It is that time of year again when the ghosts and ghouls come out to play on All Hallows’ Eve and you and your family may be getting in the spooky spirit with the well-trodden path of dressing up and going Trick or Treating.
But what happens if the weather is bad? What will you do if the kids are bored of doing the same thing each year? We have come up with some easy but fun ideas to keep your little monsters entertained this Halloween.
Stream some scream
Get the family together, break open the popcorn and sit down to watch your family scary movies. Take in a classic like Ghostbusters or try something a bit newer like the Coco. It is the perfect time to draw the curtains, get comfy and watch a film together as a family.
Get some scary snacks in, sit in the warm and enjoy a fright-fest together.
Carve a creepy pumpkin
Have a little competition with your family on who can cave the scariest pumpkin. Carve a classic Jack-o’-lantern or go for something different like your family animals, family name, or your favourite creepy character. You can also use the inside of the pumpkin for a nice arming autumn soup.
Fun Fact. Jack-o’-lanterns were originally carved into turnips to ward off evil spirits by people in Ireland Scotland but when the Great Famine of Ireland (1845-1849) hit Ireland and a lot of Irish people moved to America for a better life, they started to carve these fearsome faces into the native pumpkin.
Did you know? Halloween has its roots in ancient Celtic rituals where they would celebrate Samhain (pronounced sow-in) meaning ‘end of the summer’ to prepare for the upcoming winter and celebrate the end of the harvest. Villagers would disguise themselves in costumes made of animal furs and skins to ward off phantom visitors and food was left out to placate spirits. Later on, in the Middle Ages, people starting dressing as ghosts and demons and performing acts for food and drink. This is thought to be akin to modern day Trick or Treating.
Bake some creepy cakes
Dust off the apron, get out the flour and roll out the pins. It is time to cut some scary shapes, bake some spooky sponges, and create some creepy cakes. Follow your favourite recipes or create something new. Make the oddest and tastiest treats you can, keep them for yourself or give them to trick or treaters who come to your door.
Show off your fearsome fashion
You may not being going out but you can still scare each other with your very own fashion show. Make some costumes out of anything you can find in the house and put together some marvellous monstrous creations for each other. Often the scariest costumes are the truly homemade ones!
Visit a haunted house
If you want to scare yourself silly and try something new. Try a haunted house or ghost tour in your local area. There are plenty of haunted spots in the UK that are waiting for you to discover to meet the local ghosts.
Ghostly games galore
Get together, switch off the screens and play games. Some games to try are the classic apple bobbing, a mummy sack race (rap each other in a toilet paper and hop to win), an eyeball hunt around your garden (get some fake eyes and stick them up around the house or garden, the first to find the most wins) and pin the spider on the web.
They are all fun, easy and cost effective games that everyone can enjoy.
So whatever you do this Halloween with your family, you can make it cost effective, fun, safe and enjoyable for all without having to brave the cold Autumnal nights and go trick or treating again.
