We have got you covered for some spooky Halloween inspiration and ideas on how to keep your children entertained. Whether you’re planning to do activities for one day only or make it a weekend celebration, there is something for you.
From crafty ideas to delicious baked goods check out the blog below!
Get Crafty!
This time of year, is usually cold and often a bit rainy, it makes for the perfect crafts afternoon. You can find a whole range of ideas below, with varying budgets. There are also a number of shops on the high street that will sell paints, Halloween themed kits and lots of fun craft accessories to help you out. See our ideas below:
- Pumpkin Carving – It can’t be Halloween without carving a pumpkin, make sure you have the correct equipment and a surface to work on. Top tip: either draw on your design using a pen or Sellotape a printout to the pumpkin which you can then cut around, this can be peeled off once all cut out.
- DIY Slime – If you are someone who doesn’t mind a bit of mess then why not have a go at letting your children make their own gooey slime. Add some spooky colours, glitter, fake spiders anything you like to make the best Halloween slime.
- Decorate the home – Whether you are opening the door to trick or treaters or not you can still decorate your house. Check out the home stores near you for things like spiced candles, cauldron trinkets, cobwebs, skeletons and much more. You could even delegate a room to each person to decorate.
- Decorate a cauldron/ trick or treat bag – If there are multiple children why not let them each decorate their own bag to store their goods in? Felt bags are perfect to draw all over and plastic cauldrons are perfect for acrylic paints and PVA glue. An award for the best one maybe?
Bake Some Magic!
There are plenty of fun and creative goods you can have a go at baking this time of year with the children. Check out the below ideas:
- Chocolate Apples – Usually toffee apples are the treat to buy this time of year, however they can be harsh on teeth and horrifically sticky. Try covering apples in melted chocolate instead, this is a much softer treat for all.
- Halloween Biscuits – Using a simple shortbread recipe and Halloween themed cookie cutters, you can create some delicious biscuits. Decorate with bright colours and sprinkles for some ‘spook-tacular’ treats.
- Meringue Ghosts – Once your meringue mixture is ready to go, pipe it out into the shapes of ghosts floating. Once baked, you can dip in chocolate and add whatever decorations you like.
- Pumpkin Cakes – You can reduce the food waste from your kitchen by using the inside of the pumpkin to add flavour into some cakes. Easy to follow recipes can be found online.
Host a Halloween Party!
With half term around the same time, as well as the weekend, it’s the perfect time to throw a Halloween themed party for you and your children. You can find lots of ideas online as to what you could include at the party, but we do have a number of our favourites below.
- Spookiest Pumpkin – Hosting a pumpkin carving competition is a great way to encourage the children to work on their creative skills. You can award prizes for different categories to make sure everyone is a winner. The pumpkins can then be used as decorations for the rest of the party.
- Apple Bobbing – A classic to all Halloween parties is apple bobbing. Make sure all children are supervised whilst taking part.
- Doughnuts off a String – Another classic is tying a donut to a string to then bite down without using your hands, adjust the height accordingly and this will provide lots of laughter and fun.
- Best Dressed – Obviously dressing up at Halloween is a must! Award prizes for the best dressed attendee to entice everyone to get in the spooky spirit! You could even set a theme for people to follow.
Throw a Magical Movie Night!
With the evenings getting colder it’s the perfect time to snuggle down and watch some classic Halloween films, this is fantastic way to spend some quality time as a family. Grab some snacks, drinks and lots of pillows and blankets. If your child is having a sleepover this will be a great way to let them unwind and relax with their friends.
Here’s a list of some of our family favourites:
- Hocus Pocus
- Casper
- Halloween Town
- Monster House
- Twitches
- Scooby Doo
- Monster vs Aliens
A log cabin makes a great place to host a party, or set up as a home cinema. If you dress up a Dunster House product for Halloween, we would love to see it. So be sure to send us through some photos to [email protected]!
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