Halloween At Home

In preparation for celebrating Halloween close to home, we’ve been looking for fun, new takes on old traditions. In the process, we realized a great upside: since most of these can be done close to home, why not make Halloween a whole month of fun? Or more! After all, isn’t November pumpkin month as well? When you’re stuck at home and need extra ideas to entertain your little ones, some of these activities might be just what the (mad) doctor ordered! 


First up, let’s talk about some fun and frightening (but not too frightening) alternatives to traditional trick-or-treating:

  • Trick-or-treat at home, like an easter egg hunt! Hide treats in creative spots throughout the house and yard for your kiddos to find. (Btw, if you’re looking for healthier alternatives, treats can mean goldfish crackers, granola bars, fruit pouches, apple sauce, or juice boxes, just to name a few!)
  • Trick-or-treat from room to room! Have your kids knock on each door in your house and discover treats in each room. Your closet might have a chocolate theme, and your laundry room might hold licorice surprises -- you get the idea!
  • Hunt for candy in the dark (inside or outside) with the help of a flashlight to up the spooky-fun factor.
  • Make “boo bags” of treats and leave them at friends’ front doors throughout the month of October. Once they discover they’ve been “booed,” they have to pass it on!
  • Go trunk-or-treating! Of course, be sure to follow social distancing guidelines and mask up. Good thing it’s the season for masks. So get creative! Maybe you were a normal mask-wearer last month, and now you’re a doctor or a fighter pilot.

Ghastly Games:

  • Have a pumpkin carving contest with friends and family, and present and judge your creations over Zoom or FaceTime.
  • Get a Halloween-themed piñata. Have a blast in the backyard breaking open some beastly creature to discover the goodies inside.
  • Make a ring toss game out of your carved (or uncarved) pumpkins by tossing rings around the stems. The more twisted the stem, the greater the challenge.
  • Cornhole. This one just feels like fall, doesn’t it? Halloween-ify it by making a board that looks like you’re tossing the bean bag into a monster’s mouth or Pennywise the Clown’s piehole.
  • Organize a pumpkin walk. It’s like a cake walk (and if you’re not familiar with a cake walk, think musical chairs), but instead of cakes, write numbers on the bottoms of mini pumpkins with a sharpie. Have your participants walk slowly around the pumpkins, and then when the music stops, grab a seat! Winner gets a treat. (Or maybe a new toothbrush!)

Other At-Home Ideas: 

  • We’re crazy about crafts right now. Instead of buying decorations, try drawing and cutting out spiders, bats, and ghosts. Then have the kiddos tape on eyes and mouths to create different expressions!
  • And we *never* get sick of fall treats. Making caramel apples, pumpkin spice cupcakes, and cider is one of the most heavenly parts of Halloween (almost as much as eating them!).

We hope these ideas help inspire your Halloween at home! Share your close-to-home Halloween hijinks online, and tag us @hellowayb. We can’t wait to see what fearsome fun you come up with!