Halloween is right around the corner and soon, you'll need a way to keep the kids entertained. While the little ones are content trick-or-treating, and you may feel safe allowing older teens to attend Halloween parties, what about preteens? Is there a way for families with preteens to enjoy Halloween at home? Sure there is! In fact, Halloween is a wonderful evening for a family night.

First of all, Halloween at home is the perfect time to introduce your children to some of the scary movies you loved as a kid. Of course, you'll want to keep the rating appropriate for their age. You could show them such classics as Hocus Pocus or go even more classic with movies such as The Wolf Man or Frankenstein. Regardless of what you show, a movie marathon is a great option for Halloween night.

Another great way to spend the evening is making classic Halloween treats. Some great ideas include caramel apples, cut-out sugar cookies, festive cupcakes, or even a snack mix. There are a number of great places to get Halloween recipes. Of course, if you want free recipes, the internet is a perfect place to start.

Last, but not least, get your children involved in a good cause. There are a number of different ways to help charities on Halloween. A fun idea for the whole family though is to setup a haunted house and charge admission. The money raised with the haunted house can then be donated to your favorite charity. It could be a local pet shelter, food drive, or any other charity your family believes in. This is also an activity that could take up several family nights. The earlier in October you open your haunted house, the more money you'll earn for your charity.

Halloween doesn't have to be boring for preteens. The days of a big candy loot may be over, and they may still be too young to hit teen Halloween parties, but there are a number of fun ways to enjoy the holiday at home.

Halloween is right around the corner and it's time to start thinking about costumes. Let's face it. Halloween costumes aren't the best investment when funds are low. After all, most costumes only get worn once and then stay in the closet for a few years before being donated. Don't get me wrong, donations are always a wonderful thing. But, the focus of this week's blog is to discuss ways for you and your family to save money on Halloween costumes while also spending time together.

Homemade costumes are a wonderful way to save money and spend time together. Not only can you come up with amazing costume ideas, but you can also think of ways to reuse old costumes. First, sit down with your family and ask each person what they want to be for Halloween. Once everyone has an idea of what they want to be, you can start gathering supplies to make the costumes together.

Many Halloween costumes and accessories can be reused to make new costumes. For example, capes from vampire costumes can be used for superhero, witch, or even medieval costumes. You can also take just about any costume and add a bit of fake blood and makeup to create a new character, such as a dead cheerleader. Also don't forget all the items laying around your house that can be used in Halloween costumes. Sheets always work well for ghost and toga costumes, but they can also be wrapped to create part of a belly dancing costume. You can also spray paint silk roses for the perfect accessory to a dead bride costume. All it takes is a bit of creativity.

One last tip is to remember that Halloween makeup can be made from common household ingredients. For example, fake blood can be made using corn syrup and food coloring. Not only is homemade Halloween makeup less expensive, but you also don't have to worry about the makeup being harmful if accidentally swallowed by little ones.

‘Tis the season for that super sweet kernel of candy corn that everyone can agree reminds them of Halloween past, present, and, most likely, future! Besides eating all of that candy corn that may be lying around your home this week, you can also play some fun and simple games with these bright candy kernels.

Send the kids on a Candy Corn Hunt. You can do this a couple of different ways. Create a path of Candy Corn that they must use to hunt around and cannot sway from the path. Alternatively, hide small bags of candy corn around your yard and send the kids on a traditional hunt.

• Fill a large pumpkin pail with candy corn and see who guesses the number of candy corn. Whoever guesses closest, wins! Share the Candy Corn with everyone.
• Create Candy Corn Artwork with heavy card stock, candy corn, and a glue stick. This may get messy, but will be fun!
• Make Candy Corn Strings, just like popcorn. Decorate the room and front doorway with the Candy Corn Strings.
• Make a homemade batch of Candy Cor. A great idea for older children.
• Make Candy Corn Krispie Treats by adding in candy corn to this favorite recipe.
• Play Candy Corn Fooz Ball. Using a large table surface set up two kids at different ends of the table. The children throw candy corn to the other child, who must block it from going through and making a goal. The child can block it using a solid cookie cutter. (Make sure it is one that will not scratch up your table.)
• Make Candy Corn Sculptures using frosting to hold the sculpture together. (Make sure to place paper down on your table to keep the mess minimal.)
• Finally, send them home with bags of the sweet stuff!

One of the time honored family recreation activities in America has been Trick or Treating. This can be a fun activity for the whole family. In fact, even though I do not get candy from the neighbors (I leave that to my son), I still like to dress up in a witch costume. However, when you are Trick or Treating, it is important to keep some important safety tips in mind. You want your family activity to be safe as well as fun.

About.com offers some great Halloween Safety Tips for Trick or Treating

*Make sure your child is visible. You should have your child carry something like a flashlight or wear a glow bracelet or necklace. This makes them visible to others in the dark.

*Shoes should fit well. Sneakers may not be the coolest thing to wear with a cowboy costume, but they are the safer option. And really, the shoes are the least important part.

*Keep away from costumes that drag. If a costume is dragging on the ground, there is a chance that it will be stepped on and could cause your child to fall or contribute to other problems.

*Caution your children to walk and to avoid lawns. Keep your children's exuberance in check. Running, as well as cutting across lawns, can contribute to falling and tripping over items that may be hard to see.

*Avoid darkened houses when Trick or Treating. Not only are dark homes more likely to have hidden obstacles, they usually belong to people who do not wish to be bothered.

*Costumes should allow visibility and breathing. Make sure your child can breathe easily in the costume, as well as see properly. Also, make sure kids maintain a good temperature -- no overheating or costumes that are too thin in the cold.

*Flexible props. It is best to leave weapons at home while Trick or Treating, even if they are flexible. But if you must have that ninja sword, make sure it is flexible and does not resemble a real weapon.

Trick or treating is a long-standing tradition for many. However, some parents are becoming increasingly wary of sending their children out into the night to gather candy. One fun way to mix it up, as far as trick or treating is concerned, is to organize a neighborhood trunk or treat.

Trunk or treat
This is basically a neighborhood party where everyone can bring their cars, park and pass out candy. Whole families come. This can be arranged at the end of a cul-de-sac, at a neighborhood park or at a community building. (In some cases, a local firehouse or a church might provide a location for the trunk or treat.) Games, like bobbing for apples and other Halloween themed activities, can be played, and you can have neighbors bring decorated pumpkins.

At our neighborhood's trunk or treat, there are often donuts and hot chocolate or cider as refreshments. It's a fun and safe environment for children, and it can give adults a chance to mingle and get to know each other - and figure out whose kids your children have been playing with.

It is best to hold a trunk or treat early in the evening, before it gets too dark or cold. However, children should still dress appropriately for the weather. On the other hand, if the trunk or treat is held inside, a jacket will not obscure the costumes. This can only be done, of course, if you have access to some sort of community center.

A trunk or treat is a great way for you to get together with your neighbors and enjoy the Halloween spirit. In our neighborhood, even the adults dress up for our festive event, which feels like a party. However, there are some caveats: PG-rated costumes (no sexy maids at our party), and masks cannot completely cover the face.

With a little advance planning and organization, you can make Halloween an entire-family event - and share it with your neighbors.