Halloween Bucket List: 14 Family Activities & Ideas to Celebrate October

1. READ/TELL GHOST STORIES

Plan an evening to snuggle around an outdoor fire, under blankets with marshmallows and s’mores, or take the simple route and tell ghost stories in bed. I’ve even gotten together with girlfriends where we’ve exchanged some of the creepiest/unexplained events we’ve personally experienced, over a few glasses of wine. A few weeks ago, I found my favorite collection of scary stories growing up that I used to check out on repeat from the library. Remember the girl with the ribbon around her neck? The dog under the bed? They’re all in there 😉 They’re also perfect for a unique Halloween gift. You can find the box set HERE and like most items linked in this post, it’s available for Walmart’s free two-day shipping. I scored everything I needed to fulfill this entire bucket list online HERE and then wrapped things up with a quick run to Walmart for perishables. They have staples in-store, but tons more online.

2. VISIT A PUMPKIN PATCH

We are lucky enough to have some great pumpkin farms around us in north Georgia but even if you have to go for more of a drive, it’s totally worth it. This is a tradition of ours and yes, there’s the whole grab-a-wheel-barrow-and-fill-it-to-the-brim part, but there’s also the loading-up-on-fresh-jams-and-preserves part and sampling-homemade-pumpkin-pie part. You can even pack a picnic and turn it into a full day affair.

3. CARVE A JACK-O-LANTERN

So, while Dave and I have an annual standing pumpkin farm date, we’ve never actually carved a pumpkin together. I’ve wanted to for years and we’ve just never made the time… I think this may be the year 😉

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4. MAKE CARAMEL APPLES

Have you ever made caramel apples? Like, not just pick them up, already packaged, but made them? If not, it’s super easy and you know I love any excuse to have a DIY toppings bar 😉

How to Make Caramel Apples

What You’ll Need:

• Apples
• 4″ Treat Sticks
• Bag of Caramels
• 2-3 Tbsp. Heavy Cream
• Toppings (crush candy bits, nuts, chocolate chips, graham cracker, etc.)
• Bowls for Dipping (THESE are the perfect width and depth for apple dipping)

Instructions:

1. Rinse apples in hot water to remove some of the wax.
2. Twist off stem and dry completely.
3. Insert 4″ treat stick where stem was removed.
4. Unwrap bag of caramels and place in a non-stick sauce pan.
5. Begin heating over medium heat; once the caramels begin to soften, add cream.
6. Stir often until caramels are completely melted. If consistency is too thick, add additional tablespoon of cream.
7. Dunk and spin apples in caramel until fully coated (you may have to spoon some caramel on top).
8. Hold apple for approximately 30 seconds to allow caramel to set before dunking in topping. You can roll it in the topping to cover it to your liking, and also spoon/sprinkle additional toppings.
9. Enjoy!

Favorite topping: heath bar bits with mini chocolate chips! This milk glass cake stand and dome will fully cover any apples you don’t devour after making 😉

5. GO ON A HAYRIDE

Whether it’s a full blown tractor situation or just the neighborhood piling into the back of a pickup, it all counts 😉

6. HOST A PARTY/DINNER

If you’re up for a full blown, costume blow-out, awesome! If the thought of planning something big is daunting, have some friends over for a more intimate dinner. A masquerade theme keeps it on-theme but low pressure for you and your guests.

Scroll & Tap to Shop Cobweb Drape & Masks

Need some inspiration? You can check out these past Halloween dinner party ideas:

• Masquerade Dinner Party
• Gothic Dinner Party

7. DRINK APPLE CIDER

A stop in your favorite local coffee shop or run through the drive-thru is all it takes to start feeling those fall vibes!

8. HAVE A HALLOWEEN BAKING NIGHT

Why should Christmas get all the cookie decorating glory? If your family enjoys baking during the holidays, plan a day to whip up a batch of your favorite sugar cookies.

Aside from the basics you probably already have on hand, all you need are some cookie cutters (I have THIS variety bucket) and some festive, Halloween-themed sprinkles (I used THIS assorted container). Cookie artistry isn’t my strong suit (obviously, that’s putting it mildly haha) but lucky for me, they all taste the same 😉

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9. VISIT A HAUNTED HOUSE

Ok, this isn’t for everyone – myself included. I used to love getting scared, going through haunted houses, if I could be sandwiched right in the middle of our group. But, I think the monsters could totally tell I was the most terrified and it painted a target on me every. single. time. Fun fact- when we were still just friends, walking through a haunted house is the first time Dave and I ever held hands 😉 And then he “fed me” to the ghouls haha. Not exactly romantic. Then, almost six years ago, we bought tickets to go to a haunted house (Netherworld if you’re around metro-Atlanta); we stood in line for over an hour before fear got the best of me and I made us leave before ever actually entering. Sooo… go to a haunted house, or just mark that one off your list 😉

10. GET LOST IN A CORN MAZE

Grab a hot chocolate (or apple cider!) and try to go at night, if you can. I will take a corn maze over a haunted house any day of the week 😉

11. PLAN AN EPIC COSTUME

For yourself, your kids and even your pets. Admittedly, I appreciate seeing kids in cute, creative costumes over getting totally decked out myself, but unfortunately for our pups, they are our kids. They’ve been lobsters, sharks, pigs, Santa’s helpers and this year, they’re a pride of lions. I even found manes to match their coats! You can find all different color lion manes, in all sizes HERE.

Scroll & Tap to Shop Some Favorite Pet Costumes

12. DECORATE YOUR HOME

You don’t have to go full-Halloween to add a little spooky flair to your fall. You can add some cobwebs, spiders, or bats to what you already have, in unsuspecting places. And by “unsuspecting”, I mean in your home. Dave put an artificial spider in my car once, close to my gear shift; I didn’t see it until I was at a stoplight… you can imagine the trouble he got in 😉

13. SNUGGLE IN FOR A THEMED HALLOWEEN MOVIE NIGHT

This is my FAVORITE part of celebrating Halloween – snuggling under layers of blankets (for safety and eye-covering) to watch all the movies. Planning a horror movie marathon makes for a fun date night but you can also treat your family to an on-theme Halloween movie night.

Tip: Keep it a surprise. When your kids/family come home from school/work, have a movie night setup ready to go. For example, if you want to start the season with Hocus Pocus, you can have a cauldron of candy/snacks, popcorn, witches socks, pajamas, etc. Another witch classic your kids may not have seen- The Witches!

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14. TRICK-OR-TREAT / PASS OUT CANDY

And when all else on your bucket list is finished, this should mark the close of your Halloween – not the one and only day you acknowledge it 😉 One of our favorite parts of our neighborhood is that on Halloween night, kids are everywhere. In our old neighborhood, we had maybe one group of trick-or-treaters. Now, Dave describes it as something out of the movies. We love sitting on the front porch, passing out candy and watching families navigate up and down the streets, golf carts… all of it. You’ll probably even find us, apple cider in hand.

If you’ve been a reader for a while, you probably already know that Dave and I don’t let not having kids keep us from doing all the fun things. In this house, we do Disney movies, Christmas pajamas, and scavenger hunts. And when you can find the magic and joy in all things, you open your heart to appreciate the small moments. Make the ordinary extraordinary. So, this list is for everyone, of all ages, any marital status, kids or not. If you are ready to mark the season, it’s time to get to work 😉