8 Ways to Have a Fun and Delicious Halloween at Home

Wondering how to spend Halloween this year, due to the pandemic? Well I have 8 fun and delicious ways to make an at home Halloween, tons of fun!

2020 has been turned upside down. My kids have not seen friends, or the inside of a school since March. While we do have our social bubble, this bubble consists of family and a few select friends. Being someone who could be vulnerable during these crazy times, I have been trying to make every day life as normal as possible. With Halloween fast approaching, I have been thinking of how to make sure my children have a super fun day, but not put our bubble at risk. It would be much easier if my health was 100%, but we will make the best of our Halloween at home.

#1 Visit a local pumpkin patch

Even though my health isn't the greatest, we haven't been living like hermits. We don our masks, bring hand sanitizer and make sure to social distance. So a trip to our local pumpkin patch, to pick our pumpkins, is one way we will be bringing a bit of normalcy to one of our favourite holidays. I'm confident there will be the proper precautions in place to make our experience a safe and pleasant one. We may have to skip the wagon ride to pick pumpkins, but a nice walk out to the field will be great. We'll grab our really big pumpkins when we leave (at the exit), and enjoy visiting the animals and attempting the corn maze. 

#2 Have a Pumpkin Carving Contest and Roast Pumpkin Seeds

There's nothing more fun than carving pumpkins. We cover the table with newspaper and go to work on our pumpkins. I may be obsessed with pumpkin carving patterns and have several books on hand. I make sure to make a few copies of each pattern, so we can make them again and again. Once everyone has carved a pumpkin, take photos and place them onto your social media, asking friends and family to VOTE on their favourite. Winner gets bragging rights!!

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While carving our creations, we make sure to separate the seeds, from the rest of the pulp. I make sure they are free from pulp, before spreading them onto a baking sheet and seasoning them with our favourite spices. We enjoy some simply seasoned with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt, others with a nice spicy Cajun seasoning. Once seasoned I roast them in a 350 degree oven, for 20-30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes. Your nose will know when the seeds are ready, and they will be golden brown.

#3 Play fun Halloween Themed Games

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When my son was in grade 3, his teacher threw a pretty cool Halloween party for all the grade 3 classes. Each classroom had a different game for the kids to play. I volunteered to help during the party and was in charge of running the Witches Hat Ring Toss. Simply buy a few sheets of black bristol board, and turn them into witch hats, by forming some into cones and adding a circular piece to the bottom, for the base. Glow stick necklaces , or paper plates with the center cut out, are the perfect rings to toss. Pin the Face on the Pumpkin is another hilariously fun game for the whole family. Winner can collect a prize, such as Halloween candy, or little Halloween toys from the Dollar store.

#4 Make Candy Apples

Candy apples have always been associated with Halloween. You don't have to stop at the candy version though. You can get creative and dip your apples in caramel, or chocolate. Many grocery stores sell the red candy coating, or caramel apple kits. The bulk store is a great place to find melting chocolate in a variety of colours. Don't forget to buy some Halloween sprinkles, M&Ms, or candy to decorate your creations. Then get ready to dig in... It's the best part!!

#5 Have a Virtual Costume Parade

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With technology and new apps like Zoom, you can easily call friends and family, to show them your costume. Send out an invitation, with the time and remind everyone to dress up. You can tell spooky stories, or all rock out and model your costumes to Monster Mash, while making online memories.  It's a great way to stay connected to friends or family outside your social bubble.

#6 Trick or Treat Indoors

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Invite members of your social bubble for an indoor trick or treating session. Designate people to different rooms, and every one can take turns going in to "trick or treat". Make sure to buy tons of delicious candy, to make things more fun. Or you can even make special treats, such as cupcakes or cookie pops, that you normally couldn't hand out on Halloween night. You can purchase some really cute Goodie Bags, to package your homemade treats.

#7 Cook Halloween Themed Foods

This is a tradition I've done for my kids since they were a few years old. They always look forward to our Halloween dinner, to see what I will make this year. Will it be Mummy Dogs or Pumpkin Shaped Pizza? Maybe Snake Bites? Whatever it is make sure to make it fun!

Snake Bites

Adapted from Paula Deen

I can refrigerated crescent rolls

Mayonnaise, or spicy Mustard

1 pkg Deli meat of choice

1 pkg sliced cheese of choice

2 pimento stuffed olives

1 red pepper

1 egg 

• Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

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• Dust a flat surface with flour and spread out the crescent dough being careful not to separate. Pinch the seams together so it is 1 piece of dough. With a rolling pin, roll out into a large rectangle, being careful to not get too thin.

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• Brush dough with mayonnaise, or mustard to 1 inch of the edge. Layer meats down the middle of the rectangle, leaving a 1 inch border. Layer cheese over the meats. Fold lengthwise, 1 side of the dough over the filling to the center of the meat/cheese mixture. Fold the other side over and press the dough to seal in the filling.

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• Lightly beat 1 egg. Brush the egg over the top of the dough to "glue" the pieces together. Fold the dough lengthwise in half again, pinching the seam to seal. Taper one end of the snake to make a tail and form the other end into a head. Transfer the snake to the parchment lined baking sheet. 

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• Form the snake into an "S" or other shape. Brush the “snake” with remaining beaten egg. Cut a strip of red pepper into a tongue shape (V at one end) and insert into the head. Bake for 15-20 minutes (or according to package directions) or until golden brown and cooked through.

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• Insert toothpick into the olives (so the pimiento faces outward) and insert into the snake's head to create the eyes. Serve your snake by cutting it into slices!

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#8 Watch Halloween Themed Movies

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Every year, once the kids get home from Trick or Treating, their candy has been inspected and they have showered off all the makeup, we get into our pyjamas and settle in to watch Halloween themed movies. Some years we would bring a mattress into the living room and pile onto it with a ton of blankets and pillows. Those nights (unless there is school the next day) often turn into living room camp outs, which just add to the fun. We stay up late, eat way too much Halloween candy and enjoy our favourite movies. Here's a list of my family's favourite Halloween movies

• Beetlejuice
• Hocus Pocus
• Gremlins
• Ghost Busters
• Casper
• The Addams Family
• It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• The Corpse Bride
• Coraline
• Frankenweenie
• Hotel Transylvania (1,2,3)
• Goosebumps
• Paranorman
• Monster House

Just because you're choosing to stay home this year, doesn't mean Halloween can't be fun! Memories are made with people. So why not make Halloween 2020 a memorable one!

FTC: This post contains affiliate links. As a result, I may receive commission for purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you

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