I swear the Halloween store has only been open a few weeks and we are already on a first name basis with the staff! It is my favorite time of year, Halloween! I also love traditions and creating those special traditions with my family. Our littles have become a huge part of the celebrations and we have created our own traditions. They always know when Halloween is coming and they get so excited, almost as much as Christmas.

These traditions are tried and true for kids and adults. If you aren’t celebrating and making the most of life you are really missing out!

Decorate Your House

Decorating your house for Christmas is one thing but Halloween can just go to a whole different level with anything from spooky haunted-house to pumpkin extravaganza and it is always acceptable because well everyone loves Halloween effort! The decorations can be so easy to put up such as window cling ons, spider webs, or even a little cemetery we made in our front yard – the halloween store does not disappoint! I like to incorporate LED candles and there is something magical about coming home to a decorated house at night! I do believe that this is something my kids will remember forever. My mom decorated my house growing up and I know I sure do.

Get The Halloween Books Out 

If you have little ones and read to them at night, it’s fun to change things up and keep a little pile of halloween books out during the month of October. Book stores usually come out with seasonal books but looking year round at second hand stores is also a great place to grab them. No little one? Maybe you can read a thriller or murder mystery to hype of the terror. True crime is all the rage these days and there are so many good novels out right now that are sure to give you a scare.

Send Out Halloween Cards

I don’t know about you but I still love sending and receiving good ole fashion snail mail. Have your kiddos craft up some homemade cards, or head to the store to pick out some funny halloween cards to send to friends and family, grandma and grandpa. It’s the little things in life that can make someone’s day and put a smile on someone’s face. You can even dress up the kids ahead of time and include a photo of them in this year’s costumes. It’s 2021…everyone could use a reason to smile!

Make Halloween Treats 

Get everyone in the kitchen and make a classic Halloween treat like popcorn balls or candy apples, or just some fun halloween cupcakes to share with friends, neighbors, or bring with you to work. Pinterest has LOADS of ideas. My girlfriend brought me Jack Skellington cupcakes to work one year and it made my entire day. 

Hit Up The Pumpkin Patch or Farmers Market  

This is a must! It’s beautiful and relaxing walking through a pumpkin patch. They usually have fun activities for kids and then of course everyone needs to pick out a pumpkin for carving! I also like to go all out with corn stalks, bales of hay, gourds, and pumpkins for my front porch. If the pumpkin patch that you go to also has a corn maze then you’re in for a lot of fun. 

We’ve also had an awesome time doing farmers markets in the fall. They are a chance to get outdoors and the kids like browsing all the goods. 

Create a Halloween Playlist

A little music always sets the mood. I made a little playlist on my phone and we played it while decorating the house and sometimes we play it in the car when we’re in the mood. Who didn’t love the Monster Mash as a kid!? And yes it will be stuck in your head for days. Spotify also has multiple Halloween playlists if you don’t want to put together your own. 

Our favorites are Thriller by Michael Jackson and the whole Nightmare Before Christmas album!

Halloween Movie Night

Pick one night of the week each week and snuggle up on the couch with your coziest blanket & popcorn and watch a halloween themed movie! If you’ve been around for more than a year you’ll know The Nightmare Before Christmas is an absolute MUST in our house. We also love the Adams Family and Franken-Weenie! Disney+ usually holds all the classic Halloween movies but you can also rent lots on other streaming services.

Have a Pumpkin Carving Night

Every single person needs to carve a pumpkin for Halloween. There’s something about pulling out the ‘guts’ of the pumpkin that brings out the kid in all of us. This has to be one of my favorite halloween traditions which is probably why it’s so classic. We have also let the kids paint the pumpkins. Take some pics because these nights make the best memories. When we are all finished we bring our pumpkins to the porch and light a candle inside. And then of course don’t forget to bake the seeds, yes this is a lot of work but they are so delicious!

Pick Out Halloween Outfits

I’m not going to lie, my kids each got two Halloween costumes LOL. They literally play in them every day. They just love dressing up and having fun. I also bought them a couple Halloween shirts they can wear to school and of course had to grab some Halloween PJs from Target. It’s fun to dress up throughout the month – Halloween Pjs are def a favorite tradition (not just for Christmas). For adults, I love wearing cute festive earrings to the office, socks, or just incorporating some Halloween colors. It’s fun to be festive!

Go Trick or Treating

Perhaps the most famous tradition of them all! What kid (or adult) doesn’t want to dress up on Halloween and go have some fun and get some candy. Little kids can go trick or treating while ‘big kids’ can have an intimate costume dinner party or sit on the driveway around a fire pit and enjoy a cocktail or two 😉 

I was also thinking an outdoor costume parade could be super fun depending on your neighbourhood community. And even having the kids helps in the kitchen and prepare a fun Halloween themed dinner like Spooky Spaghetti with ‘Blood’ sauce. Is that morbid?! This blog post has 25 healthy halloween themed food ideas. 

I hope you can incorporate a few of these fun Halloween ideas with your family and enjoy all that spooky season has to offer!

Happy Haunting! 

XO 

Racquel