While trick-or-treating is that classic Halloween tradition we look forward to every year, you don’t need to go to other houses to have a good time. If you don’t want your kids wandering through the neighborhood, it’s time to get creative. There are plenty of spooky Halloween activities you can do as a family without leaving your house. Do it right, and your kids won’t even complain about the missed opportunity to take candy from strangers.
Here are a few fun ideas that will turn this October 31 into the best Halloween yet.
Have a Candy Hunt
Picture an Easter egg hunt but with Halloween candy instead of eggs. There are multiple different ways you can handle this fun Halloween activity. You could hide individual pieces of candy around the house and tell the kids to go to town. If you don’t feel like finding random Tootsie Rolls in your couch cushions for the rest of the year, you could hide each kid’s entire candy stash all in one spot.
For older kids, put together clues or puzzles that send them on a true treasure hunt. For younger kids, you can do the fun string game where you attach a piece of yarn to the prize, spool it out all over the house, and have your kids follow the string until they reach the end.
Watch a Halloween Movie
There are countless Halloween movies out there that your kids would love to watch. Introduce them to an old classic they haven’t seen before, or break out a favorite they only watch once a year. Older kids might appreciate something at least a little scary. But there are plenty of family-friendly Halloween movies that won’t give anyone nightmares. Make popcorn, bring out the candy, and make it the best movie night of the year.
Bake and Decorate Cookies or Cupcakes
Candy takes center stage on the spookiest day of the year, but there’s still room for other sweet treats! Baking is always a fun family activity that’s appropriate for kids of most ages. Make it a Halloween activity by choosing spooky decorations. You can turn cupcakes into scary monsters or decorate cookies like vampires and zombies. And when you’re done decorating, you can start the real fun of eating your creepy creations.
Complete a Spooky Craft
Younger kids in the family might enjoy putting together a fun Halloween craft. There’s the classic activity of painting or carving pumpkins, but that’s not all you can do. You can make floating bats out of toilet paper rolls, monsters out of tissue boxes, or spider webs out of string. For something really fun and creative, put together a haunted gingerbread house complete with a candy corn roof and licorice trim.
Bob for Apples, Donuts, Whatever you Want
Bobbing for apples is one of those classic Halloween party games that you don’t see too often anymore. It’s a lot harder than it looks, but it’s also a lot of fun. If your kids aren’t thrilled about sticking their faces in water to retrieve a fruit, try something different, like bobbing for donuts. Instead of putting the donuts in water, tie string around several donuts and hang them so your kids have to jump a little to reach them with their mouths. The first one to eat an entire donut without using their hands wins!
Smash a Spooky Piñata
Piñatas aren’t only for birthday parties! It’s not hard to find a Halloween-themed piñata either at a store like Party City or online. Choose a wicked witch, spooky ghost, or even a pretty princess if that’s what your kids are into. Fill the piñata up with your kids’ favorite Halloween candy and let them work for their holiday treats. It’s a game that helps them use up some of that pent-up energy.
Dress Up and Have a Photoshoot
Besides candy, dressing up is the best part of Halloween. Your kids might not get the chance to show their costumes to the neighbors, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Let them dress up in costume just like they would if they were trick-or-treating. Make a big to-do about getting ready before breaking out the camera. A Halloween photoshoot can be basic selfies, or it can be a fun game complete with props and a backdrop. For your backdrop, decorate an old sheet with a spooky scene. You can get the kids to help or make it a surprise. Go all-out with your photoshoot so your kids feel like the stars of the spookiest show.
Were you inspired by any of these Halloween activities? Be sure to share this article so kids everywhere can have a happy Halloween!
Amanda Schmitt
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