I love Halloween! For as long as I can remember Halloween has been my favorite holiday. I mean, I love Christmas too but there’s something about being able to dress up and become whatever you want for one day that’s extra fun. Coming up with a costume and then going out trick or treating was pretty much the highlight of my year growing up. Plus candy, when your a kid the allure of candy is hard to resist! Of course this year things are a little bit different and while our community hasn’t outright banned Trick or Treating yet, I just don’t see how I can justify taking the kids out when I don’t even feel comfortable sending them to school. It was not an easy decision to forgo trick or treating this year but a necessary one. So we will be celebrating Halloween at home this year.
I decided that just because we weren’t going out didn’t mean that we weren’t going to have Halloween! I had to rack my brain a little bit but I think I’ve come up with some pretty fun activities and hopefully, the kids won’t feel like they are missing out on the fun just because we’re doing things at home! Here are some great Halloween at home ideas for those of you who are also struggling with trying to keep the kids safe while also making sure they have fun!
Halloween At Home – Celebrating Without Going Out!
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At Home Trick or Treating!
All right so you might not feel comfortable setting out door to door in your neighborhood but that doesn’t mean you have to ditch the idea altogether! Setting up fun Trick or Treat stations around your home can be as easy or complicated as you want to make it!
You might decide to go all out and set up different Trick or Treating stations in your yard complete with cardboard fake houses or decorations, come up with a scavenger hunt type trick or treating adventure or if you have a lot of animals or pets you might consider making them the ‘neighbors’. Just make sure that any treat stations near pets are well out of the critter’s reach!
Halloween Baking
Fun in the kitchen with kids can be messy but it tends to lead to a lot of great memories! There are quite a few Halloween baking kits out there – everything from gingerbread style haunted houses to cookies, cupcakes, and brownies!
If you have a favorite family recipe for cakes or cookies already then it’s pretty easy to put a fun Halloween spin on things! Buy some creepy Halloween candy in the shape of bugs, bats, or eyes and use them to decorate your various creations. Use food coloring to make your favorite vanilla cake into a creepy surprise or create some Halloween colored icing!
Creating fun Halloween treats is especially popular with the kids since it means they get to eat them later on and who doesn’t love a spooky treat?
Halloween Games
Trick or Treating might be the highlight of many Halloween adventures but fall and Halloween festivals are also pretty popular! While you might not be able to visit your favorite festival this year that doesn’t mean you can make one of your own!
Recreate popular festival games at home with a Halloween flair! Spider ring toss was a fun addition for us this year but you can also do an egg and spoon race (turn your boiled eggs into ‘eyeballs’ with a bit of food coloring) or create a spider web string maze for the kids to solves!
If your children are older or the weather isn’t going to co-operate with outdoor games you might consider some spooky board or card games. If your family isn’t the gaming type perhaps a spooky movie night would suit you better? It’s a fun way to spend time and those tasty snacks you made earlier will come in handy while you watch or play!
Facepainting
While buying a brand new costume might not seem relevant if you’re not going anywhere, dressing up is part of Halloween’s charm and it seems like a shame to give it up completely! If you would rather spend your money on baking treats and activities like we choose to do this year then face painting can be a great compromise!
Face painting kits are pretty cheap (definitely cheaper than a whole costume) and the kids still get the fun of pretending to be something else. If your unsure about your face painting skills rest assured that it’s easier then you might think – check out our Face Painting Tips for some inspiration.
Halloween Crafts
There are so many Halloween craft kits out there that you’re sure to find something suitable for your family. While a trip to the local store might be out right now there is still time to order supplies online. With a bit of creativity, you might even be able to come up with some fun ideas using basic household items! You might consider some of the following:
- Witches Brooms using sticks gathered from outside and some string.
- String Art Spider Webs
- Grocery Bag Ghosts
- Cardboard Box Haunted Houses
Halloween At Home
Celebrating Halloween at home might not seem ideal but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! Spending some quality time playing games, crafting, and baking together might even turn into a Halloween tradition that you continue for years down the road! Pick activities that you know your family will enjoy and concentrate on having fun rather than focusing on the lack of your typical celebration.
These are great ideas for still being able to celebrate Halloween even without going out trick or treating. We have decided to forego going out this year, which is good because it’s usually pretty cold by Halloween. So we will be enjoying a movie night and eating lots of candy. I might have to to some Halloween baking as well.
There are some pretty fun Halloween baking kits out there! I mean not only do you get to decorate them but you get to eat them after! Seems like a win/win to me!
These are such great ideas for celebrating Halloween at home this year! Thanks so much for sharing!
I was a lo of fun, some of these might end up being a family tradition as the kids loved it all so much!
Great tips for keeping safe but enjoying Halloween still!
Thanks! This year has been a challenging balancing act for sure!
This sounds like a great way to celebrate Halloween this year. They have warned against trick or treating here in the UK too, so why not make an at home trick or treating? Lovely ideas!
Aimsy xoxo
Aimsy’s Antics
It was a lot of fun! Hope your Halloween was lovely as well!