Are you looking for creative ideas to make Halloween not hollow this year? We’ve got your back. Here’s how we’re going to disapprove of ourselves this year! From the decor to sweet treats in the kitchen and awesome new deliveries.
The last couple of years have been a little different, but fear not! So much fun to be had yet. So turn up the volume on this Monster Mash and get all the fun! It’s time to get energized this Halloween and bring all the spooky magic.
It’s time to upgrade your decorations this October.
First stop? The decorating station!
Think Christmas, but much scarier. Visit your local store (or open your Amazon cart) and grab all the orange and black construction paper you can. Help children cut out Halloween symbols such as witch hats, spiders, ghosts, black cats and bats.
You can also take the easy route and use printable templates like this one! You can also try your hand at creating candy corn garland from paper plates, some paint and some twine.
If you’re looking for something simpler, make Halloween-colored paper chains to drag around the room. To add a little extra spookiness, look for black, orange and purple lights to put around railings and doors.
Here’s how to create a scary strand
Want to take that decorating party outside? Dress up your front door to look like a mummy or jazz up your steps with some lanterns.
Consider decorating a tree or two with some lights and spider webs. That way, everyone in the neighborhood can enjoy your spirit. We have a full article on how to create the perfect scary crouch, check it out!
Next stop? To the kitchen, let’s go!
Brand Delicious treats that are scary and delicious.
Throughout the month you can serve up savory dishes and sweet treats to help kids get into the Halloween spirit. Try unusual dinner ideas like mummified hot dogs, mummy mini pizzas, jack-o-lantern quesadillasor spaghetti and “eyeballs“.
For something sweetertry making ghost cupcakes, pumpkins with chocolate pretzels, or some delicious pumpkin spice hot chocolate.
Consider putting a spooky twist on some Christmas classics. Decorate bat and pumpkin cookies or turn a gingerbread house into a haunted masterpiece. Also, make sure to click here for the best hot chocolate recipe by Tabitha Blue of Rookie Mom Squad! It is to mold for.
With a little imagination, the possibilities are endless! Look at these scary sweets for more inspiration. Now, let’s go celebrate!
Create new traditions- 10 Scary Activities for Kids of All Ages!
Of course, traditional trick-or-treating is a must, but you can also make the most of this season with a whole list full of activities to do throughout the month! Here are some great options to keep you and your little ones busy.
1. Shutting up
Turn on the neighborhood (safely) with this fun guess who game! “Booing” is a great way to spread the Halloween fun by anonymously leaving little tricks and treats on your neighbor’s doorstep.
Check this out guide to making your own book!
2. Trunk-or-Treat
Keep an eye out for local trunk or healing events. These are a great way for your kids to dress up and make their own treats while remaining safe trick or treating from car to car. If you’re worried about germs, have adults (equipped with hand sanitizer) hand out candy to each car.
Consider hosting your own neighborhood trunk or treat! Step up the competition by making it a trunk decorating contest! Need some inspiration to dress up your torso? Check out our Trunk-or-Treat Guide!
3. Glow in the Dark Pumpkin Hunt
Put a twist on an Easter tradition and host a glow-in-the-dark pumpkin hunt. You can buy small pumpkins at your local grocery store, craft store, or farm. Let the kids have fun decorating pumpkins with glow-in-the-dark paint. Hide them in the yard (or neighborhood) and have a nighttime search party!
You can keep the plans just scary or go complete creative. To add a little extra fun, you can have different prizes or candies for each pumpkin they find.
4. Halloween Piñata
There’s no doubt that kids look forward to their candy every October. You can market or brand a Halloween themed piñata and fill it with your child’s favorite candy. It makes the perfect addition to a Halloween party. Be sure to throw in some varieties that mom loves too!
5. Virtual Costume Party
As a kid, one of the best parts of Halloween is showing off your costume to your friends. If you can’t gather all your friends and family, consider throwing a virtual costume party. Turn up the spooky soundtrack and have a dance party. Better yet, make a guessing game out of it. See if the kids can guess who is who behind the masks and face painting.
Check out some great suits under $20 here!
6. Movie Marathon
Grab it monster munch and turn off the lights! Choose a night (or several) to watch some of your family’s favorite scary stories played out on screen. From Quackery to It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brownthere are many Halloween movies suitable for all ages. Check this out movie cheat sheet, categorization of Halloween movies by age.
Want to take it to the next level? Grab a projector and some good speakers to create a backyard drive-in! If your yard is big enough, feel free to invite some of your child’s friends over to safely enjoy the show. If you have any connections in town, see if the school or local library is willing to host a movie night in their parking lot for anyone to enjoy.
Our favorite Halloween movies for the family
- It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
- Monsters, Inc.
- Hotel Transylvania
- Nightmare before Christmas
- Quackery
7. Spooky Science
This is a perfect way to mix some Halloween fun into distance learning. Get creative with the classic vinegar and baking soda volcano and try the experiment inside a pumpkin. We mix the same ingredients in a bottle of water to blow up a balloon ghost.
Slime is another great experiment and there are lots of DIY slime recipes out there. Terrorize your slime adding some food coloring, Halloween confetti or (plastic) creepy creatures.
8. Choose an adorable family Halloween costume and have a photo shoot
Here is my theory. you and your kids can have as many Halloween costumes as you want! Why not go all out? One for the Virtual Costume Party, one for the work zoom and another for the trunk.
However, I recommend you do at least one family costume idea because looking back at photos like this is so special!
Here’s some inspiration from the Rookie Mom Squad!
9. Get creative with your pumpkins!
Check out this Instagram post
Of course, you can always do the traditional carving, but with a small one decorating the pumpkins it tends to be a little easier. We love the creative idea above from our Rookie Mom Squad mom, Chrissy Powers!
10. Have a Halloween scavenger hunt
If you don’t want to go door to door, but are looking for a way to get out in your costumes, a scavenger hunt is a perfect idea! You can go on the hunt for various Halloween-inspired items such as skeletons, orange lights, Jack-o-Lanterns and spider webs.
You can come up with your own list or just find a printable that will lead you to it. Click here for a printable we love!
11. Step Out into the Fall Air
Sure, Halloween is a blast, but in my mind, it’s just a small slice of my absolute favorite season! In the midst of Halloween fun, be sure to fit in some essential fall activities. This includes picking apples, jumping on colorful leaves, visiting a pumpkin patch (preferably one with apple cider donuts), and sitting around a campfire telling scary stories.
How will you celebrate this year?
If you or your kids are like me when it comes to tradition, all the changes these past few years have brought have been a tough adjustment. After taking a deep breath, I saw an opportunity in this madness. For most, traditions provide a sense of comfort and joy. See this as an opportunity to teach your kids (and remind yourself) the power of resilience by showing them how change can lead to new traditions that can be just as fun, if not more so.
Who knows? The kids may have such a blast they’ll be begging you to make these activities a regular part of your annual spooky celebration of the season.
You may also like:
Call Dibs on your Halloween costume early! [The Cutest Options Under $20 from Target]
Halloween costume ideas for babies and toddlers
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Pin for Later- 2024 Halloween Guide!
Amber is the CEO and mom in charge at Rookie Moms! She is raising six amazing people and has been through a lot as a mom, including a high-risk pregnancy (pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome), adoption, navigating special needs, working from home, and more. Now she’s on a mission to pass on the knowledge she’s learned… from one mom to another!
