by designating a day to work on homemade costumes.

- Halloween costumes often require plenty of face paint, body paint and colored hair spray.  When the festivities are over, ensure you give proper attention to skin and scalp cleansing and care.

- No matter what the Halloween costume, ensure your child wears comfortable, closed toe shoes and invest in special diabetic socks that will keep feet clean and dry.  Whether trick-or-treating or at a costume party, it is important for children with diabetes to protect feet from potential cuts and scrapes and prevent blisters and soreness.

- Offer to host the Halloween party this year.  You will be able to ensure your child, and all the guests, enjoy healthy Halloween treats safe diabetic children rather than experience sugar shock.  Use food coloring to turn your favorite dip or sugar-free whipped topping orange, and pair with fruit and cheese or vegetables for a festive tray.  For dessert, dish out sugar-free chocolate pudding in individual cups and garnish with sugar-free whipped topping and sugar-free candy worms for a creepy surprise.

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As the day for trick or treating approaches, the idea of safety should be on the minds of all, especially parents of small children.

You may not know this, but the United States Department of Transportation has issued statistics, which demonstrate that the majority of fatal collisions between motor vehicles and young pedestrians (under 15 years of age) happen most frequently between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. (i.e., during trick or treating hours!)

Also, 84% of deaths among young pedestrians occurred at non-intersection locations (indicating children are most likely to dart and dash from mid-block into the street).

Halloween also sees more than its share of automobile accidents because of the number of parties that take place (with alcohol being consumed).

Shockingly, of all the highway fatalities that take place on Halloween, approximately two-thirds of them are alcohol related.

These are certainly sobering numbers and may have you thinking about staying home instead of exposing your children to any harm.

However, by exercising some good common sense, everything will be just fine.

After reviewing the previously mentioned statistics, as well as a number of websites devoted to Halloween safety, I compiled the following list of tips, which I hope that everyone will follow.

For a safe and enjoyable trick or treating experience,

-Don’t let the excitement of Halloween allow your children to ignore the normal safety precautions: look both ways before crossing the street; cross in a crosswalk or at a corner (do not walk into the street between parked cars); walk on the sidewalk; do not talk to strangers; do not go into homes or cars of people they do not know; and do not approach animals they do not know.

-Make sure children know their name, phone number and address and to provide this information to a police officer in an emergency or if they are lost.

-Younger children should have an adult with them while older children should provide their route and when they expect to return. If possible, provide a cell phone for your children.

-Children should only visit homes that have their porch lights on.

-Inspect your children’s candy before they eat it. Although food tampering is rare, it’s safest to eat only those candies that are individually wrapped and not homemade, unless you know the families who have prepared the homemade treats.

-Have flashlights or glowsticks for children and/or for the accompanying adult.

-Adults are reminded not to drink alcohol and drive. In fact, it is safest to save the cocktails until after everyone is safe at home.

When selecting costumes for the little ones:

-Make sure your child‘s Halloween costume is made with fire retardant materials and has eye holes large enough for your child to safely see out of. The costume should be short enough so it doesn’t interfere with walking.

-If your child carries an accessory, such as a fake sword, make sure it is made from a flexible material such as rubber, so it cannot injure your child or others.

-Provide a costume that uses bright color or use reflective tape, so your child can be seen clearly by drivers and other trick-or-treating families.

-Consider using makeup on children?s faces instead of a mask to allow the child to see clearly.

If all of these tips are followed, then everyone will have a much safer and ultimately enjoyable Halloween.

Be safe!

Halloween is a very entertaining time filled with lots of fun. But don’t forget that the safety of your children has to come first, by all means necessary.

1. If you don’t plan on escorting your children or having adult supervision with them while they are out trick or treating then it is very critical that you know and plan a safe route for your children to take.

2. If your children will be attending any Halloween activities, such as friends or family Halloween parties, school, mall or any other public Halloween functions. It’s important that you get all the necessary details about the function in advance and make sure that there will be some type of adult supervision at the function at all times.

3. Be certain that your kid’s Halloween costumes are safe enough for them to wear. Bare in mind that your children will probably be exposed to candles so it’s better to play it safe by opting for fire proof costumes than to be sorry later.

4. Be certain your children have a scrumptious filling Halloween dinner before going out trick or treating, that way your kids will less likely be tempted to eat up the candy that they collect before you get a chance to inspect it and make sure it’s alright for them.

5. If you come to a decision that you or any other mature person are not escorting your children trick or treating make sure that your children are old enough and responsible enough to go out by themselves. Also make sure that they only go out during daylight hours.

6. If you’re not accompanying your children when they go trick or treating make sure that your children are equipped with all the necessary emergency telephone numbers. If they have cell phones have those telephone numbers saved on speed dial for easy access. If they don’t have cell phones make sure that they carry enough change to enable them to make emergency telephone calls from a pay phone.

7. Always make sure that you kid’s Halloween costumes are bright enough, reflective enough, and easy for any one to spot them in the dark, even from a distance.

8. If your kid’s are going to wear any type of masks with their costumes make sure that they’re the right size and that they fit properly in order to avoid scrapes and scratches to their faces. Also make sure that their eyes, nose and mouth holes are large enough for your children to see clearly, breathe properly, and be heard if there is any need for your children to call out for help.

For Information and Resources on how to make your own Spooky Halloween Crafts Click Here.