It's that time of year again when we delve into the costume box for spooky costumes and think about what tricks we'll play if we don't get treats!

Halloween is a fun time especially for children and it can be a great opportunity to delve into conversations around death, darkness, old festivals and the importance of celebrating the passing of the seasons each year. In pre-christian Ireland this festival was known as Samhain. It marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. Maybe like me you still count the 31st of October as the end of Autumn? This is why!

This is one of my favourite times of year for a few reasons. As a mother of three very active boys it signifies more time at home after a busy summer. Lots of evenings snuggled up in front of a cosy fire relaxing together or playing games. It feels like a time of rest is here. Time to hibernate in a way and plan ahead for the Spring and Summer ahead. It's also a great time to create. I teach lots of my classes during this time of year. You might find me travelling around Ireland teaching people how to use essential oils or online teaching yoga and wellness courses. You can check those out here.

For us parents and our children last Halloween was challenging. We were told to avoid contact with each other and not allow our children to trick or treat. Of course this was devastating for everyone especially children who look forward to this time of year but also an additional challenge for us parents to find ways to make it fun for our kids nonetheless. Time to get creative!

I was really worried that Halloween would be a complete flop for us last year but actually the boys. said it was their best one ever. We did a Treasure Hunt in our house for them and everyone got dressed up. We even brought back some of the old games and bobbed for apples. It was great fun and the Treasure Hunt meant the kids got plenty of treats and didn't feel like they had missed out.

?????If you would like to do something similar this year

??download my Halloween Treasure Hunt here.

I'm always here to support you through your parenting journey with wellness and lifestyle tips. You'll find me in my growing Facebook group sharing tips on how to make life better bit by bit, day by day.