Halloween is almost here, and finding the right parties or local events to attend can be a headache. Whether they are adults-only, too far away, or potentially too busy for your family to handle, sometimes it feels easier to lay low at home and avoid it. Instead of feeling like you missed out on this spooky season, consider getting a little creative and bringing the party to your home!
From traditional games and competitions to trick-or-treating and movies, there are many options to infuse into your Halloween night. While your little ones are having the time of their life playing games, you’ll be creating long-lasting memories that everyone will look back on fondly. We’ve got the best budget and family-friendly ways to host a safe and fun Halloween party at home (that your friends are totally going to use for themselves next year).
Host a Halloween Costume Contest
Costume contests are a popular option for many parties, being one of the most common attractions during spooky seasons for decades. Keep it comfortable and make it a local event by hosting a contest at home. Prizes could be bonus candy, a small tech gadget or toy, or even a gift card to a favorite store. If you’re looking to have everyone, feel like a winner, instead of utilizing a traditional ranking system, have a set of awards that will be given out for each person who achieves the award requirements.
Whether you incorporate themes that each contestant must follow, a color that is required to be used, having everyone coordinate around cute accessories, or a freestyle no-holds-barred ruleset, it is sure to be a memory that everyone in the family will remember.
Get Creative with a Halloween Art Competition
Do you prefer to pull out the artist in everyone in your family? Instead of crafting costumes, grab colored pencils, crayons, paper, and paint. Host a family Halloween art competition for everyone to find their inner Michaelangelo (or Picasso). You can make it more competitive by restricting the materials allowed so that everyone has the same materials to work with.
Alternatively, setting a subject for everyone to create can result in some hilarious works of art. Imagine everyone trying their best to paint or draw a bat with candy wings – it is sure to be an unforgettable event. Have a standout centerpiece at home, such as unique garden decorations? Ask everyone to attempt to draw it as if it was possessed and came to life. The options are endless.
Play Old-School, Traditional Games
While art contests and costume competitions are popular choices for a party, some traditional games are always worth trying. Bobbing for apples in water (or hanging them on strings) is a challenging and fun game for both kids and adults.
If everyone’s old enough to read or follow a story, creating a small, haunted mystery where everyone needs to guess who is secretly haunted can be a fun way to involve everyone. Instead of making it a murder mystery, everyone must guess who is the haunted one while the chosen person attempts to blend in and come up with an alibi for their story.
Create a Tradition with Halloween Movie Marathons
A more passive and relaxing event for Halloween at home is a movie marathon. You can select your favorites and queue them up on the TV or ask everyone to submit their favorite movie on a piece of paper. Randomly choosing one paper out of a trick-or-treat bowl can add the element of surprise and ensure that everyone’s movie is chosen, but no one will know in what order.
Be sure to check the movies for age appropriateness and availability before starting the marathon so that there are no hiccups during your festivities!
Decorate Cookies and Cupcakes
Tired of candy? Purchase a Halloween-themed cupcake or cookie mix or make your own favored recipes as a family teamwork project. Each person will be assigned a special duty – whether it’s collecting, measuring, mixing, pouring, or placing – and the process will run like a well-oiled machine. After your treats are baked and cooled, everyone can get in on the decorating action and create their own edible masterpieces.
Looking for a fun cookie recipe? We love these spooky Halloween cookies, which can be iced or sprinkled and added to your delight.
Create Your Own Trick-or-Treat Stations at Home
Do your little ones want the experience of trick or treating but don’t have the option or availability to? Simply set up stations throughout your home and give them the thrill of approaching and saying “trick or treat” with all their might. You can design fun little posters or use cabinets at home as stands for two to four individual spots. Some can be character-themed, like Spiderman or the Headless Horseman, while others can be color-coordinated.
If you’re able, assigning a big kid or adult to each station to greet the little ones will add even more magic to the trick-or-treating, and be a memorable experience for them for years to come.
