With Halloween just over a month away and the dark evenings fast approaching team Arbutus thought it was time to create a little post about Halloween cocktails for kids.

Halloween is ultimately for the kids, the dressing up, trick or treat, fireworks display and with these cocktails, it will be a Halloween treat that they weren't expecting.

To add an extra Halloween twist add jelly worms and snakes or candy eyeballs to the cocktails and serve in a mini mason jar with handle and straw. This also means less chance of spillage for you to clean up.

Blood Punch

3 cups cranberry juice

1 ½ cups apple juice

1 ½ cups grape juice

2 cups caffeine-free cola

1 cup frozen strawberries

Combine the cranberry juice, apple juice, and grape juice in a punch bowl and refrigerate until your party. Right before serving, add the strawberries and cola.

Bloody Soda

1 cup corn syrup

10 drops red food colouring

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1-liter seltzer water or lemon-lime soda

Mix the corn syrup with the food colouring and vanilla. Pour the soda into glasses and drizzle the corn syrup mixture around the rim and into the glass.

Pumpkin Smoothie

½ cup canned pumpkin

¾ cup milk or vanilla yoghurt

¼ tsp. cinnamon

⅛ tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. brown sugar

4 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, simple as apple pie.

Green Slime Soda

¼ cup lime juice

3 tablespoons sugar

1 cup sparkling water

1 scoop lime sherbet or 1 scoop lime sorbet

Stir the sugar into the lime juice until it is dissolved. Then add the sparkling water. Then, add the lime sherbet and stir gently to mix.

These cocktails can also be adapted for adults by adding a little rum or vodka. Also, garnish with a little champagne to give that Halloween fizzle.