The hits just keep on coming with 2020, and if your city/state is anything like mine, trick-or-treat has been canceled or you’ve deemed it too unsafe regardless. Kind of a bummer but, there are so many fun, safe, and frankly less stressful ways to have a fun Halloween at home with your kids. My friends and coworkers always joke that they’d like me to move in for the holiday season because I get a huge kick out of costume making/elf on the shelf/whatever other cutesy holiday shenanigans leave most parents distraught. I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I was born to think of innovative ways to add a little magic to the holiday season. So, come Halloween, I’ve got you covered!
First things first, your kids should still dress up! The worst part of trick-or-treat was always putting my winter coat on over my costume. I don’t care how cool my coat was, it was never suited to cover my mermaid/princess/ballerina ensemble, so it sucked. Well, that crisis is averted this year. Costumes are the absolute best part of Halloween, and there’s no reason to skip out on them just because you can’t go on a freezing cold stroll through your neighborhood! For your viewing pleasure, a #throwbackthursday picture of me and my cousin, Stephanie, on Halloween circa 1993. I guarantee I was pissed about the turtleneck. (She’s also my OG bestie and turns 30 TODAY!!)
Carve an indoor pumpkin! I know it may seem silly to go through the work and mess of carving a pumpkin if you can’t one up your next door neighbors, but that’s why I think you should carve indoor pumpkins that you can enjoy for years to come. Faux carving pumpkins can be found just about anywhere this time of year, and they’re all the fun with half the mess. I found these at target, but you can also find faux pumpkins of varying shapes and sizes at craft stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby.
Next on the agenda? A scavenger hunt for candy throughout your house. I’m all about a scavenger hunt; I do this yearly for Kyle during the twelve days of Christmas, and it’s so much fun to come up with crazy rhymes and hide gifts all over the house. The best part about a scavenger hunt is that it’s super customizable. It could be spooky and difficult, with math problems and riddles to solve for older kids, or it can be as simple as a list of different types of candy and checking them off as they’re found. The major bonus here is that there will be no Bottle Caps, Milk Duds, or those vaguely peanut butter flavored gross things in the black and orange wax paper. This year’s candy is 100% up to you! If you’re not feeling up to your own clue making (but seriously, do it, so fun!) then a quick trip over to Pinterest has got you covered!
Last, but not least, wind down your evening of Halloween fun with one of your favorite Halloween movies. I’m going to be a basic witch and say that my October 31st watch of choice is, and will always be, Hocus Pocus. 🙂
xoxo 2020’s just a bunch of hocus pocus!
laughingatleighann.com 
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