Category: At Home Activities

1. The Importance of Blue Buckets

You might not have noticed, but in recent years, the blue Halloween bucket has become an unofficial signifier for kids with autism and autism awareness. For the most part, we’re all fairly used to the normal Halloween night practices when it comes to trick or treating. Kids typically ring the doorbell, say “trick or treat” and swiftly receive candy. The buckets are meant to inform the homeowner that the child with autism may be nonverbal, and the candy should be offered without requiring the child to speak.

You can purchase them at major retailers like Target and Walmart.

2. COVID-Friendly Alternatives to Trick or Treating

Although Trick or Treating will always be the cornerstone to Halloween, with COVID restrictions still in place in several states, some families are still opting for safe alternatives. Things like haunted hayrides and pumpkin patches, which allow people to physically distance themselves, are a popular choice this year. And for those who would prefer to stay inside, some families have been holding holiday parties with close friends and loved ones.

3. Pajamas Are The Craze

Holiday pajamas have always been a special treat around this time of year, but for families who don’t want to splurge on costumes, they are exceptionally popular. We spotted some fun options over at Hanna Andersson.

4. Costumes That Reflect All The Best Things About School

Remember when it was trendy to get an astronaut costume, or even a dinosaur? Well, this year parents are opting for costumes that are a true reflection of the sign of the times. After a year without school, some parents are looking for costumes that capture all of the best things about the classroom. So expect to see more kids in school themed costumes like this cute Lunchable from Oriental Trading Co..

5.  Squishmallows Are The Craze

Squishmallows are all the craze and in case you haven’t yet heard of them, they are these cute, squishable, plush toys that come in a variety of characters. While you shouldn’t expect to get them in your Halloween basket, they are a nice gift to get for your tot ahead of the holiday season. They are the perfect pal for the stroller, and they are cute to snuggle with. If you want to get your hands on one you might want to shop now as supply chain issues may contribute to their scarcity, come mid-November.

See the coolest options at ET.

5.  Candy Inspired Pumpkins

Decoupage pumpkins are a beautiful addition to any home this time of year, but these candy inspired options are all anyone is talking about. The way to get this look is to print some nice candy wrappers, then cut papers into strips, then use Mod Page to decorate your pumpkins. And boom! Now you have candy inspired decoupage pumpkins.

6.  Halloween Themed Family Fun Nights

Pumpkin patches, and Halloween mazes will always be a mainstay of the season, but one thing many parents are adding to their to-do list are Halloween Family Fun nights. You can plan a night to carve pumpkins, you can make cookies or you can recreate popular games like Twister – but with a spooky twist. Get instructions on this adorable DIY mat at Pint-sized Treasures.

7.  Celebrating During the Day, Instead of Night

It’s been a longstanding tradition to allow the excitement of Halloween to build throughout the day and climax in the evening whilst trick or treating and visiting different neighborhoods. But with varying COVID restrictions, traffic and extended wait times at restaurants some parents are opting out of the late night candy meltdowns. By celebrating early in the day, the kids get the entire afternoon to get the sugar in and out, allowing parents to contain the excitement to daylight hours, while still adhering to the established bedtime routine.

We spotted these fun breakfast ideas over here at Cool Mom Eats.

Italian Almond Pizzelle Cookies

If you love fun baking appliances, then you’ll love making these buttery, almond-flavored cookies. They get their unique waffle design from a pizzelle maker. They cook in roughly 5-10 minutes. You can try the recipe here.

Whipped Cream Krumkake from Norway

These sweet treats are surprisingly easy to make. This recipe gives simple and clear step-by-step instructions that will walk you through the process required to create these beautifully intricate waffle cookies at home.

Rosette’s from Norway

These traditional deep-fried favorites are crisp and delicious with a delicate, lacy look. These intricate crispy treats are as delicious as they are beautiful. This cookie is sure to delight your little one. Check out the recipe here.

Khrustyky from Ukraine

This crispy, dainty pastry dusted with confectioners’ sugar has an eggy flavor similar to cream puffs. You can use this recipe to create this treat for your family.

Mexican Cinnamon Cookies

This 5 ingredient delight is sweet, simple and easy to make. You can head over here for the full recipe.

Over the Moon for You!

This costume features your growing baby bump front and center against the backdrop of the galaxy. Bonus point if you can find an astronaut to walk alongside you.

This costume was spotted on Instagram via Babylist.

Something to Taco-Bout

Avocados and hot sauce are the perfect pairing for tasty tacos. This is a simple idea, and easy to recreate. More details below.

We spotted this costume idea over at TheBump.com.

All Hail the Mother of Pearl

This costume wins based on sheer creativity. Who would have known that a baby bump would also make the perfect pearl.

We spotted this cute costume on Parents magazine.

Image credit: Holly N.M. of Jacksonville Beach, Florida

It Happens Every Time…

Halloween + Willy Wonka = one really sweet idea. In an homage to Gene Wilder, this family dressed up like different characters from Willy Wonka.

We spotted this costume on Today.com.

Image Credit:

Ready to Pop as Princess Poppy

Believe it or not, that’s actually Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake hiding under these fabulous costumes inspired by Trolls. This cute option gives you the ability to completely conceal your bump if you want, and the loose fit will make it very easy it climb out of at the end of the night.

We spotted this costume over at People.

Cardboard Haunted House

This cute cardboard house is a take on what would be a traditional haunted house, except it’s toned down, there’s not a spook or a goblin in sight, and your children can use it through out the month of October for pre-tend play, or for creating stories should they have some small figurines laying around the house. This project might take a few hours, so we recommend calling a friend over to help you cut, glue and piece it together.

Although this was originally featured on the Parents website, we spotted it over at Project Kid. Check it out here.

Image Credit: Project Kid & Parents

Tissue Box Monsters

These cute tissue box monsters are a great way to repurpose old tissue boxes! Kids will love designing their own monster. And we love that every box can be unique! If you don’t have tissue boxes you can also do this with shoe boxes, you’ll just need to adapt the tutorial to cut out the mouth.

This craft was spotted at TheBestIdeasforKids.com.

Image Credit: TheBestIdeasForKids.Com

Black Cat Candy Dish

Black cats may be unlucky around Halloween, but what about a cat dish? This DIY black cat candy bowl, is exceptionally cute, and can be used as decor around your home, at your office, or even for a small Halloween party.

We spotted this cute cat here.

Image credit: Project Kid.

Halloween Party Poppers

Aren’t they sweet? Like – literally, like cute on the outside, but filled with small candies and chocolate on the inside. All you’ll need is empty toilet paper rolls, tissue, colorful pipe cleaners, some decorations for the faces and candy of course. You can stuff them with sweets and pop them open on Halloween.

This was spotted online at Onion Rings and Things.

Colorful Monster Headbands

The best thing about this craft is that kids can let their imagination go wild with different materials, papers, strings and ribbon. You can even add eyes or scrap book materials to bring your monster to life. This project can be done all month, and children will love it each time. If you intend to use really small scraps for this, we encourage you to keep a watchful eye on kiddos under 5 while they create this.

Get the tutorial at Fantastic Fun and Learning.

Walnut Pumpkin Craft

We know what you’re thinking, and yes, those are small faces painted onto walnuts. And they are oh-so adorable!

We spotted this on Instagram, from crafty mom influencer Amanda Kingloff.

The tutorial appears here on here website.

Image Credit: Instagram and Project Kid.

Paper Bag Monster Puppets

Fill your house with monsters — the good kind, obviously — this Halloween by making these colorful creatures out of paper bags and cut-outs.

We spotted this tutorial on Good Housekeeping, but the original tutorial is here on the IHeartCraftyThings website.

Drip Painted Pumpkins

Drip painted pumpkins are an oldie but goodie, and we love it because no matter how old it gets, it’s also a great way to use all of those broken crayons that have been accumulating around your home all year. For this project you’ll need crayons, pumpkins, and a hair dryer, or an appliance that has a low setting for heat. This project is not recommended for small kids or youth, but may be more appropriate for a skilled teen (with supervision) or an adult.

This particular photo and tutorial was spotted at momdot.com. Check it out here.

Halloween Spooky Eyeball Slime

Kids love slime. They love to make it, feel it, and play with it year-round. But if there was an “appropriate” time to let them create this sticky solution, Halloween would be it.

This eyeball slime is Borax free, and is fairly easy to do.

Checkout the slime recipe from Good Housekeeping here.

Image credit: Good Housekeeping

Haunted Halloween Cookie House

What if we told you, that you could create a gingerbread house, but with a spooky twist? This two-story monster mansion is decorated with everything from candy corn to Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. With it’s cocoa cookie walls and frosting details, this haunted house frightfully delicious.

Check out this sweet treat over at Woman’s Day here.

Image credit: Emily Kate Roemer

Super Monsters Save Halloween

Preschool kids whose parents are the world’s most famous monsters try to master their special powers while preparing for kindergarten. Kids will love seeing the Super Monsters in action as they help spread the Halloween spirit around their neighborhood. And with a 24 minute runtime, this “movie” perfect to stream right before bedtime.

View this title on Netflix here.

Image Credit: IMDB

Dear Dracula

Dear Dracula is a family-friendly movie based on a graphic novel of the same name. It centers on a friendship between a shy boy and kindly Count Dracula, who fears he’s lost his touch when it comes to being scary and needs someone to remind him how it’s done.

Watch this title on Netflix here.

Image Credit: IMDB

Monster Family

Despite the title, the Wishbone family are far from happy. In an attempt to reconnect as a family, Mum and Emma plan a fun night out. However, her plan backfires when an evil witch curses them, and they’re all turned into Monsters.

Watch this popular film on Amazon Prime here.

Image Credit: IMDB

Spooky Stories 2

The Shrek characters parody the music video “Thriller“; B.O.B. and pals battle zombie carrots; and Megamind faces the effects of the Button of Doom.

Watch this film on Netflix here.

Image Credit: IMDB

Room on the Broom

A gentle witch with a ginger braid offers rides to a variety of animals on her increasingly crowded broom, much to her grumpy cat’s chagrin.

Stream this movie here on Netflix.

Image Credit: IMDB

True Tricky True Day

It’s up to True and her friends to save the day when a hungry Yeti sneaks a forbidden treat and fills the kingdom with Howling Greenies.

Watch this title on Netflix here.

Image Credit: IMDB

Ghost Patrol

Gabi and Spence, and the Spooky Dog, are the “Ghost Patrol“, Their Towns supernatural pest control, but they have never seen a real ghost. When they get a call to investigate the old Geist Manor, they are about to find the proof they are looking for – and a whole lot more.

Stream this title on Netflix here.

Image Credit: IMDB

Curious George A Halloween Boo Fest

Get ready for a spook-tacular good time with Curious George – in his first-ever Halloween movie. This fun-filled adventure is a bewitching treat for the whole family!

Stream this title on Hulu by clicking here. Or on Amazon here.

Image Credit: Amazon

Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie

It’s Lumpy‘s first Halloween with Winnie the Pooh, Roo, and their friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. The group discusses their plans for Halloween and for their first night of trick-or-treating. Until Tigger, warns his friends about the dreaded Gobloon that he spotted in the woods earlier, a monster that comes out every Halloween to search for somebody to catch and will turn them into “jaggedy lanterns” , but only if he catches them. Watch the movie to see how it ends.

Learn more about this movie and stream the title here.

Image Credit: Amazon

It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

The classic film It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown follows Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and the rest of the crew as they get ready for Halloween. As Lucy and her friends prepare their costumes for Violet’s Halloween party, Linus and Sally camp out in the pumpkin patch awaiting a visit from The Great Pumpkin.

Click here to see how to stream this title.

Image Credit: Amazon

Mesmerizing Mango Halloween Platter

Aside from the noteworthy visual appeal of this platter, it actually packs a lot of Vitamins A & C. So whether you or your kid picks up the bat tortilla chips with mango salsa, or the apple monsters with mango, you’re sure to enjoy the sweet zing of the mangos that have been strategically incorporated throughout this platter. We spotted this on Foxes Love Lemons. Go check it out.

MONSTER RICE KRISPIES TREATS

We would be remiss if we crafted this list and left off good old fashioned rice crispy treats. And since these ones have a fun twist, we couldn’t leave them off our list. We spotted these over at Chelsea’s Messy Apron. She did a blog on different 3 ingredient Halloween treats and we loved this one the most. Head over to her blog to see this, and other recipes.

Whole Food Healthy Halloween Platter

We spotted this tray of treats over at Fork & Beans. We added this to the list because it gives parents more options. Obviously you can go candy crazy on Halloween (and no one would blame you), but liked this because they built a pretty platter with easy Halloween snack ideas that you can actually feel good about feeding to your family.

Harvest Chex Mix

This Harvest mix is the ultimate fall treat! Not only is it easy to make, but your little one can easily keep it in a cup in their stroller, or you can store it in a galloon zip lock bag while you’re out and about. This should take you no more than 15 minutes to make. We spotted this recipe over at the Made to be a Momma blog.

HALLOWEEN CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS

We spotted these delectable treats over at Garnish and Glaze. Chocolate Covered Pretzels are a longstanding holiday snack, but their creative spin on this ghoulish snack makes them irresistible to look at, and even harder to deny. Their recipe requires 17 ingredients that you can use to create bats, mummies, pumpkins, monsters, or all!