Spooky Season, Aussie Style: A Halloween Guide for Little Tackers

Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, 31 October, and that means one thing for Aussie families: a whole weekend of backyard frights, costume parades and trick-or-treating in the warm spring evening.

Unlike our friends up north, we don't get snow and frosty pumpkins. We get long golden afternoons, light until well past 7pm, and kids with energy to burn. So why not make this Halloween less about the lolly haul and more about getting outside and having a ghoulishly good time?

Here are our favourite ways to turn your backyard and street into Halloween HQ, using the gear your little tackers already love.

Trick-or-Treat on Wheels

Why walk the street when you can roll it? A ride-on decorated as a Halloween float is guaranteed to be the star of the neighbourhood, and it saves little legs for the long haul between houses.

A few of our favourite spooky transformations:

• The Ghostbuster Patrol: The 24V Dodge Ram Police Ride-On is already halfway there. Add a cardboard "Ghost Patrol" sign, a few cotton-wool ghosts on the bonnet and a torch for the passenger. Spook-catching unit ready to roll.
• The Monster Truck: Our off-road buggies, like the Can-Am Maverick or the Vulcan Carbon, make the perfect base for a creature on wheels. Tape on googly eyes, cardboard fangs on the bull bar and green streamers for slime.
• The Graveyard Digger: Pop a few foam headstones in the bucket of the Diggeroo Ride-On Excavator and your little one becomes the night-shift gravedigger. Pair it with a hard hat and a skeleton tee.
• The Pumpkin Carriage: Got a Porsche Macan or Range Rover Sport? Drape it in orange crepe paper, add a green stalk on the roof and you've got Cinderella's carriage, just before midnight.
• The Haunted Pallet: The LiftaRoo Forklift can carry the lolly bucket on its working pallet. Every house becomes a delivery stop.

Decorating tip: Use painter's tape or removable hooks, never anything that could scratch the paint or block the lights, sensors or steering. Keep streamers well clear of the wheels.

Host a Backyard Halloween Bash

Not keen on door-knocking? Bring the party home. Your backyard play gear makes a ready-made haunted playground.

1. Monster Bounce-Off. Turn the trampoline into a "monster mosh pit". Kids bounce in costume while you call out monster moves: zombie shuffle, bat flap, werewolf howl. Last one still bouncing in character wins. Running an Airborne trampoline? Pop the new sun shade on for the afternoon session, then string fairy lights around the net for a glowing night bounce.
2. The Spider's Web Swing. Weave white string or fake cobweb between the frame posts and hang a few plush spiders. A Wild Aussie Nest Swing in black becomes a giant spider's nest that fits three little "flies" at once.
3. Witch's Rope Challenge. Set a timer and see who can climb the knotted climbing rope or triangle rope ladder to grab a lolly bag tied at the top. Brave goblins only.
4. Haunted Grand Prix. Mark out a track with pumpkins (or orange cones) and let the DriftX drivers slalom through. Best drift past the "graveyard" corner takes the trophy.
5. Pumpkin Bowling. Small pumpkins, toilet-paper-roll mummies as pins. Simple, cheap and hilarious.

Finish the night with a costume parade around the yard, glow sticks for everyone and a few spooky tunes on the speaker.

Keeping Little Ghouls Safe

A few quick checks make sure the only scares are the fun kind:

• Ride-ons stay on footpaths and driveways. Never on the road, and always with a grown-up walking alongside. Use the parental remote where your model has one.
• Be seen. Add glow sticks or reflective tape to costumes and ride-ons, especially as the sun goes down.
• Costumes clear of moving parts. Capes, tails and long skirts can tangle in wheels, swings and trampoline springs. Tuck or pin them before play.
• Masks off for driving and climbing. Face paint is safer than masks that block vision.
• One at a time on the trampoline for the youngest bouncers, and check your tramp is anchored. Spring winds can be wild, so a tie-down kit is worth it.
• Charge up the day before. A flat battery halfway down the street is a horror story nobody wants.
• Check the lolly haul before it's eaten, and keep an eye out for allergens.

Treats That Last Longer Than the Lollies

The sugar rush is over by Sunday. Outdoor play lasts all summer.

If you're already thinking about Christmas (it's only nine weeks away!), Halloween is the perfect time to get in early. Our ride-ons, trampolines and Wild Aussie swing sets ship from Melbourne, and Express Shipping is available if you need it fast. Melbourne locals can even have their buggy assembled by our in-house team.

Happy Halloween from all of us at Little Tacker Toys. Stay spooky, and keep playing outside.