Here at the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature (Canada) we're getting
ready for our second annual SPOOOKY Halloween party.  Last year we had
triple the expected turnout and many more are expected this year.  Our
activities included: a hilarous halloween planetarium show; spooky
science demonstrations (with all the bubbling solutions, and dry ice
mist we could muster); a flashlight "ghost" (helium filled white
balloons with faces painted on them) tour through the darkened museum
galleries; appropriate craft activities (e.g. making and decorating
halloween loot bags); and other activities, including making slime,
feeling "mashed brains", "eyeball stew", "inner innards", etc.  We
also decorated the science centre and allowed the guests to use the
interactive exhibits.  We wound up with everyone in costume dancing to
the Monster Mash, and gave away prizes (random, not a contest) and
loot bags full of goodies.  Everyone went home happy and exhausted
(especially the staff!)

We will improve the activities this year, make a Spooky Treasure Hunt
through the galleries, and hopefully be more successful getting
companies to donate party loot for the loot bags.

Please share your ideas for halloween activities!
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"Katherine E. Baker" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Hello Everyone,

>We're thinking about putting together an evening Halloween program
>for children between the ages of 5 - 8.  This program will be
>conducted in one or two of the Museum's gallleries.  I'd like to know
>if any of you have designed and conducted a program like this.  I'm
>interested in discovering what worked well, what didn't work so well,
>and identification of any sensitive topics.

>I've read with interest, the thread about the "Day of the Dead"
>exhibits and found that information helpful, but I need specific
>details and input from other museum educators.

>Thanks in advance,

>Katherine
>Katherine E. Baker, Director of Education
>Box 967 WTAMU
>Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum
>Canyon, Texas, 79016