Halloween may take place at home for many of us, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be fun! Here’s how to create happy Halloween at Home memories.
Table of Contents
Staying home this year
We are so ready for Halloween, one our favorite holidays!
The costumes have been chosen (Max: Batspidersuperman, Miki: owl), Andrew is chomping at the bit to get some pumpkins for this year’s creepy creations (here’s a great tool kit), and some candy has been stashed deep into a cupboard to avoid accidental disappearances before the 31st.
What’s different this year: 2020 has already been plenty scary, so we’re staying home – but that will be no deterrence at all from having lots of fun.
You see, we’ve already got some experience with this scenario.
Last year, the forecast threatened whipping winds and drenching downpours. So I made the executive decision that Mama was too tired to drag around two soggy kids stuffed with candy – we were going to put on Halloween at Home.
I pulled out every bit of Halloween decor I could find: plastic creepy-crawly snakes, spiders and bugs I’d picked up at a thrift store, some cool Halloween place mats I found in a Japanese dollar store, our costume box…Oops, turns out the light projection of glowing eyes Andrew had bought in a fit of Halloween spirit was a little too spooky for our two-year-old, but the kids were excited to follow a trail of spiders from the door into the living room.
Dinner was takeout pizza – keeping it simple. Attempts at adding nutritional value in the form of veggie sticks were roundly rejected by the offspring.
Hide and Treat
What followed was the highlight of the evening: Hide and Treat!
It was a spur-of-the-moment creation: We turned off all the lights. Only the flames in our pellet stove gave a low glow as I grabbed a bag of candy and retreated into the shadows.
Then, the kids searched for me again and again with a camping lantern (LOVE these!), guided by my best spooky sounds (I do a mean witch’s cackle, but my eerie whispers aren’t half bad either). Once they found me – in the play tent, behind a door, in the coat closet – they got to say “trick or treat” and received some candy and small gifts (Halloween socks, glow sticks, glow-in-the-dark play foam).
We had a blast!
In fact, the kids have demanded we do Hide and Treat again this year, so I’m pretty confident Halloween at Home will be another spooky success.
Tips for your Halloween at Home
- Decorate
Get creative to give your house just the right doses of haunting and fun. Spiderweb tablecloth, anyone? That doesn’t mean you have to go shopping, though. For one wall, we just cut out a bunch of bats from black paper.
- Set the tone
Play some background music or spooky sounds. Here’s an example from YouTube. We’ve also had good luck asking Google Home for sound effects.
- Feed the little monsters
Plan a meal that the kids are very likely to eat before the big candy bonanza sends them bouncing around the house. Take-out or something from the freezer or slow cooker are great options so you can focus on having fun instead of cooking and doing dishes.
Then again, if you feel like getting a little creative, there are plenty of fun Halloween food ideas out there that you could even make together with the kids.
- Plan activities
If you haven’t carved your pumpkin yet, now’s a good time. Or have a dance party, do some face painting, or play board games such as Shadows in the Forest or Hocus Pocus or Booo-Opoly.
- Play Hide and Treat
Turn off the lights, hand everyone a flashlight, designate someone to hide, make your best spooky sounds.
- Be present and have fun
Ditch those smartphones and leave off the TV to really soak up this special family time!
And let me know how it goes!
Photo credits Halloween cupcakes: Gabby K via Pexels
PIN this post for later!
Reduce food waste (and save money) with a vacuum sealer
Great tips, especially for this year!
I’d love to hear how it goes if you celebrate Halloween at home this year.
These are some great ideas! I can’t wait to share them with my friends and plan something for their kiddos!
I hope everyone has a great and spooky time! 🙂
Those tips are just on time, I was wondering what I was gonna do with kids staying home on Halloween 👻 now I got some great ideas , thanks for sharing
I hope you have a wonderful time!
These are awesome ideas. Loved the ghoolish cupcakes
Have a happy Halloween!
Great tips! I need to go out for some halloween party table decor!
Have fun!
This year I wanted to go to some Halloween party, but you know… it’s not possible this year. So I am planning to visit one Senior home and organize some small Halloween celebration for old people! 🙂 Your tips are just in time! Thanks! 🙂
How lovely! I hope you all have a great time.