7 fun & spooky activities Paediatric Nurses can plan for patients

By Rachel Lamb . 28/10/2022 · 6 Minute read

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Spooky season is here, which means trick or treating, pumpkins, witches, candy apples, and cobwebs! 

 

There’s really nothing quite like a blustery walk along leaf-lined streets, seeing the spooktacular displays your neighbours have put on for passers by, with a pumpkin spice latte warming your hands. 

 

Yes, nothing beats the eerie black magic of All Hallow’s Eve. 

 

So, as a Paediatric Nurse, how can you make sure that your patients don’t miss out on the fun? 

 

We’ve put on our thinking caps (or should that be witches’ hats?) and come up with 7 fun Halloween activities that healthcare professionals can plan for young people.

 

1. Petrifying pumpkin painting

 

Making jack o’lanterns is one of the world’s favourite Autumn pastimes. Whether it’s the classic creepy face with triangle eyes and a crooked smile, or something more creative like ‘that’ puking pumpkin we’ve all seen making its way around the internet, pumpkin carving is great, wholesome fun. 

 

However, it’s not the safest option for hospital settings, so why not set the carving tools aside and host a jack o’lantern painting competition with prizes for the best designs? 

 

Add some googly eyes, masks, feathers, and pipe cleaners to the table too, so the kids can really make their creations come to life. 

 

2. Monster mash costume party


What’s Halloween without a Halloween party? This is a great activity that Nurses can get involved with too!


Stick on some spooky tunes and let the kids pick out a costume to wear. Think simple but effective accessories like witch hats, werewolf ears and tail, dracula capes, princess tiaras, animal onesies, pretend healthcare instruments, cowboy hats, plastic construction helmets and tool belts, and face paints.


Add in some fun party games, like musical statues, musical chairs, and Halloween themed pin the tail

 

3. Better bobbing for apples


Bobbing for apples is fun and tasty, but it’s not exactly practical for hospital settings because of the hygiene risks. Thankfully, there’s no need to eliminate the fun from your plans entirely.


If your patients are able to have real apples, challenge them to retrieve an apple from the bucket by using two chopsticks or a small net instead. 


Alternatively, if food is a no-go, cut out some paper apples and tie something metallic like a paper clip to them. Add your paper apples to a bucket or box, paperclip side up. Attach a magnet to a makeshift fishing rod and use it to fish out an apple. You can even write a Halloween treat on each one, like a notepad or set of colouring pencils.


Fun fact: Did you know that apple bobbing was first introduced for the Celtic Festival of Samhain? Apples represented fertility. It became a popular Halloween game in the 19th century. 

 

4. Horrible haunted houses

This one is super simple but bundles of fun. Provide each patient with some paper and colouring pencils, and ask them to design their own haunted house. Display them around the children ward for some extra spooky decoration. 


Extra challenge: Task your patients with writing a scary story about their haunted house and read them out on Halloween night.

 

 

5. Monster movie night

Get ready to put the oooo in movies! Set up a big TV, some bean bags, blankets, and pillows in the playroom, and put on a family-friendly Halloween movie that all ages can enjoy. Some kid-friendly flicks include Hocus Pocus, Casper, Halloween Town, The Haunted Mansion, Goosebumps, and Ghostbusters. 

If snacks are allowed, give each child their own personal treat bag that can be customised to their individual dietary needs.

 

6. Eerie eyeball pong


For this activity, you’ll need some ping pong balls, permanent markers, a spooky cup, a table, and some cool prizes. 


Use the markers to draw eyeballs on the ping pong balls. Place the cup in the centre of the table and let the kids take turns trying to bounce an ‘eyeball’ into the cup. 


The player with the most successful bounces wins the prize.

 

7. Mummy madness

This activity is one that the kids will love and a great way to ‘wrap up’ your Halloween fun. Split your patients into teams and ask them to each elect a ‘mummy’. The rest of the team have two minutes to wrap up their mummy using toilet roll. The team with the best wrapped mummy wins! 

 

Find your next paediatric nursing role with Your World


Here at Your World Healthcare, we know that you wear a hero’s costume all year round. That’s why we work hard to make finding high-quality paediatric nursing jobs easier for you. 


Did you know that we’re one of the only agencies to be a member of every single NHS-approved framework throughout the whole of the UK? Simply put, that means we offer a better choice of nursing jobs in NHS Trusts nationwide. 


Forget tricks, Your World is all about giving hard working Nurses the treats they deserve. When you work a shift with us, we’ll automatically enter you into our Your Loyalty monthly prize draw. 


Find out more

 

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