Get in the swing of things this year and celebrate Halloween by learning a spooky new dance and creating a wicked line-up of new traditions.
Halloween may look a bit different this year. Adults traditionally are tasked with helping their kids dress up as princesses, unicorns and skeletons. Everyone scarfs down a hurried dinner before heading out for a fun-filled night of trick-or-treating, overindulging on candy and fun with neighbors. A recently released report from the Centers for Disease Control is urging parents to avoid traditional Halloween festivities, including trick-or-treating. The news is yet another blow for youngsters who are already coping with remote learning, adjusting to wearing masks and feeling isolated from their friends. Parents are searching for ways to help make this year’s Halloween memorable for their families without partaking in traditional activities.
Fred Astaire Dance Studios is here to help make this year’s Halloween one for the memory books. The Enfield, Connecticut-based dance studio franchisor has ideas to help get your family in the Halloween spirit — while staying safe.
Set A Spooky Table and Serve a Fun Meal
Halloween is a great time to get creative with the evening meal. While most kids would be content to munch on Snickers bars and candy corn, getting some wholesome food in their bellies is essential for surviving the evening. Set a ghost-themed table and serve a pizza using pepperoni to create a jack-o-lantern to make dinner special.
Scary Scavenger Hunt
Your kids might not be able to go door-to-door this Halloween, but they can have fun outside by completing a scavenger hunt. Make sure the reward includes plenty of sugary sweets, and your kids will be thrilled to roam your house and back yard to complete their tasks.
Go Crazy with Crafts
Pinterest offers tons of Halloween-themed craft ideas for your little ones. Keep their hands busy by making orange slime, homemade Halloween masks or carving a pumpkin. Art helps kids hone their fine motor skills, enhances cognitive development and can even improve academic performance, according to a report from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.
Watch a Halloween Movie
After the kids eat their fill of candy, dim the lights in the living room, and watch a scary movie. Hollywood does not disappoint when it comes to Halloween options. If your kids are ready for a thriller, check out “The Haunted Mansion,” based on the famous, scary ride at Disney World. If they need something less nightmare-inducing, try “Hocus Pocus” or “It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.” All are good choices for kids of all ages.
Get Your Groove On
Halloween offers plenty of musical inspiration to get in the spirit. From Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to Bobby Pickett’s “Monster Mash,” spooky music options abound. Play some Halloween tunes and have a family dance party in your living room. Better yet, cue up the television and have the entire family take an online dance lesson with Fred Astaire Dance Studios. The dance chain’s Online Lesson Platform® offers more than 450 dance lessons, as well as live streaming lessons with certified dance instructors. The Online Lesson Platform has a number of lessons specifically tailored to children, teens and families.
If you need further inspiration, take a look at these clips to see how Halloween helps spark performances with creative dances and intricate costumes.
Professional dancers on the BBC’s “Strictly Come Dancing” performed a wicked Halloween-themed dance to celebrate the spooky day.
Your kids will get a kick out of these glowing skeletons dancing to the “Banana Boat Song” by Harry Belafonte. Known widely as the “Day O” song, it generated buzz from the movie “Beetlejuice.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3CvuCyAsz8
In this clip, dancers from Collective Motion Dance Company and friends got into the Halloween spirit by treating crowds to a flash mob to “Monster Mash” at the Pumpkin Harvest Festival in Saco, Maine.
If you are ready to get in the swing of the spooky season and help your kids make fun memories, contact your local Fred Astaire Dance Studios to schedule a lesson or learn more about their Halloween offerings.
