At this point in the year everything has been different. Work, school, birthdays, our daily routines. I don’t know why it didn’t really hit me until recently that this last half of the year will continue in this same pattern.
The holidays are always mixed emotions for me. I work in a holiday driven business which means the last half of the year is BUSY! Longer hours, more stress, and sometimes wishing it will be over…in my “work-life” that is.
In my personal life, especially since having kids, I look forward to this time of the year the most!
I know I sound totally conflicted, haha.
But it brings back memories growing up and how special my parents made the holidays for us. We didn’t have much money and they worked like crazy too, but they always managed to make this time of year special, fun, and memorable.
Now I strive to do the same for my girls because I want to. And I enjoy doing it just as much as I hope they enjoy experiencing it.
So needless to say we are pretty happy around here that Halloween is coming. P talks about it almost daily at this point and I am totally ok with it.
We have already talked with her about how things will probably be different than what she remembers from last year. The good thing is that having talked to her about so much throughout this year has left her seeming really not surprised by that and totally ok with it.
I still want to make those memories though. Make it special even though we know it will be different. Slow down and enjoy the moment while we are in it. So I’ve come up with some ways we are planning on celebrating Halloween this year and hopefully, they will help you too in switching it up a bit while still having lots of memorable fun!
Costumes
I am still going to have the girls pick out costumes and wear them. Hey, why not wear them all day long and get the most out of it. We also decided that we will “trick or treat” the grandparents’ houses. They are apart of our stops each year anyways and part of our little community we still see this year. Part of me is kind of glad I do not have to worry about how practical the costumes will be depending on the weather knowing we will not be walking around our neighborhood. In our area, you never know what you’ll get. Last year was cold and snowy the year before was seventy degrees and sunny.
Pumpkin Hunt
Well, we already pulled off an Easter during this very different and interesting year, so taking a note from that and turning our Easter egg hunt into a Halloween pumpkin hunt! After all, these little ones are looking forward to all the candy so might as well make it fun and memorable.
Using some little pumpkins, glow sticks, and of course candy, I will hide them throughout the yard for the girls to find. I’ll add in a few glow in the dark vampire teeth and some little bubble containers. The party favors section at your local store is a great place to find some little inexpensive treats for the kids to have fun with. Similar to our egg hunts at Easter they will each have a certain number for them to find and can collect them in their “trick or treat” bags so that we still put those to use this year too. I’m thinking about doing a little scavenger hunt also where they can each find a bigger prize at the end like the “mess-free marker book” I have above.
Halloween Games & Crafting
This year I have tried to focus on games for holidays and birthdays that can easily be played with just a few of us. After all with little p just being one this year, although she wants to participate she is still kind of limited in understanding just how the games are to be played.
That’s where crafting comes in.
She can create along with us while using her own skills.
Paper Chain
This is the first year I will be doing this with the girls because I think P will really understand it’s purpose. Using orange and black paper, we will string together 31 paper rings into a chain and hang as a garland above our kitchen doorway. Each day from October 1st through the 31st I will let P take off a ring so she can start to see how we get closer to Halloween as the days go on. It will also help to teach about the days of the week/month and counting. After all, right now she tells me nearly every day that tomorrow is Halloween, lol, I might be the most excited for this paper chain.
Create A Monster
All you need is some paper and some art supplies such as stickers, paints, crayons, or markers.
There are so many templates out there for monsters you can find on Pinterest (especially now), just check out my Halloween board on my Pinterest page for some finds. Or you can always freehand your own, make it fun, and don’t worry if you’re not an artist you don’t have to be.
Pin The Nose On The Pumpkin
So easy to create. You can use craft paper or poster board to create a larger pumpkin to make the game easier or can even go as small as an 8 1/2 x 11 card stock or construction paper making it a bit more challenging.
Use some paper to cut out a triangle nose (or really any shape you like), attach some double-sided tape to it, and then take turns blindfolding, spinning, and trying to put the nose on the pumpkin. You can even try to attach the eyes and mouth too and see what silly pumpkin creations you come up with. And remember you are not striving for perfection you are striving for fun! So even if you are not a perfect artist to draw a pumpkin shape, you do not have to be. That is not what this is about. It’s also not what your kids will remember. It’s about having fun and making some new memories.
Scavenger Hunt
Create a list of either things they can search for outside, inside, or both. I love having the kids do scavenger hunts. It gets them moving and they love it when they complete their list! Click below to download our fun Halloween scavenger hunt we will be doing this year and maybe even every year now. Attached are pictures you can cut out and use to hide around the house or you can look for these items in decorations both indoors and out. I also always include pictures and words on the list to help those who cannot read.
I hope some of these ideas help to get you started with making Halloween special, fun, and memorable this year. Don’t forget about past family traditions.
We’ll be carving one of our bigger pumpkins and the girls will paint some of the smaller ones from the pumpkin patch, a tradition my husband and I have carried on from before and now with the girls. I’m sure at some point this month we will watch a Halloween show or two, I personally love It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.
What are some of you Halloween traditions you are looking forward to this year or what are some new ones you plan on starting? Please share, and Happy Halloween!