Time honoured traditions like trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving aren't the only way to have a frightfully good time this Hallowe'en.

Parents can make October 31 full of good-spirited fun from the moment a child opens their eyes.

Before your child awakens on Hallowe'en morning, tie a piece of candy to the end of a ball of yarn and place the treat on his/her bed.

Unwind the string all through the house -- around corners and bends. Children will enjoy following the trail throughout the house.

Tie another piece of candy to the other end of the yarn with a note that reads `Happy Hallowe'en'.

Parents who are uncomfortable with the idea of their young ones going out trick-or-treating, but still want them to enjoy the `spirit' of Hallowe'en, only need to use their imagination to make October 31 a night to remember.

Games, theme parties or arts and crafts are all ways to bask in spook-tacular fun in the safety and comfort of your own home.

Parents can invite neighbourhood children over to dress up, bob for apples, and watch a spooky video or child-friendly cartoons like Casper the Friendly Ghost.

A game of checkers can become a tasty treat when you substitute the checkers with two types of candies. Still follow the regular rules but instead of collecting the opposing team's pieces, children can gobble up their winnings.

(see picture) And children can be occupied for hours making Hallowe'en inspired crafts and boo-tiful knick-knacks.

Any store-bought mask can be turned into a one-of-a-kind creation with a little ribbon, glitter, glue and what ever you can get your hands on.

Replace the elastic on the masks with festive-coloured ribbons and glue feathers, sparkles, leaves, flowers, candy bead, or what ever your child's heart desires.

Children will get a thrill out of sporting fun Hallowe'en sunglasses that they made with their own hands.

Draw pumpkins (complete with faces) on orange cardboard and cut them out using scissors.

Then cut arms and a bridge (for the glasses to rest on the noses) out of black cardboard. Glue one arm to one side of one of the cut-out pumpkins.

Attach the bridge in the middle of the two pumpkins with glue and your pumpkin sunglasses are complete.

A pumpkin lantern can easily be made with some orange and black construction paper, a ruler, scissors, glue and a black marker.

First fold the orange paper in half to make a rectangle. With a ruler, measure two inches from the open edge and draw a line across the paper. Next draw lines, one inch apart, between the fold of the paper and the line near the edge of the paper.

Starting at the fold, cut along the short lines -- stopping at the line near the edge of the page. Unfold the paper and roll it into a cylinder and glue the edges together.

Cut a strip of black construction paper and staple it in an arc at the top edge of the lantern.

Make eyes, nose and mouth for your lantern out of construction paper or you can draw them on using a marker.

If you prefer to rattle your bones with something a little scarier, a lanky skeleton dancing in the breeze is sure to please.

You will need eight plastic plates (all the same size), contrasting plastic adhesive, raffia or string, a hole punch, a marker and fishing line.

To make this bony figure, draw and cut out a skull, chest, and pelvis; eight arms and legs; two knees, hands and feet on plastic plates.

Punch holes where you will join the pieces together with the raffia or string.

Tie the bones together.

Draw eyes, nose and mouth on the back of the adhesive plastic. Cut out, peel off the back and stick pieces to skeleton. Tie the fishing line at the top as a hanger.