This year, we are not trick-or-treating. Due to COVID, a lot of our neighborhood is shutting their doors and turning off their porch lights. The idea of creating chutes and spiderwebs with little bags stuck to them simply seemed a bit overwhelming.Â
It’s sad, of course, but like so much of 2020, we’re learning to be creative. We’re also (re)learning that the magic of the seasons and the holidays can be celebrated and honored in so many different ways.
While we can mourn for the loss of what our past traditions were, we can also make sure we’re not holding too tightly to the way things “should be.” We are trying to approach 2020, as we launch into the holiday onslaught, as a year to explore some new traditions. There may be things that come out of this particular year’s events that we decide we want to keep for years to come.
So for Halloween we’re still going to make our soup and chili that we make every year (usually we invite the neighbors to come over and enjoy dinner with us before we start trick or treating). But we’re also going to run around our yard in costumes and gather around a campfire to tell spooky stories.
And, as per our mission, The Family Trip is here to help you with some additional ideas.
Note: There are some affiliate links below, and you can read our disclaimer here.
10 Ways to Celebrate Halloween at Home:
1- Have a campfire in the backyard.
2- Go on a hike or walk at night, with flashlights! We live near some wooded areas, so we’re very excited to explore the woods in the dark.
3- Have a round robin spooky story telling, where each person adds one sentence to an ongoing story, going around the circle sentence by sentence. Give out noisemakers kids can use to “add” to the story.
4- Dress up! Yes, even the adults are dressing up this year here. While we are past the point where I can make my sons wear costumes I choose so we can enjoy a family theme, we’ll still share our Halloween family photo on Instagram!
5- Break open a Halloween piñata.
6- A Halloween candy taste test! Maybe even a blind tasting – how well do you really know your chocolate bars?
7- Watch Hocus Pocus or Harry Potter… while in costume… with some great snacks and, of course, Halloween candy. If you opt for the wizarding world at Hogwarts, be sure to make some butterbeer!
8- BOO someone. This fun activity has been on the rise the past few years and we love it. It is a great, contactless way to spread neighborhood cheer.
9- Read a spooky book together. We still love The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat, which we enjoyed immensely when the kids were young. And, don’t forget from this post, that A to Z Mysteries are always fun. Magic Tree House offers A Good Night for Ghosts, and, for the older kids, try out Harry Potter (of course!) or Lemony Snicket (our kids find that series very “creepy”).
10- Do something good together as a family. The world definitely needs more love and more community outreach these days. Give some of the Halloween candy you have and send a care package to the troops. Spend some time making cards and notes for the soldiers fighting for our country.
Whatever you do, be safe and remember that this is still a very magical time for little imaginations. And taking the time out to do something out of the ordinary is healthy for all.
Happy Halloween!