Calling all Little Monsters!
Monster Mash
Thursday, October 22, 2026
Sheridan Elementary Gym + Cafeteria
The costumes are ready, spooky season is in full swing, and it’s time to do the Monster Mash! Our annual FREE (thanks to your hard work at the Blackhawk Walk!) Halloween dance gives Sheridan Elementary students a chance to show off those costumes they’ve been talking about for weeks, boo-gie with their friends, play a few games, and squeeze in a little extra Halloween fun before the big night.And grown-ups, you’re invited to get in on it too! Costumes are absolutely encouraged, and if past Monster Mashes have taught us anything, it’s that our SES parents know how to commit to a costume. So round up your little monsters, decide who’s wearing what, and come ready to MASH!
Actually, we strongly encourage it.
Pick your Party!
To give everyone a little more room to dance, Monster Mash is split into two grade-level sessions, with a special sensory-friendly half hour before the party gets started!
Sensory Friendly Half Hour–5:30–6:00 p.m.
Need a quieter start? Join us early for a calmer Monster Mash experience with the lights on and no music. All grade levels are welcome!
Please Park in the Front of the School
Kindergarten–2nd Grade 6:00–6:45 p.m.
Please Park in the Front of the School
3rd–5th Grade 7:00–7:45 p.m.
Please Park in the Back of the School
Please attend the session for your child's grade level. Have kids in both groups? Congratulations, you've unlocked the Monster Mash Double Feature. Pick which one best suits your family.
What to Expect
Time to boo-gie
Commander Ken with Music Mania will be back behind the DJ booth keeping our little monsters moving, grooving, and doing the Mash. When they need a minute off the dance floor, PTO will have a few simple Halloween games and activities ready too.
This night is really all about giving our Blackhawks a chance to throw on their costumes, hang out with their friends, get a little silly, and have some good old-fashioned Halloween fun!
Show Us Your Boo-tiful Costumes!
One of the BEST parts of Monster Mash is getting to see what everyone comes dressed as, and costumes are encouraged for kids and grown-ups. Go funny, creative, homemade, matching, totally over-the-top, or whatever your family dreamed up this year. We want to see it!
Please keep costumes elementary-school friendly. Leave scary or full-face masks, blood and gore, and real or pretend weapons at home.
Costumes are fun, but absolutely not required.
Grown-Ups, Get in on the Mash!
Monster Mash is a family event, not a drop-off dance, so a parent or responsible grown-up must stay with their child for the entire event.
But don’t just come to supervise! Throw on a costume, jump into a game, hit the dance floor with your kid, and have some fun with us. Our little monsters are the stars of the night, but there’s plenty of room in the Mash for their grown-ups too.
No Tricks Here!Admission Is FREE!
Monster Mash is completely FREE for Sheridan Elementary students and their families, because the only thing we want you worrying about that night is whether your kid can actually see out of their costume. If you’d like to help PTO keep the fun going, we’ll be accepting optional donations to offset cost during the event. Donations are always appreciated, but absolutely never required to come join the Mash.
A Little Brew for the Grown-Up Ghouls
Tom’s Coffee Truck will be back at Monster Mash with drinks available for purchase throughout the evening, which feels like a very fair trade when we’re asking grown-ups to costume up and boo-gie on a Thursday night. Even better- a portion of what they make, goes right back to supporting PTO and covering the cost of this event. So grab something warm, catch up with other SES families, and then get back out there when your little monster decides you’re needed on the dance floor.
Join the Boo Crew!
Before we can Monster Mash, we have to make the monster magic happen! We’ll start setting up around 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 22, and we’d love a few extra grown-up ghouls to help PTO turn the gym and cafeteria into party central. We’ll be decorating, setting up games and activities, moving tables, getting everything where it needs to go, and tackling all those little jobs that somehow multiply right before the doors open.
No special talents are required, and you definitely don’t have to be a PTO regular. If you can lend a hand, follow a few directions, and aren’t afraid of being handed a roll of tape and a pile of Halloween decorations, you’re officially qualified for the Boo Crew.
Monster Mash Q + A
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Nope! Monster Mash is a family event, so a parent or responsible grown-up needs to stay with their child for the entire session. And since you’re already there, you might as well costume up and join the Mash.
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Welcome to the Monster Mash Double Feature! Families with children in both grade groups can attend both sessions so everyone gets a chance to party with their friends.
K–2: 6:00–6:45 p.m.
3rd–5th: 7:00–7:45 p.m. -
Not at all. Costumes are a BIG part of the fun and definitely encouraged, but no Blackhawk needs a costume to come dance, play, and hang out with their friends.
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Just a few! Since we’ll have students from kindergarten through fifth grade together, please keep costumes elementary-school friendly. We ask families to leave scary or full-face masks, blood and gore, and real or pretend weapons at home.
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Yes. Anyone volunteering inside Sheridan Elementary or working around students must have a current Safe Visitor background check through Sheridan Community Schools.
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YES. Please do.
Our SES grown-ups tend to bring their costume game, and Monster Mash is way more fun when the whole family gets into it.
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Absolutely. Please do.
Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends, neighbors, coworkers, former babysitters, the neighbor who always shows up with extra cookies, the family friend who Venmos $5 and calls it a day, the coworker who forwards it to the whole office, the former babysitter who still asks for updates, the “I saw this on Facebook” enthusiast
Share your student's Givebutter page and they can donate directly online.
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Yep! PTO will have a few simple Halloween games and activities available throughout the evening, so your little monster can take a dance break without taking a fun break.
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Yes. Sheridan Elementary PTO is a 501(c)(3) public charity, and donations to the Blackhawk Walk are tax deductible.
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Tom’s Coffee Truck will be there with drinks available for purchase throughout the evening, and PTO will be sponsoring a local SCS organization to sell popcorn and water.
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