It’s my favorite time of the year! The leaves are changing colors, the temperatures are getting cooler, and that feeling that comes over this time of year is starting to settle over my town. Whatever your reason is for celebrating Halloween, there is probably one thing all parents can agree on, kids enjoy the fun and candy that comes with the Holiday. So, the thought of the kids missing out on this because of our current life situations can be a little depressing. However, should you let a Pandemic keep you and your family from enjoying Halloween? If you are reading this, the idea of celebrating Halloween at home has probably passed your mind but you may be looking for some ideas.
First things first! What you choose to do is up to you. I probably will not get to all of these this year myself, they are only suggestions. We are all in different financial situations this year so I tried to put as many DIY options on this list.
The purpose of this list is to make Halloween as enjoyable at home as possible, so go through this list and see what fits your needs. Now for the tips!
Go all out with the decorations
Decorations are one of the quickest ways to change any home into whatever style or mood you desire. It is also a great way to spend time together and celebrate because all ages can easily participate.
No matter your style you can decorate your home this Halloween season and turn your home into whatever you want to conjure up. From a haunted forest to a witches lair, the choices are endless.
The time to start is now, so don’t wait till the last minute.
Here are a few DIY Decorating Ideas
Friendly ghost
Do some Halloween crafts
Making crafts are a great way to get you and your family into the spirit and the best part is, you don’t have to wait until Halloween to get started. Crafts are a great way to relieve stress, bond, have fun, and make some DIY Holiday decorations. So here is a list of my favorite Halloween crafts you can do with your kids.
Host a scary movie marathon
One of my favorite things about Halloween is the opportunity to bond with my family over some spooky family-friendly Halloween thrillers. This is a great way to get in the Halloween mood and make spending time at home more enjoyable.
If you are looking for a list of some great movies to watch at home check the site below!
Family Friendly Halloween Movies
Sit around a backyard campfire and tell ghost stories
A great way to set the tone for Halloween is by sitting around a campfire telling ghost stories (age-appropriate ghost stories of course). So why not sit around a nice outdoor fire pit or campfire with your family and tell some of your own funny stories.
You can roast some marshmallows on the fire and make some smores with your family and cuddle up with some blankets. Not only will you enjoy some family bonding but you will enjoy your own nice family night of Spooktacular fun.
Classic Smores Recipe
2 graham crackers
2 marshmallows large
1 HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Bar (1.55 oz.)
DIY Jack-o-lanterns
The history of the Jack-o-lantern is a long one but it didn’t always include the carving of a demonic face. However, more and more Americans are breaking away from the traditional pumpkin carving for Halloween and putting their own creative twist on this tradition.
You too can add your own DIY Jack o lantern tradition to your home this Holiday season and add a little spice to your Halloween festivities. Here are a few ways to take a once simple tradition and turn it up a notch.
Pumpkin Candy Dish
Turn your pumpkin into a creative place to share your Halloween treats. Learn how here.
Flameless Hack-o-lantern
I don’t know about you but the candle in the pumpkin worries me with little ones. So why not use this hack to make a flameless pumpkin?
Fanged pumpkins
These cute little simple to make pumpkins by Martha Stewart will make your Jack-o-lantern craft a fun tradition. Click here for the full instructions.
Click here for more DIY Jack-o lantern ideas
Get the whole family involved in dress-ups
A big part of Halloween has to do with dressing up and staying at home shouldn’t mean you and your family have to give this up. So why not have a costume contest or party.
Dress up in your favorite costumes. Be creative, be silly, but just have fun. Then you can judge each other to see who can come up with the most creative outfits.
Give out candy bar medals to the winner!
Do some face painting
Face painting is a safe and great alternative to costumes because you can easily transform yourself into anything you want sometimes without spending any money. However, it does require a bit of creativity on your part.
Here are a few DIY face paint ideas
Puppy dog – This can be easily created with face paint crayons.
Pirate – This fun pirate face paint looks very professional and your kids will enjoy it.
Unicorn face paint – This fun tutorial will be even more magical with a unicorn headband.
Get on board with the tradition of bobbing for apples
Apple bobbing is a game that is usually played on Halloween and is a tradition that dates back to the Romans. Due to the fact that apples are less dense than water, they will float to the top of the surface making a hilarious thing to watch as players try to catch them with their teeth.
You can turn this simple game into a fun competition with you and your family on Halloween.
Don’t feel like bobbing? Here are a few ways to put a twist on bobbing for apples.
Try doughnuts or candy hanging from a string. Then have everyone try to grab the candy or doughnut with their mouth while their hands are behind their backs.
Trick or treat in the house with a twist
No kid that enjoys the tradition will feel like anything can replace the fun of trick or treating but what about combining two things kids love? One, getting candy and two, hide and seek. Hide candy or bags of candy in your home and allow your kids to find them.
Have more than one kid? Hide each of your child’s candy in separate rooms of the house and have them search the area for their candy.
Or even do a candy scavenger hunt.
Believe me, they will have as much fun searching. Why do you think they enjoy Easter egg hunts?
Play a Halloween Playlist
As you sit together with your family playing games, baking, or coloring, listening is a great way to help pass the time. Naturally, you may want to stick to the theme and play some great Halloween songs.
Here is a list of the top songs to play for Halloween that shouldn’t have your kids hiding under their covers, like I did with Thriller. Sorry, I am an 80s baby, hehe.
Play some Halloween board games
While celebrating Halloween at home you will want to have as many activities as you can to keep your kids preoccupied. Board games are my go-to activity when my children are bored.
Playing board games with your family will give you a chance to turn ordinary game night into a Halloween themed game night. Here are a few Halloween games you can play to cater to your Halloween tradition.
Halloween Bingo – this can be played with a simple free printable.
Click the image below to download your free Halloween Bingo PDF. Print all four pages to use as the bingo cards for whoever is playing and print an extra one and cut the pieces out of the extra sheet. Then simply draw the pieces from a hat or bowl and have the participants mark off the pieces on their board until someone gets bingo.
Halloween Charades – this is played in the same way as traditional charades except the phrases are Halloween themed. Such as carving a pumpkin.
Escape room in a box – You have an hour to solve 19 mental puzzles with one goal in mind, to escape. This game is for ages 13 and older.
Haunted Mansion – This is a game made after Disney’s Haunted Mansion for ages 8 and older where players move through the mansion collecting ghost cards of different point values.
Jinx – This is played by writing Halloween-themed words or phrases (Halloween, costume, scary, etc.) on a piece of paper that you will place in a hat for everyone to draw. Whichever word the person draws from the hat is not allowed to be said by them while the game is in process. If someone hears the person say that word, they must yell “Jinx”. The person who said their word must then take a drink.
Color some spooky Halloween pages
Coloring is one of those activities you can do any time of the day and enjoy it. Halloween does not have to be a day that you exclude this activity. Pull out some Halloween coloring pages and color together.
Download your free Halloween pages here or on the home page.
Make a Halloween themed family dinner
Halloween fun can go way beyond eating candy, playing games, and watching movies. Did you ever think to incorporate Halloween into your family dinner?
You don’t need to be throwing some fancy get together to put these fun and spooky recipes together that your whole family will enjoy and you will even enjoy making them. Okay, maybe you will!
So here are a few dishes you may want to try this year. Don’t be scurred!!!
Mummy meatballs
Jack o lantern Quesadillas
Jack ‘o lantern stuffed peppers
Make some spooky desserts
Who said all your Halloween treats had to be candy? I will take some homemade spooky treats any day. Since you may already be in the mood for some Halloween themed-foods, why not add some desserts to that lists.
These spooky treats will not only have your family begging for more but will have you really showcasing your baking talents. Plus, you can get your little ones to chip in and make it a family activity of baking and decorating.
Here are some of my favorite recipes.
Ghost cookies
Dracula dentures
Jack o lantern bowls
Pumpkin patch brownies
Strawberry ghost
Make a haunted house fort
When I was a kid, there was one thing I enjoyed making that brought me hours of fun in my room – a fort. I would turn my bed into my own personal fort and let my imagination run wild.
Well, you and your family can take this simple childhood activity and make a haunted fort for your kids to enjoy this Halloween season. Then your kids can have their own spooky retreat to watch movies, play, or enjoy all month.
Last Things You Need to Know About Celebrating Halloween at Home
Halloween is one of those holidays that to me what matters most is enjoying the time you have with your family. So, yes we may not be able to spend time with all our family members face to face but it doesn’t mean that we can’t get the same feeling over a Zoom call.
We may not be able to get out and go trick or treating with our kids but we can make staying home an enjoyable event.
I hope the tips in this post will be useful to you and your family and if you have any tips please feel free to share them with me below!
