There is no denying that these last few months have been challenging. Concerns about health and safety have caused many families to restrict their outdoor activities and have impacted the way that we celebrate holidays and share our traditions.
And although tensions are starting to ease as families emerge from their homes and return to work and school, not everyone is ready to be near large groups of people.
But that doesn’t mean that we can’t celebrate this holiday season and it certainly doesn’t mean that we can’t have fun on Halloween. It just means that it is time to break from our routine and be willing to try new things.
So to help with the planning, I’ve come up with some great ideas to have fun at home on Halloween!
14 Ways to Celebrate Halloween at Home
- Have a Scary (or Not So Scary) movie marathon.
- Traditional Pumpkin Carving – or Pumpkin Painting for the little ones.
- Bake some spooky recipes – This is the time for “Bat Wings” (chicken wings), Mummy Dogs (Pigs in a blanket made by wrapping hot dogs with strips of crescent rolls for a creepy easy classic Halloween snack), and jello brains.
- Haunted Gingerbread House – Who says that gingerbread houses can only be made at Christmas time? Swap out the lifesavers and Skittles for black licorice and Reese’s Pieces or chocolate M&Ms to start on this project. Let their imaginations soar as they turn candies and cookies into building blocks for their gingerbread house. Add some ghost-shaped Peeps and the finished product will be Instagram-ready.
- Voodoo Doll Cookies – Grab a pack of sugar cookies and some icing and let them go to town. If voodoo dolls are too creepy, have them create cats, bats, and ghosts instead. They will have a fabulously messy time and get to enjoy the treats after they are done.
- Costume Fashion Show – Just because you are at home doesn’t mean you can’t dress up. Be silly, have fun with it – and if you have older kids, challenge them to create their costumes from things around the house. Then show them off at a home fashion show or Facetime with your family.
- Dance – You know you have always wanted to learn to dance Thriller. Now is the time to make that happen.
- Ghost Hunting – Break out the flashlights, download a ghost hunter app and go full “Ghost Hunter” around your block or in your backyard.
- Halloween Tree – If it’s good enough for Christmas, it’s good enough for Halloween. Bring out your artificial tree early and decorate it with hand-made ornaments and papier-mâché. If you don’t have an artificial tree, make your own version from sticks that are painted black to make it extra Halloweeny.
- Candy Hunt – Yes, we are stealing from all the holidays here – but why not? Instead of going door-to-door, hide the candy throughout the house (like Easter eggs) and let the kids go in search. Just be careful with pets, as many candies and chocolates can be harmful to cats and dogs.
- Camp Out / Or Camp in – Pitch the tent, roll out the sleeping bags and tell spooky stories. Extra bonus if there is a fire pit and smores involved.
- Scavenger Hunt – Make your list of all things Halloween and start the race to see who can find them all first.
- Game Night – An oldie, but goodie. This is a perfect time to enjoy those games that we normally have tucked away collecting dust. Monopoly, Jenga, and Uno are great traditional favorites. Or try a completely new game to truly be challenged.
- Make a Tik Tok – You heard right. Break out the glow sticks and tape them onto your clothes to create a skeleton. Turn off the lights and start filming. It will be silly, it will be fun – and it never has to actually be posted online
So, be safe and have an AMAZING time in the process – and let us know what other great ideas you have to make memories at home!
