With the Center for Disease Control’s new recommendation that Halloween trick-or-treating and indoor haunted houses not be done, there are a lot of parents out there wondering how to ensure that their children enjoy Halloween this year. You may be one of them and this article will outline some ways to have an at-home Halloween celebration.
Tricks to set up around the house
Decorating for the holidays is often a fun way to embrace the season. This year, to have Halloween at home, go an extra mile to really create a spooky atmosphere for your children. Or better yet, have them help you! There are many ways to do this, whether adding extra color and small items around the house or going for a full-blown haunted house feel, there are ways for everyone to manage.
How to have Halloween at Home for your Children
Skeletons
Paper or plastic, skeletons are an easy thing to buy and set up on your wall or hiding in a corner. Use these in closets and scare your child when they open it up! Skeletons are also fun to dress up and can add quite the fun to your at-home Halloween celebration.
Pumpkins
Paint or carve pumpkins (they also do not have to be real) to set up around the house. Painting fake ones offer the opportunity to reuse them each year and can be a less difficult activity for younger children. Carved pumpkins make for good hiding spaces if you wanted to trick your children or engage in a scavenger hunt.
Creatures
Spending time crafting coffee filter bats to hang from the ceiling or paper mache ghosts to haunt the house. With the huge variety of creatures and monsters that exists for Halloween, there are endless possibilities for artistic creation of them. You could even buy some modeling clay and have your children sculpt and paint their own monsters to place around the house!
Treats to enjoy together
The best part about Halloween for kids is the candy (at least for most of the kids I know!). If going out trick-or-treating will not be on your agenda this year, there are other ways to enjoy the process of getting treats at home.
Spooky scavenger hunt
Again, getting candy is a very important part of Halloween. Get creative in hiding candy for your children around your house using your Halloween decorations as sneaky spots.
Potion brewing
Turn beverages into potions by using brightly colored drinks or colorful fruit and veggies for smoothies. Use food dye or a mixture of different juices to create a crazy colored punch. For a healthier alternative, use berries for a “zombie skin” purple smoothie or spinach and other veggies for a “ghoulish” green one.
Fang-tastic dinner
There are many possibilities to create a Halloween themed dinner for your children. Turn hot dogs into mummy dogs using crescent roll dough instead of buns, or add black olives to pizza and call it “bat dropping pie.” Because Halloween involves many spooky things, it is easy to add a small component, give it a spooky name, and voilá! You have yourself a fang-tastic dinner.
Witchy baking
You can easily use cookie cutters to form baked goods into a witchy treat. Make your children’s favorite cookies, add a little orange or purple food dye, and use a cookie cutter to turn it into a Halloween creature or pumpkin! For cakes, consider using icing and candy eyeballs to magick your children’s favorite cake into a creepy masterpiece!
If you can, ask your children to help you cook and bake these Halloween treats. Having Halloween at home means your children will be around, aching for celebration. Involving them in this creative process will engage them and teach them about making food, too.
