With the world in which we live today it is important to keep in mind the cautious parent when we are putting together our goody bags for Halloween. The wonderful homemade Halloween treats that we all once enjoyed so as children from the elderly neighbors are just not acceptable any more. There are still ways however to give a treat other than the expected wrapped candy that everyone else seems to give. Important to mothers, fathers, and any guardian of any type, keeping the children safe, intrigued and out of trouble should be the goal of everyone.

So how can you achieve this? There are several ways to keep the sugar high in control, first and most obvious being to give something other than candy. If you have time to prepare in advance for the trick or treating ghouls, check out the bulk suppliers of party favors. Usually, you can find pencil packs, game pads, rings, or whatever else there is out there that is pertinent to Halloween. As the season nears to an end you can also usually get them at a discounted rate or if the season has already passed and you are on the ball enough to order for next year, the nonperishables are a great way to save on your pocket and appease the parents.

Staying creative with a mystery bag for age groups or those that might be gender specific is always a great way to appeal to the wondering child. Likewise, it might be interesting to give the parent a goody bag rather than the kids so that the parents have some leverage over the children in the event that they need a reason to continue listening. Being the extraordinary house with the special touch put into the goody bag will be the way that you can enjoy repeat ghosts year after year. As with any gift giving, making it age appropriate and parent approved leads to an evening in which everyone wins.

Mrs. Party… Gail Leino is the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies (http://partysupplieshut.com), using proper etiquette, and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free coloring sheets, printable games, and free birthday party activities. Halloween Party Games (Halloween-Party-Fun.com), party planning tips, decorations, costume ideas, recipes, printable activities and free coloring pages.

Share This

One of the problems with the traditional teambuilding event format is that it is essentially divisive. A selection of activities is laid on and the group is divided into teams to have a go at each activity. An example might be a group of 20 divided into four teams of five to try archery, laser clay shooting, quad bikes and dune buggies.

Not only does this isolate people into teams which may be separated over the course of the event but often teams are encouraged to compete against each other so that a winning team can be announced at the end of the event. Some argue that this as the opposite of teambuilding.

Extreme activities such as abseiling and bungee jumping are even more divisive. Rather than building a team they separate a team into those who are afraid and those who are not.

One solution is to change the members of the teams at each rotation, but this can be time consuming and upset the equilibrium. Another solution often employed is to play down the competition in the events and not to have winners announced at the end. However, humans are naturally competitive creatures and even if the organiser is not comparing scores you can be assured that the participants will.

There has been a growth in non-competitive teambuilding programmes. These use one task which the whole team involves itself in together. Thus individuals are not separated from each other and the competition is between the team and the task and not between sub teams.

One of the most popular of these is an event in which teams work on smaller paintings which are put together in the end to make one big picture. Communication between all participants is essential so that the end result achieves some sort of congruence with the individual pictures. The end result can be kept by the participants to remind them of their event.

There are various other options available including Community Teambuilding in which teams take on a community project for example renovating a building or transforming wasteland into a garden. One team built an enclosure at a wildlife park for young tigers. The possibilities for projects of this nature are limitless.

In the majority of cases the essential requirement of teambuilding events is that the participants have fun and in such cases the traditional round robin activity format may be appropriate. However, if there is a real need to bond the team together the organiser should consider whether dividing the group into small groups is ultimately the right thing to do.

James Coakes is managing director of Progressive Resources, the Teambuilding Company, based in the UK and offering one of the widest ranges of activity programmes available. Find out more at http://www.teambuilding.co.uk

Share This

Since Americans in the South began roasting pigs publicly, Barbecues have been a staple of North American living. For many, grilling becomes a routine mealtime activity, while for the most devoted grillers, summer is ruled by massive barbecue parties. But grillers do not have to choose between boring repetition and outrageous get-togethers: every barbecue can and should be an exciting family event. Here are 5 ways to make your routine evening barbecue a more unique experience:

1) Who said you have to stick to meat? Much can be done with bread and fruits over an open flame. To make this into a fun activity with your kids, use cookie cutters to make the bread and fruit into shapes. You can decide on themes like “animals” and “letters” or ask that each shape be different from the others! Then, let your kids decide which toppings they would like to put on. Add cheese, onion and various spices to bread and cinnamon and honey to fruit.

2) Try foil-wrapped surprise meals. Place different combinations of chicken, fish and vegetables with sauces and spices in foil packets. These cook in less than 20 minutes and lead to no-mess, lip-smacking results. Children will love the surprise element and can easily switch packets. You can even ask your family for combo suggestions before the barbecue, or draw ingredient names out of a hat to create new meal ideas.

3) A little variety goes a long way. If you tend to stick to the same old beef burgers and pork wieners, why not try grilled pizza or salmon steaks? Similarly, try to mix it up with condiments and seasoning. Sick of ketchup? Try salsa instead. Look online where you’ll find hundreds of easy recipes for barbecue rubs. These give your food that extra pizzazz and prevent the mess and drip that comes with barbecue sauces.

4) Barbecues don’t have to be rushed. In fact, barbecue devotees will tell you that today’s quick broiling is an insult to the term, which should represent a process of slow cooking on low heat. You can find many slow cooker recipes online, and the wait is a great opportunity to pass some quality time with your family and friends. Entertaining backyard activities include creating an outdoor canvas to paint on or playing backyard bowling with household items.

5) Mom said not to play with your food, but there’s always an exception! Barbecue games are great fun and tasty at the same time. In Glutton, each player gets a certain amount of mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese or any other side dish. Various kitchen utensils are put in a box and the players blindly pick a few. On the go, they begin to eat their dish with the items that they took out. The first to finish his or her food wins the prize!

Finally, don’t fret! Far too many people get lost in the details of planning the perfect barbecue party and forget to enjoy the social atmosphere and delicious food. So kick back, bask in the relaxing sun and prepare for a summer of unforgettable barbecues!

Moriah Shemer works for Chris & Tal’s Better Foods, a food innovation company focused on crafting no compromise, guilt-free versions of your favorite foods. Our top product is the Better Burger, made of a blend of lean meat and high-grade textured soy protein. The result? The delicious beef taste you love with half the fat, calories and cholesterol. For store availability visit http://www.betterfoods.ca

Share This