Halloween Activities as Alternatives to Trick-or-Treating

Although trick-or-treating is the classic Halloween activities, there are plenty of ways to celebrate Halloween without the ritual of going door to door. This list of fun ideas like Halloween crafts, outdoor scavenger hunts, and family bonding activities are great ways to enjoy the holiday, either in addition to, or as an alternative to trick-or-treating. Make sure to tell kids the Great Pumpkin is on his way!

Peruse the following ideas and ask your kids which ones they would chose for this year's Halloween celebrations.

Family Time

Spending time with family is special! Embrace the opportunity to create some new memories!

Perform Halloween Poetry! I've created a list of Halloween poems that kids will love. Pick one or more, read them out loud in your spookiest voice. For longer poems, assign a stanza to each family member.

Read Halloween books. We have some excellent lists!

• Halloween novels for reading aloud, scary and not-scary choices
• Halloween picture books with a self-esteem theme
• Diverse Halloween picture books
• Halloween early chapter books

Watch Halloween Movies. Common Sense Media has an extensive list of movies organized by age.

Listen to a Halloween audiobook! Our list includes audiobooks suitable for families with kids of all ages, from preschoolers to teens.

Organize a family Halloween minute to win it competition!

Go for a Drive. Get in the car and drive around to check out all the neighborhood Halloween decorations. This is an especially good idea if your family doesn't decorate much!

Sweets and Candy

Make a Haunted Halloween Candy House! Turn gingerbread men into skeletons with a little icing, craft spiders out of licorice whips and tile the roof with candy corn! The Artful Parent shows you how.

Give Out Boo Bags. Boo bags are a simple way to spread cheer Halloween-style. But keep it simple! This post takes you through how to make a deliver boo bags. Be sure to include our Halloween brain teasers inside!

Make Halloween cookies, cupcakes or other treats! Get out the mixing bowl and make some yummy treats. The internet is full of recipes like this Frankenstein Rice Krispie treats or this Halloween cookie pizza.

Get Outside!

You don't have to ring doorbells to have a fun Halloween night. Just refrain from TP'ing the neighbors' houses, okay?

Scavenger Hunt

Try a Halloween scavenger hunt. Make a check list of items for kids to find around the neighborhood. Ideas include: happy jack o'lantern, white pumpkin, giant spider, blue house, orange flowers, etc. Lots of bloggers have created scavenger hunts so you don't have to do any work. Here are some great ones:

• Halloween letter hunt from Red Ted Art. I love how this can be a group activity.
• Halloween scavenger hunt printables:
  • From Red Ted Art
  • Pumpkin face hunt printable from Kids Activities
  • From Edventures

Games

Play these games outside if possible and don't forget your costume!

• Play Halloween charades! Here are some printable Halloween charade cards to get you started.
• Halloween ring toss.
• Halloween tin can bowling.

Arts and Crafts

You've likely made your jack-o-lanterns by now, but why not try one of these easy Halloween paper crafts, too?

Along with these Halloween finger puppets, make a Haunted House with our free printable template!

Print out a costume coloring page!

Forget paper dolls! Make a jack o'lantern paper chain.

Have Fun

However you decide to celebrate Halloween with your kids, remember stay safe and try not to eat all the candy in one sitting. And, if you want to convince your kids not to eat the candy, try our suggestion for reducing the amount of Halloween candy you kids ingest.