I love Halloween, I know lots of people find it a bit pointless, but any occasion that gives me an excuse to decorate the house, buy lots of sugary treats and do some family fun activities is hugely welcomed in my house! I have a five year old who absolutely loves all things Halloween-esque from going pumpkin picking, to watching spooky movies and dressing up, to, of course, getting to eat lots of sweet treats. Sometimes it can be difficult thinking of ideas, particularly last minute, of fun things to do as a family or with your little ones. So, I thought that I would throw together a quick post with a few ideas if you're looking for some before Halloween hits us this weekend. Keep reading for some fun ideas and lots of movie recommendations!
Visit A Pumpkin Field
The most popular activity of all - pumpkin picking! We absolutely love hunting down a pumpkin field and picking out our pumpkins every year. It's even better when there's other stuff going on too, like the one we visited near us this year had a castle made out of straw. Ru loved it! I know there's some brilliant ones down South that I hoped to go on a road trip to, but we never got the chance. They are all over the country though so it's never too late to visit one, get yourself to one before or during the weekend if you haven't been yet, they're such a fun activity for absolutely everyone. The ones with farm shops are great too as you can often do a little shopping whilst you're there and stop for something to eat in their little cafes. It makes for such a lovely little day out.
Have A Halloween Hunt
Just like an Easter hunt, you could create something similar but make it spooky. I'm personally not a fan of the traditional trick or treating, just because my Ru is only 5 and I don't want him knocking on random strangers doors and taking sweets off of them at such a young age, so this is a great alternative if you feel the same way. Kids absolutely love hunting out sweets and chocolate at Easter, so they'll love it on Halloween too, and it's definitely the perfect substitute to trick or treating, plus you can make it a little more fun with clues and things like that. If you have a big garden, even better as you can pop up some scary ghosts with bedsheets and whatnot and the outdoor lighting in the dark can be super creepy!
Have A Spooky Movie Marathon
This is definitely one of our personal favourites, cosying up on the sofa with blankets, lots of treats and a good movie is just the best. Nothing beats it, and you don't even have to leave the house... well... maybe just to get the treats! Yesterday we made a little treat board full of spooky sweets, chocolate and crisps that I picked up from places like Morrisons, M&S and home bargains. I've been grabbing bits throughout the month in the lead up to Halloween so I had a good bag full by the time this week came round, but it's easy enough to nip out to a supermarket and pick up a few bits. You can also make your own Halloween treats with things you have at home, Pinterest is full of fab ideas. Once your snacks are ready to go, all you need is a list of good movies to watch whilst you feast! Some of my personal recommendations that are great for families would be The Addams Family, Nightbooks, Toy Story of Terror, Hotel Transylvania, Coraline & Corpse Bride.
Bake Some Creepy Treats
Baking is always a really fun family activity to do, albeit a bit of a messy one, but what isn't with kids?! Pinterest is full to the brim of great spooky treats you can bake, whether they be sweet or savoury. The best thing about having a big day baking is that you can cosy up in the evening with everything that you've made and have a movie night. It's basically two activities in one so it's ideal if you're looking for something to keep you busy all weekend long!
Cook A Halloween Dinner
Just like a big family Christmas dinner, why not have a Halloween one too?! If you love a fancy table setting and sitting around a big table with your family having lots of fun and laughs, then Halloween is the perfect excuse to do just that. There's a huge gap between Easter and Christmas so it makes for a nice little bridge in-between. You can pick up spooky crackers, decorate the table with lots of scary decor and black dinner candles (I have lots!) and since Halloween is on a Sunday this year, it's ideal as you can all sit round whilst tucking into your Sunday roast.
Are you doing anything with your family this Halloween?
