Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love all of the costumes, candy, and pumpkin carving that goes on during this time, but what really makes me happy are the activities that you can do with kids leading up to Halloween! Whether you are looking for something fun to do in your neighborhood or want to plan some activities on your own home turf this year, these eight ideas will get you started:
Carve pumpkins.
Carving pumpkins is a great way to spend some time with your kids, especially if you don't want to do anything too scary.
If you're planning on carving a pumpkin, there are some things that you should keep in mind:
Don't carve it too early. The best time is when the pumpkin has completely turned into its final form—but this can vary depending on what kind of pumpkin it is and where you live. For example, some varieties need more time than others before they'll be ready for carving (like acorn squash). If possible, try taking a photo beforehand so that everyone knows what's going on!
Don't carve it too late either; otherwise all those little pieces will get lost in their costumes or bags before anyone gets around to eating them! It's also important not to go overboard with how deep/shallow etc., because then nobody will want any part of yours left behind either :) Also consider whether doing something like "carving" makes sense for this particular activity anyway--there might be other ways better suited towards getting creative without having everyone just stand around staring blankly at each other :)
Pop some popcorn, throw on a spooky movie, and eat it out of the pumpkin you carved.
Pop some popcorn, throw on a spooky movie, and eat it out of the pumpkin you carved.
Popcorn is a fun snack to eat in a pumpkin. You can get creative and use the popcorn as a decoration or add other toppings like chocolate or candy. You could even make your own custom-made popper!
What screams Halloween more than tasty popcorn, Halloween Town and the smell of freshly carved pumpkins?
It's time to think about Halloween! You might be thinking, "What does this have to do with popcorn?" Well, it's all about the treats. Popcorn and pumpkin carving are two of the best ways to celebrate this spooky holiday!
First off, let's talk about making your own popcorn balls. You can make these at home using a candy mold or even just buy them at your local grocery store (you'll find them in the baking aisle). The easiest way is by buying plain old flour and cornstarch mixed together - then add oil until it forms into dough balls inside of their molds (you could also use silicone ones if you have them). When they're done drying out on some parchment paper lines under warm lights overnight - remove them carefully from their molds onto plates lined with wax paper so that none stick together during transportation home later that day :)
Pick out and model your Halloween costumes together.
Halloween is a great time to model good behavior, and having fun with your kids is one way you can do that. If you're planning on going out trick-or-treating with the kids, it's important that they have appropriate costumes. You don't want them running around looking like they're dressed up as something they're not—and neither do I!
So what kind of costumes should we be considering? First off, let's look at age appropriateness: if one or more children are under 5 years old (or even 2 years old), then there will probably be some restrictions on what type of costume can be worn. Some local municipalities may also require that children wear masks during their visits outside of homes where no adult lives nearby (for example: parks). We'll talk about this later in our list!
Decorate your house together - yard and indoors!
Decorate your house together - yard and indoors!
It's time to get out those Halloween decorations, because as we all know: it's the best time of year. And if you're looking for something fun and creative with your kids this year, then consider decorating your house together. You can start by decorating outside of course! Putting up skeleton or ghost pictures on the front porch will be sure to spook people who walk by (and no one likes being scared!). If you have room inside the house itself then why not hang up some fake spiders between them? Or maybe even scare yourself awake by hanging some jack-o-lanterns around?
If hiking through the woods isn't an option this year because of heavy rain or snow coverings then consider making a homemade wreath instead! This can easily be done using pine cones from outside and sticks from inside that match perfectly together so everyone will be able to admire how beautiful their home looks during this special holiday season...
Make some treats together - cupcakes, cookies, popcorn balls, caramel apples, etc.
I am a big fan of baking together with my kids. It's something we can do as a family, and it's also a great way for them to learn about how food is made. We've made everything from cupcakes and cookies, popcorn balls and caramel apples (for trick-or-treaters), but you could also make all kinds of different treats: brownies (with your kids helping out), bread sticks or bread sticks with chocolate coating (you'll have to let them dip the ends themselves), don't forget about those marshmallow popcorn balls!
Create a haunted house in your garage or basement. Not so spooky that they won't sleep at night but definitely scary enough to get the heart racing a bit!!
If you have a garage, use it to create a haunted house.
If you don't have a garage, use your basement. You could also use an empty closet or other room in the house as well! The best part of this activity is that it's easy and fun for kids to do on their own!
Make sure there are no sharp objects around when creating your haunted house—you don't want anyone getting hurt during this activity!
Create blankets, sheets, pillows and other materials that will cover up any holes in walls so they don't get too dirty while moving around through the spaces inside of them (this might take some trial and error).
Use flashlights if needed so everyone can see where they're going without bumping into things along the way; these should always be kept close by even though they aren't needed often during normal playtime activities since most kids know how far away everything else needs space between itself before touching something else nearby because we've learned through experience over time as children ourselves which helps us understand better how large distances affect our ability engage safely within each other's presence without causing injury due concern over safety concerns only after getting hurt ourselves first off before becoming aware fully about what was happening around us all along once again after realizing why someone might try doing something like hitting us unexpectedly from behind away from where I thought he'd been standing still until now!"
Read some spooky stories together - Snuggle up on the couch with a flash light and read some short stories - preferably more on the weird side of spooky rather than bloody. I dig R.L Stein for this one...
Read some spooky stories together - Snuggle up on the couch with a flash light and read some short stories - preferably more on the weird side of spooky rather than bloody. I dig R.L Stein for this one...
Play some games - Use your favorite board game or create one using cardboard boxes, paint, markers and scissors! We play "The Game of Life" which requires you to draw a picture of an animal that is based on its name (e.g., lion = lion). You can then move that animal around the board into different areas of life until they reach whatever stage it's meant to go to (e.g., from baby through adulthood). It's fun because everyone gets involved regardless if they're playing or not!
There are plenty of Halloween activities you can do with kids leading up to Halloween!
Halloween is a great time to bond with your kids, celebrate the season and get them excited about creative activities. Here are some ideas:
Make costumes for everyone in your family. You can either make them yourselves or go out and buy them at Halloween stores or online. This will help make sure no one gets left out during trick-or-treating!
Host an “Halloween party” at home where everyone comes dressed up as their favorite character from movies or TV shows. Have fun playing games before dinner starts so that it doesn't feel rushed when it comes time for dessert (and don't forget about those evil cookies).
So, there you have it! Halloween is a wonderful time of year - but also one that can be stressful. It's important to teach your children how to enjoy themselves, even when they don't feel like it. This blog post is meant to inspire some fun (and scary!) ideas for spending time with the kids on October 31st and throughout the month of November. Whether you're looking for ways to entertain them or just want some extra activities for yourself, I hope these suggestions help make tonight even more memorable than usual!