Alternative Halloween Ideas Worth Trying

With a distinctive glance at COVID-19, Halloween this year is looking a bit different.

Since we don’t normally celebrate Halloween, our family normally attends the annual Fall Festival at the church… but that isn’t happening either.

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So, we can sit at home with the doors locked and the porch light off or find new family Halloween activities. 

Alternative Halloween Ideas

The good news is that there are safe alternative Halloween ideas.

Eat Candy

Candy is the most important part of Halloween for kids. Most children wouldn’t care about Halloween without it. So as long as you find a way to incorporate candy into your personal party, they won’t miss out on everything else.

You can find an abundance of Minute It to Win It style games on Pinterest. Just find a way to insert candy into the games.

Stay Home

If nothing seems reasonable, stay home. Enjoy pizza, candy, and Halloween movies.

Browse Amazon Prime Video for your favorite Halloween classic movies. (Start your Amazon Prime membership and get the first 30 days for FREE.)

Or, if you have Disney Plus, the Disney Halloween movies are available, making this the perfect year to start a movie night Halloween tradition.

Stock up on the snacks using Walmart Grocery delivery, grab some cozy blankets, and make it fun and relaxing.

Have a Bonfire

If you have a spot for it, start a bonfire.

Get everyone outside in the backyard and get a campfire going. No room for a bonfire? Even a small fire pit will do.

Gather the family around to tell old-fashioned ghost stories or just your favorite stories from when you were a kid.

Add graham crackers, marshmallows, and a bag of mixed candy bars for a fun and creative s’mores bar that is sure to be a hit.

Related: DIY S’mores Bar for Summer Parties

Plan a Backyard Haunted House or Carnival

Have you thought about turning your backyard into a haunted house?

Get your immediate friends and family together to make your own creepy haunted backyard.

If haunted houses are not an option, you could set up your own carnival including fun festival games. You can even have trick or treat stations right in your yard to give kids the excitement of trick or treating at home but with people you trust to make the most of the holiday.

Host a Costume Parade

Talk to friends and neighbors (we use the Nextdoor app) to arrange a costume parade as an alternative Halloween idea that allows children show off the costumes they picked.

Many schools often host a costume parade, but the idea can easily be adapted into a safe neighborhood activity that may even become a fun Halloween tradition.

Decorate Pumpkins

Pull out the paint, pipe cleaners, stickers, pumpkin carving tools… whatever you want… and go wild. 

We love getting a pumpkin for each child and letting them decorate one by themselves. It’s fun to see how their personalities are reflected in their creations.

If carving a pumpkin seems too hard, use an easy pumpkin carving template or turn your pumpkin into a science project by making a puking pumpkin.

Have an Easter-Style Candy Hunt

Around Easter, kids go hunting for Easter eggs. For Halloween, you can do the same by hiding candy around the house and yard.

Just place candy in small goodie bags and hide the treats for your kids to find. 

If you children enjoy a good practical joke, you can put fuzzy toy spiders and other gag gifts in some of the bags.

Enjoy a Family Game Night

This is the perfect time to start a regular family game night tradition but give it a fun twist.

Have everyone dress up and pretend to be who/what they are dressed up as while playing games like charades, Twister, or any game. 

Related: Best Board Games for Family Game Night

Make Goodie Bags for Others

Dropping fun Halloween treats is the opposite of trick or treating and can make an amazing surprise for others that may be struggling with changes as well.

Sometimes the best thing we can do to make the most of a situation and leave us feeling happy is to do something nice for others. Teaching your child to be giving is a great way to raise children that have empathy for others and wish to make a point to help others less fortunate than them.

Related: Random Acts of Kindness Ideas for Kids

Play Flashlight Hide and Go Seek

In the comfort of your own yard, you could even play traditional yard games but while using a flashlight.

Hide and Go Seek is totally different when played in the dark.

Bake Halloween Cookies

Another idea borrowed from a different holiday, spend some time making cookies together.

A gingerbread man cookie cutter can be turned into an easy skeleton using bone-shaped sprinkles or just use icing to make mummies.

Get Creative

You can even do your own thing and get creative. Have a family meeting and ask your children to help you brainstorm ideas.

Even if you don’t want to do an alternative Halloween you can make it seem fun and exciting for your kids so they don’t feel like they are missing out on anything. You might even find a new Halloween tradition that your family will love and enjoy for generations.