5 Great Halloween Care Packages

Dressing up as a vampire and swooping around the neighborhood collecting buckets of free candy is a truly momentous occasion for a kid. Throw in a couple of pumpkin-carving parties, a haunted-house tour, and a costume parade, and Halloween provides nonstop fun.

Get in on the action, even if you live hundreds of miles away, by sending your grandchildren a Halloween "scare package." Following are a few fiendish theme ideas to get you started.

Brew up some thrills for children who have an affinity for witches, wizards, and fairies with a satchel of magical must-haves: a wand, crystals, gemstones, quill feathers, potion vials, charms, pendants, and the like.

Mix in a batch of "magic beans" from BeanBoozled Jelly Beans, with maybe-tasty flavors such as "Barf" and "Moldy Cheese." Seal your spell with a special toy or book, like the Spooky Scratch and Sketch by Heather Zschock (Peter Pauper); Wizardology: The Book of the Secrets of Merlin (Candlewick), or the classic Magic 8 Ball fortune-teller (Mattel). And, poof! 'Tis done.

Beam them a gift set from a galaxy far, far away. Start your mission online at the NASA Gift Shop, where you can order freeze-dried ice cream or Galactic Ooze.

If seek The Force you do, Star Wars gear aplenty will you find, such as Star Wars Ultimate Sticker Collection; Star Wars: The Clone Wars Mad Libs (Price Stern Sloan); or Star Wars Fandex Deluxe Edition by Christopher Cerasi (Workman).

For close encounters of a different kind, craft some alien suckers — just affix pipe-cleaner antennae and googly-eyes to wrapped, oversize lollipop heads — and send them along with an out-of-this world DVD such as WALL-E (Disney/Pixar); Monsters vs. Aliens (DreamWorks); or a galactic legend like E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (Universal).

'Tis the season for ghouls, monsters, mummies, and more. Start a spectacular family package by summoning these ghostly treats — just cut square scraps of white cloth (or use thick paper napkins), add candy, pull the corners together, and twist tie shut at the neck. Then, mix and match everything they'll need for a night of hoots and howls, including games like Boo-opoly (Late in the Sky); movies such as It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Warner Home Video) or Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit (DreamWorks); and books such as Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley (Little Brown); Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex (Putnam); Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin by Tad Hills (Schwartz & Wade); or The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (Yearling).

All sorts of bats, black cats, spiders, and toads are up to mischief this season. Help kids join in the ruckus with a do-it-yourself Halloween critter kit.

Put a collection of Halloween animal cookie cutters (available at baking supply stores) in a decorated box (Halloween stickers from Peaceable Kingdom Press will do the trick) lined with spider webbing. Then, fill a mason jar with the dry ingredients for a batch of sugar or shortbread cookies. Write the recipe on a bat-shaped card. Top the package with an assortment of glittery and gooey cookie-decorating supplies.

For kicks, toss in a few Harry Potter Chocolate Frogs and Harry Potter Fudge Flies.

Deliver the grandkids the royal treatment. First, address your young princesses and knights with a Halloween decree handwritten on a rolled and sealed scroll. Then, let them eat …candy corn, wrapped in cellophane and placed in a plastic goblet. Add finishing touches with gifts straight from the Middle Ages.

The Playmobil Knight collection offers a wide selection of figurines and play sets. And, prithee, include the Castle Tower You-Make-It Set (Peaceable Kingdom); Princess Magnetic Figures (Mudpuppy); or the pop-up book Castle: Medieval Days and Knights by Kyle Olmon (Orchard Books).