Halloween at Home
With Halloween falling on a Sunday this year, many families are planning to trick-or-treat on Saturday. While it might feel like a departure from tradition for some, it also means there’s even more room for Halloween activities the next day—including plenty of time for eating candy.
So, if you’re considering shifting some of your Halloween festivities to Saturday, here are a few spooky ideas for celebrating Halloween at home.
Spooky Movie Night
Cuddling up for a movie on Halloween is just what Count Dracula ordered. But it doesn’t have to be about blood-sucking vampires or brain-eating zombies—unless you want it to be. There are plenty of Halloween movies for the family available on all streaming platforms. If horror movies are your thing, save some popcorn for your own double-feature after the kids go to bed.
To make movie night extra special, push back the furniture and clear a space for lounging in front of the TV. Add pillows, soft blankets—and even a spare mattress—to create a super cozy spot for the whole family.
Candy Charcuterie
Take any leftover Halloween candy (or any your kids are willing to donate) and create a candy spread similar to a traditional charcuterie board. If you have a large serving board or plate, grab it to make things feel fancy. For the best results, try to get a mix of candy pieces and group similar items together. Don’t be afraid to add extras like fresh fruit, pretzels, yogurt dip, popcorn, and more. It also creates the perfect snack tray to nibble on during a scary movie.
Make a Leaf Scarecrow
The fall equivalent of building a snowman. For this, you’ll need a few supplies. Most can be gathered from around the house and you’ll find one outside—leaves. You’ll also need: old clothes (including a button-up shirt), a hat, some boots, pantyhose, gardening gloves, rubber bands, and safety pins.
Start by raking leaves into a pile. Once you’ve got a large pile of leaves, you can start putting everything together just like Dr. Frankenstein.
- Tie off the bottom of the pants with rubber bands and stuff the leaves inside.
- Fill the pantyhose with leaves to create two arms and a head (this requires some shaping).
- Once you’ve added enough leaves, knot the top of the pantyhose.
- Put the arms inside your shirt and safety pin your shirt and pants together.
- With the shirt unbuttoned in the middle, scoop leaves inside to create a torso.
- Stuff leaves into your gardening gloves and attach them to the arms with rubber bands.
- Top your scarecrow with a hat and add some boots for a festive look next to your pumpkins.
- Go the extra mile by drawing or painting on a jack-o-lantern face.
Mini Photo Shoot
With limited time to trick or treat the night before, you might’ve missed the chance to take good pictures of your kiddos in their Halloween costumes. So, while it’s still daytime, dress up again and take a few pictures with a good camera or your phone. It’s also a great excuse to show off how much candy they managed to collect the night before. If you live nearby a Walgreens, CVS, or Walmart, send the pictures in for same-day printing. Then spend time later creating a Halloween scrapbook together with stickers, patterned cardstock, and sparkly gel pens.
Dinner in a Pumpkin
With cooler temps on Halloween (from the chilly weather or bone-chilling ghost stories), serving dinner in a pumpkin could be the start of a new tradition. Your family will ooh and ah over the unusual presentation and the roasted pumpkin is a delicious addition to your favorite fall soups and casseroles. Enjoy a bowl of pumpkin soup or go for a heartier kid-friendly casserole, both have rave reviews.
Halloween Caramel Apples
With trick-or-treating done the day before, you’ve got a bag full of ready-to-chop caramel apple toppings. Ask the kids to pick out a few pieces of candy to chop up and add to the top of a caramel apple. It’s a fun way to re-use Halloween candy and sneak in a little apple with the candy they were probably going to eat anyway. For even more creative ways to repurpose Halloween candy, check out these fun ideas.
Reverse Trick-or-Treat
If you decided to make treats from Halloween candy, you’re already a step ahead for this one. While your kids run around on a sugar high from eating all that candy, a relaxing Sunday at home is a great day for baking. Make something yummy to share with a friend or neighbor and wrap it up for a doorstop delivery. Your kids will get a kick out of ringing the bell and running away—and you’ll make someone’s day extra sweet by leaving them something special on their doorstep. Pair your treat with a playful note like, “Boo! This trick is all treat” for a little extra fun.