Want to get to know your neighbors better? Have great neighbors and want to have some fun this Halloween season? Well, here’s an idea for you. BOO them! In case you don’t know what I am talking about, this is the Halloween equivalent to Secret Santa.
I have never been “boo’d” nor have I ever boo’d anyone else. In fact, the closest tradition I have ever participated in that bears ANY resemblance to this would be leaving “May Day” baskets on neighbors’ doors.
I personally love the intrigue and sneakiness that accompanies this type of subterfuge, so I am definitely going to do some “boo’ing” this year.
For some examples, log on to Pinterest and search for “boo’d” and more than 20 iterations …along with a school version called “squashed” and what appear to be some completely unrelated pins… will appear explaining this fun neighborhood game for October.
In a nutshell, you prepare two or three goody bags along with a “You’ve been BOO’d” sign and secretly deliver this to a few neighbors. They in turn, are supposed to do the same to other neighbors, hanging their “BOO” sign on the door, so no one will be BOO’d twice and everyone in the neighborhood will have a turn.
It seems as though the signs and goody bags can be quite simple (a baggie full of ghost poop i.e. mini marshmallows) or quite elaborate (a bucket full of candy, baked goods and store-bought treats). So budget and time constraints hopefully won’t impact who can join in the fun!
In thinking from the teacher/parent side of this engaging activity I have some possible tips to make sure it stays fun for all!
- ALLERGIES – store bought and pre-packaged goodies are probably best if you don’t know all of your neighbor’s allergies.
- NUMBER OF KIDS – think about how many siblings might be partaking of the treats you leave and plan accordingly.
- NON-PARTICIPANTS – there are always going to be people that can’t or won’t participate for one reason or another, so if you want the fun to keep going shoot for delivering three BOO’s and hope for at least one or two to follow through.
- FIGHT the tendancy to be a perfectionist – making the sign and treats JUST RIGHT. The Pinterest examples may be WAY COOL – but if your kiddos want to make it their own – LET THEM!
- BOO outside the box. If you don’t have a “neighborhood” think about ways to incorporate this at work, school or daycare.
- BE CREATIVE with your treats… sometimes bubbles and sidewalk chalk are even better than edibles and as a bonus – these items are on sale right now!
So, I hope to see lots of BOO’s in windows and on doors this October … make it fun for everyone!! Who’s with me?
Erin (Trent) Tarr made the three-hour drive from Southern Illinois to Champaign in 1997 to attend the University of Illinois and never left. Mother of two beautiful girls, her passions for leadership and education have led her to start “Be the Benchmark” – a coaching/mentoring business for tween and teen girls. She also blogs about leadership and motherhood at www.erintarr.com. You can often find her (with two kids in tow) at Champaign Centennial sporting events where her beloved husband of ten years, Adam, works as an athletic trainer.