Have you been boo’ed yet?
Last night, our doorbell rang at 8:00 pm. My reaction: Who could possibly be at our door at this hour, on a school night, just as the kids have finished their homework and I’m trying to get the baby to unwind and go ‘Night-night?’
The boys ran to the door and shouted out ‘We got booed!’. This is a tradition that’s been going on in our neighborhood for a few years. The kids love it, and they have just as much fun ‘booing’ their friends as they do when they get ‘booed’.
Here’s what ‘getting booed’ is all about: Fill bags with Halloween goodies and other fun stuff. (First, decide whose house you will ‘boo’ and be sure to make up a bag for each child in the house). Draw a ghost on white paper, just a basic ghost-shape with big black eyes, and write this on a piece of paper: ‘Good evening! You’ve just been Booed! Now it’s your turn to pass along a treat and Boo, because now the neighborhood phantom is You! By this time tomorrow night, pick a friend so sweet, and give them a Halloween treat. You have only one day so hurry, Leave a treat on the doorstep, ring the bell and then scurry! Signed, The Phantom. Then write in smaller letters below these words:
- Now these are the things you’ll need to do:
- Make a copy of this ghost
- Post the phantom on your door to let others know you’ve been booed
- Take the letter, the copied phantom, and treat to a neighbor’s house that does not have a phantom posted.
When it’s dark outside (our neighborhood usually does its booing between 7 and 8), let your kids sneak to the neighbors? front door, drop the goody bags with ghost and note inside or taped to one of the bags, ring the doorbell, run as fast as they can and hide. The point is to truly surprise the family and let them guess who booed them.
That family then goes on to boo another, and so on. The kids have a blast doing it.
We usually put a small amount of candy in each bag, as well as other prizes like bubbles, bouncy balls, coloring books and other party favors. This year, our thoughtful neighbor left cute, cloth pumpkin bags filled with candy, sunflower seeds, plastic whistles and more for our older boys and a sippy cup and teething ring for the baby. (How thoughtful!).
Last year, we ‘booed’ the house with all girls; I had fun picking out black Halloween nail polish for the older girls and Halloween barrettes for the little one!
Why not stir up some fun in your neighborhood by booing someone?
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