It’s that time of year again! As we start planning for the Halloween season, there is so much fun to be had around this spooky and special time of year.
Children love to dress up, play games and enjoy lots sweets and treats!
So what if you or one of your family members have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in the last year? It shouldn’t mean that Halloween can’t be enjoyed just as much.
The amount of sweets and goodies collected in 1 or 2 hours from trick or treating antics could probably last most households right through till the New Year…. so try take the emphasis away from sugar overload and think about how these could be limited while still having lots of fun.
Get creative with that costume and get planning your scary tales and games for your upcoming party that has been a long time coming. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered – here’s a list of old and not so old games you could try with your family and friends!
Happy Halloween!
While there is nothing wrong with small amounts of sweets and treats occasionally – can you imagine this?
5 fun size chocolate bars
5 tiny packets of sweets
1 carton of juice drink
35 teaspoons of sugar!
A high sugar intake isn’t healthy for anyone – with or without diabetes.
Old-fashioned Halloween Games help to
take the focus off treats and are great fun
Bobbing for Apples
Float apples in a large basin filled with water. The object of this game is to grab one of the apples and remove it from the water using only your mouth. Hands must be kept behind player’s backs.
Be prepared with towels as the players generally get quite wet.
Pass the Apple
Line up the children in two rows, the same number of children in each line.
They have to pass the apple to the person behind them only using their chin, without using hands or dropping the apple. If the apple drops a team must start from the beginning again.
Snap Apple
Tie strings around apples and suspend them from the ceiling, a tree branch, or even use the washing line. You may need to adjust the length once your players arrive so they are at mouth height or lower.
Each player must attempt to eat the entire apple without touching it with their hands. Another prize can be given to the person who gets the first bite out of their apple.
Apple Paring
Each child gets an apple, fruit knife and a plate with all being as close as possible in size and quality.
The children each have to peel their apple, with the winner being the one who produces the longest and narrowest peeling. In times past the person then threw the apple peel over their left shoulder and the letter which the peel resembled was the first initial of the person’s future husband or wife.
Ghost Stories
Setting the scene for a scary story is what is needed for maximum effect. Your story could be a real life haunting, a classic ghost story, or an urban legend. Candles, strange noises and even a hidden prankster (to jump out at the right moment, or squeak some floorboards) will all provide suitable ‘fright’.
Post Mortem/Autopsy
This Halloween game is well known and can be made much creepier by blindfolding the guests and passing around the contents of the ‘corpse’ (something gooey) while all of your guests cringe at the feel of their gooey hands!
Ghost in the Graveyard
One player, the ghost, hides. Meanwhile, the other players stay together at a spot designated “base” or “safety” (such as a lighted porch), and count loudly in unison, “One o’clock, two o’clock, three o’clock,” and so on, all the way up to “midnight,” at which point they all head off in search of the hiding ghost.
When a seeker spots the ghost, he yells, “Ghost in the graveyard!” and, along with everyone else, runs back toward base. The ghost lets loose a ghostly scream and chases after the seekers, trying to tag as many as he can before they all reach base.
Who gets to play the part of the ghost next depends on which version of the game your group prefers, but usually it’s the first player tagged.
Bairín Breac
Various things are baked into the loaf, including of course a ring. It is seen as a form of divination for the year ahead. This is a traditional game and the hidden objects signify different things:
Ring – Marriage
Coin – Wealth
Rag – Poverty
Thimble – Old Maid
For more information , please see https://www.diabetes.ie/living-with-diabetes/living-with-type-2/food-diabetes/recipes/
Lastly, remember to help your children make healthy choices as they go. They can still enjoy the bounty of their trick-or-treating efforts, just so long as it taken in moderation, and part of a varied balanced diet.