It’s not hard to understand why Halloween is such a beloved time of the year for many people. There’s a palpable sense of fun in the air as everyone gets to put on their costumes and walk around in search of candy. It’s also a great time for families to do all kinds of activities together, and we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite family Halloween activities that you can enjoy this year.
Go trick-or-treating
We’ll mention this first as it’s perhaps the most essential family Halloween activity. Have a blast going house to house with your little ones in costume collecting enough candy to last the rest of the year! In addition to the typical October 31st trick-or-treating, many towns and cities also set aside some time each year for little ones to trick-or-treat at local businesses. See if your area has any activities like this, or “trunk-or-treat” events that you can participate in to double the trick-or-treating you can experience (it’s also a good opportunity to give your kids another opportunity to show off their costumes!).
Dress up the pets
Even your dogs and cats can participate in the Halloween festivities! Ask the kids for their ideas for costumes the pets can wear, then buy or make them and dress them up for a hilarious and cute photo session. If you don’t have any pets of your own, you can even see if your community has any Halloween-themed dog walks or costume contests that you can go to.
Visit a haunted house
While there are certainly some haunted houses whose sole purpose is to terrify its visitors as much as possible, there are plenty of family-friendly haunted houses for those who want to bring their young kids and not have to worry about weeks of nightmares afterward. Search for family-friendly haunted houses in your area where you can bring your kids for a night of not-too-scary scares. And if your family doesn’t scare easily, check out this list to see if you live close to any of the top haunted houses in the country!
Carve/paint pumpkins
Finding the perfect pumpkin and transforming it into a frightful jack-o-lantern is one of the highlights of Halloween for many. If your area has any pumpkin patches, bring your little ones there to explore the patch and pick out their favorite pumpkin. Then, ask them how they want to decorate theirs and give them a hand in making it look just right. Whether they’re carving or painting, there are a lot of cool ways to decorate jack-o-lanterns. Then it’s time to show off your handiwork to the neighborhood!
Take a look at these free pumpkin carving templates! We have nine options for you to choose from. Click on whatever ones you’d like to print out.
Plan a scary-movie night
October is undoubtedly the prime season for spooky movies, so search for a few family-friendly selections for everyone to enjoy together! There are a lot of options, but Monster House, Hotel Transylvania, and Casper are a few popular choices. Don’t forget to make some special Halloween popcorn to pass around while you watch!
Decorate your home for Halloween
We’ve all seen the houses that take Halloween super seriously, going all out with the most macabre decorations they could find. You don’t need to devote thousands of dollars and dozens of hours to staging a nightmarish scene in your front yard, but putting a little time and effort into Halloween decorating with the kids can be a lot of fun. We have lots of personalized Halloween decorations that can be displayed in your home year after year.
Prepare a spooky meal
There are always a ton of fun Halloween-themed recipes that make the rounds in October. Find some of your favorites to prepare with the whole family. One cool idea would be to make an entirely Halloween-themed meal. Find an entree, sides, a dessert, and even snacks that everyone can help make and enjoy in the spirit of Halloween! Here’s a great resource with a bunch of fun recipe ideas to explore!
Go to a corn maze
Corn mazes are another staple of fun fall activities. For the most festive experience, seek out a “haunted” or Halloween-themed corn maze.
Have a backyard bonfire
If the weather permits, the Halloween season can be a really fun time to have a backyard bonfire or campfire. Bring out a book of spooky stories to regale the kids with by the light of the fire. Halloween-themed s’mores too? You bet!
Make Halloween crafts
Halloween is a great time to get crafty. Browse online or get creative with your own ideas of crafts that you and the kids can make to adorn the house in celebration of the upcoming holiday.
Here are some festive craft ideas to get you started!
We hope you have a blast with these ideas of family Halloween activities you can do this year. To further help your family get into the spirit of Halloween, take a look at our selection of personalized Halloween apparel!
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