Are you on the hunt for alternative Halloween ideas?
We have some spooktacular alternative Halloween ideas for you. This is all about the Halloween fun that doesn’t require going door-to-door for trick or treat.
Here’s our list of Alternative Halloween Ideas for Families:
Host a fun Halloween Movie Night (indoors or out). Plan ahead for a fun movie night featuring all things Halloween. Have a projector (or know someone who does)? Invite some costumed friends over and enjoy a movie outside. Or you can set up a special scene in the family room and have a fun night in. Put together some Halloween themed snacks, decorate the room, and pick a “sort of scary” movie that the kids will enjoy. Here’s a list of Halloween movie ideas:
- Harry Potter
- E.T.
- Goosebumps
- The Addams Family
- Casper
- Hocus Pocus
- Scoob
- Room on the Broom
- It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
- Clue
Have a Pumpkin Carving Party: Get ready for some pumpkin carving fun! Here’s a list of some things you’ll need:
- a plastic disposable tablecloth (makes for easy clean up) or a paper lined table
- carving kits or appropriate knives for your crew
- markers (to draw the design)
- something to light up your Jack-O-Lanterns
- a variety of pumpkins – one for each member of the family
Older kids might enjoy a pumpkin carving stencil (find an example here). Have little ones in the mix? Get the paints out and let their inner Picasso shine!
Organize a Neighborhood Halloween Parade. Make some plans and host a parade through your neighborhood – in costumes, of course!
Walk in the parade, march in the parade, do your Halloween dance in the parade… the options are endless.
Whether you want to sit and watch or participate IN the parade, there’s sure to be loads of Halloween fun!
Scavenger Hunts are fun for kids of all ages. Choose from a scavenger hunt that includes a sheet of things to find and check off. Or give out the clues, one by one, and have the kids hunt from clue to clue.
Here are some fun (and free) scavenger hunts for Halloween:
- Halloween Scavenger Hunt from Play Party Plan
- A scavenger hunt with pictures for the littles
- Clues for a scavenger hunt
- Scavenger hunts for big kids
- Flashlight hidden message hunt
Put together a S’Mores Station for the family.
Pick up a variety of graham crackers, some thin cookies (hello, fudge striped cookies!), chocolate bars, Reese cups, and some marshmallows. The possibilities are endless and this is the perfect time to go all out.
Get the fire pit (or the grill) going, toast some marshmallows, and enjoy some toasty fun with the family.
Halloween themed disposable plates would make this extra special.
You might also like: Pumpkin Patches – 15+ Farms for Fall Fun in Cincinnati {2020}
Host a Zoom-O-Ween event with your friends.
Dress up in your spookiest best and join your friends for Zoom-O-Ween. Have a host who puts together some fun Halloween jokes, trivia, and quizzes, tell some semi-scary Halloween stories, or have a dance party. You could even send out some “best costume” categories beforehand and let participants decide who wins for each category.
If you’re Zooming with friends that are close by, surprise them by leaving a Halloween treat on their porch before the call.
Need some help in putting it all together? Check out our post on how to coordinate a fun Zoom call with friends and families here.
Have a Pumpkin Hunt. This is basically an Easter egg hunt but with mini pumpkins.
Hide mini pumpkins (real or fake) all over the yard, give each kid a bag, and start the hunt. You could even mark one as the “special winner” and let the kids see who can find it.
The winner could be the person who hides the pumpkins for another round of the Pumpkin Hunt.
Have kids of all ages? Use a marker to color in the top of the stem and let the littlest in the bunch be the only ones allowed to pick those up.
You’ve been Boo-ed! Here’s some pre-Halloween fun for you and your friends.
Pick out some special Halloween treats, bag them up, and deliver the treats to your unsuspecting neighbors.
The trick is to not be seen! And the treat is for your neighbor to be surprised by the gift.
You provide a note saying “You’ve been Boo-ed” with your goodies and a note asking them to “Boo” a new friend. Here are some great tags you can print out and use:
- You’ve Been Booed tags from Happiness is Homemade
- Monster Booed tags from The Tom Kat Studio
- Boo Your Neighbor from Uncommon Designs
Have a family game night…. in your costumes, of course! Play a Halloween playlist in the background and nosh on your favorite treats.
Candy hunt! Here’s a good one if you’ve already purchased your candy and then had trick or treat canceled.
Hide candy all around the house (inside, outside, or both). Give each child a bag and a flashlight and send them off to hunt!
Extend the night by having the kids decorate their bags first.
