Kids love a good scare, especially a fun scare.
We all got our screams out on Saturday night when 30 kids – yes 30 kids — and lots of adults from Goodman Community Center went to the Haunted Hayride at MacKenzie Environmental Center in Poynette.
The kids were very excited and the night was perfect-mild and dry. After breaking up the kids into small groups, we were ready to get on the wagon. In the distance, we could hear screams. That helped put the kids in the spirit.
“Good luck,” said the witch who helped us board the wagon. “Hope to see you soon,” she cackled.
We got our first scare when a chain saw wielding man jumped out. SCREAMS! Then, a group of zombies surprised us. SCREAMSSSSS! Every 50 feet or so, a monster or a group of monsters lunged toward the wagon. This went on for about 20 minutes. Nobody touched us, but it was creepy when a cannibal banged a leg on the side of the wagon and kept running after us. MORE SCREAMSSSSS!!!
“This is freaky,” said John, totally unfazed by the scares.
When we got done, I felt great. Screaming was fun. The kids loved it and I loved it too.
Five-year-old Fedora shouted,
“This was the best day of my life!”
That’s some high praise.
After the ride, we all enjoyed s’mores and hot chocolate around a fire. The kids then ran around and played monster games until it was time to leave.
Next time, I would change very little. Mostly, I would streamline the registration process for the trip. With 30 kids and 10 parents going, registration is time-consuming. Ideally, I would require all permissions slips to be in before the event. I would also let my co-leader know more about the registration process sooner so that he could help with last-minute details. Since we have another large trip coming up in January to Eagle Watching Days in Sauk City, we can test these changes then.
What are your tips for large group planning?
What did you do with kids on Halloween?
You can find Diane Schwartz planning trips for kids at Goodman Community Center in Madison, Wisconsin and at Schumacher Farm County Park in Waunakee. For more information on MacKenzie Environmental Education Center go to www.mackenziecenter.com. To receive a free 11-page Bubble Activity Guide, just subscribe to my blog on the home page. Thank you for visiting and be sure to share this blog with others.