on the
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Not-so-Spooky Movie Night Set the Mood Break out some of your Halloween decor to create a festive atmosphere, but keep it comfy and casual. Bring out some extra pillows and blankets, and let kids pile them on the floor or stake their favorite spot on the couch. For a true theater feel, turn off the lights when you start the movie, and use blackout curtains to make the room even darker.
Keep the menu simple but fun. Make mini “Mummy Pizzas” by topping English muffins with pizza sauce, string cheese “fabric” and olive eyes. You can also give a classic movie snack a spooky twist by making Popcorn Hands. Just take clear, disposable gloves, drop a candy corn “nail” in each fingertip, and fill the rest with popcorn. Tie the ends with ribbon or twine.
Keep it Kid-Friendly Save the horror movies for another night, and go with some kid-friendly Halloween movies with just a hint of fright. Some of our favorites:
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Trick or Tacos Ole! Line up ingredients for a taco bar and let kids make their own “Monster Tacos” by arranging toppings like sour cream, olives, or tomatoes into creepy faces. Enjoy with a side of “Frankenguac”: smear guacamole into a rectangle on a platter, make eyes out of sour cream and olives, and use blue corn chips for hair.
Bat for Candy
Get Snackin’
Beetlejuice Casper Coraline Ghostbusters Hocus Pocus
Halloween Fiesta
Hotel Transylvania Monster House Halloweentown Frankenweenie
Backyard Trick-or-Treating Dress for the Occasion Move the usual door-to-door trick-or-treating to the backyard. Hide candy or other goodies in the nooks and crannies of your yard. But don’t skimp on the costumes just because you’re home. Have kids get all dressed up to hunt for their treats.
Make it Festive Don’t want candy lost all over your yard? Draw jack-o-lantern faces on orange cupcake liners, and fill those with treats, or put the goodies in
A piñata full of candy is just as much fun as trickor-treating. Party City has adorable Halloweenthemed piñatas, including a happy ghost, a jack-o-lantern, and a black and orange spider. Or, choose a piñata that goes along with your child’s Halloween costume.
Make Sugar Skull Masks Why not weave Mexico’s Day of the Dead (Día de Los Muertos) into your Halloween fiesta? Sure, they are different holidays, but they share some common roots and fall closely together on the calendar. It’s also a great way to introduce kids to the rich culture and traditions of Día de los Muertos, when the spirits of departed loved ones are welcomed into the home and cemeteries. Sugar skulls, or calaveras, designed with vibrant colors and intricate designs, are a hallmark of the Day of the Dead. Make your own with paper plates, markers, and festive decorations. Have kids trace a skull shape on a white paper plate, draw a face, and add designs and embellishments. The more colorful the better! Attach a popsicle stick or paper straw to the bottom to finish it off.
Halloween-themed paper cups. It will be a bit easier for kids to spot the treats, and add a festive pop to the “candy hunt.”
Fire it Up End your backyard celebration with a bonfire and some spooky treats. Let kids snuggle up fireside with a cup of hot cocoa or cider. Tell ghost stories, and make “bloody” s’mores by drizzling a little red cookie icing on the classic campfire goody.
