A Halloween Care Package for Grandkids

Ideally, we would love to be able to spend every holiday with all of our grandchildren, right? However, sometimes we grandparents just have to deal with the fact that our grandchildren live far away and being there in person just isn’t possible. A Halloween care package may be just the right thing!

I love sending care packages to my grandchildren. Sometimes it’s for something big like a holiday and other times it’s just because I want them to know I’m thinking about them.

With Halloween just around the corner, it’s a great excuse to send a box of surprises to the long-distance grandchildren. So, here’s a fun little twist on sending a Halloween care package called a “Scare” package. A couple of my grandchildren reminded me of the line from Disney’s Monsters, Inc. – “We scare because we care!” Ha ha!

The ideas below are meant to be low-cost and easy to put together. They don’t need any specialized things. Most of the items you can get at your local Walmart, grocery store, or Dollar Store. However, just for convenience, we included some links to the products on Amazon. . .you know, in case you’re an Amazon junkie like me! 😉

*UPDATED: October 2021*

Here are 3 ideas for a Halloween “Scare” package:

Halloween “Grand” Date Night

This “scare” package could include anything that you might want to use on a date night with the grandkids. Here is what we thought would be nice:

• A movie to watch together OR a book to read together – they don’t have to be Halloween-themed, but it’s more fun that way!
• Microwave Popcorn (of course – Orville Redenbacher’s Naturals are my favorite!) OR
• *Popcorn Squares – I’ve included the instructions and a printable tag for you below
• “Ghostly” treats – Wrap some treats up in a white tissue or white cloth. Use a small, black rubber band to “tie” it at the neck. Add some black eyes and a mouth. . .and voila! Instant ghost!

 

 

*Popcorn Squares Recipe

You can make this a fun gift treat by layering all the ingredients that your grandchildren will need in a quart-size canning jar:

• ¾ Cup of M&Ms candies
• ¾ Cup of salted or honey-roasted peanuts
• 35 Full size marshmallows (this is about half a 10 oz. bag)
• ½ Cup unpopped popcorn (put this in a zip-close plastic bag)

Layer the ingredients in the order given in a 1-quart wide mouth canning jar:

1. Press each layer firmly in place.
2. Wrap the marshmallows securely with a square of plastic wrap. Press them in very firmly.
3. Lay the bag of popcorn in last and use the lid of the jar to push it inside the jar.
4. Attach the instructions to the jar. (I’ve created a free little printable for this below.)

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Bugs & Kisses

Here’s what you’ll need for this box:

• Spider “webbing” – you can find this at just about any store during Halloween.
• A bag of small plastic bugs
• A bag of Hershey’s Kisses

You simply spread out some spider “webbing” inside your shipping box. Include a bag of small plastic bugs and a bag of Hershey’s Kisses in the box.

When the package arrives, have mom or dad dump both bags of bugs and Kisses into the box and spread the items among the webbing. Tell them to try to hide the items in the webbing if possible.

Get the kids on video chat and talk to them while they are trying to find all the bugs and chocolate Kisses in the webbing.

A fun thing to do while the kids are looking for the treats is to do a MadLib story with them. I’ve included one from Scholastic. You can download it here:

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A Little Bit of Magic

This is a simple “scare” package that would work great for older grandchildren. It can be as involved or simple as you would like it to be. Here are the suggested items for this “scare” package:

• Harry Potter movie
• A DIY magic wand (or you could send the items to make the wand. Here is a post on how to make a super simple wand out of a plastic straw – How to Make a 5-minute Wand)
• Simple magic tricks
• Candy Surprise Cookies – see the recipe below. You can get on video chat and make these cookies together! (Make sure your grandchildren have parental supervision or permission to use the oven.)