6 happy Halloween hacks, without the social contact!

Does your family ‘Trick or Treat’? As a child, my family didn’t. It just wasn’t a popular thing to do where I lived.

Now I have kids of my own, I have to say, I’ve never really been a fan. But for the last couple of years a group of my friends with kids have met at our local park and then wandered along a friendly street gathering the treats. It’s been a nice thing to do and the kids have loved it. Especially because they’re out after dark! Never mind the stash of treats they haul.

This year’s a bit different though isn’t it?

It’s not safe to knock door to door and ask for treats from several different houses; there’s the families that don’t want callers; and the families that don’t want to ‘trick or treat’ even in non-COVID times.

So, I started thinking about how I will help my kids enjoy Halloween this year and what alternatives could be just as fun. Here’s the list I came up with. If you try any of these fun little ideas, do let me know.

1.Dunk for Apples – we always did this on ‘Bonfire Night’. Get a tub and fill with enough water to have some apples floating on the top. Using some blue-tac, stick a coin to the bottom of some of the apples – this is the ‘treat’! Each person must use only their mouth to try and catch an apple. No hands allowed! *Play it safe with this one*
2.Halloween Pinata – hang it from a tree in your garden or a door frame if you’re playing inside..
3.Pumpkin Hunt – use real mini pumpkins or paper cut-outs. Each one could have a ‘trick’ (e.g. clean the toilet, unpack the dishwasher) or a ‘treat’ (e.g. 2x chocolates).
4.Pumpkin Play – play bowls or basketball with mini pumpkins. You’ll need one mini pumpkin per player plus a bigger one to aim for. Place the larger pumpkin 3 or 4 metres away then each player takes a turn to hit the big one with their small one. The player whose pumpkin is closest to the big one wins. Use a washing basket or hula hoop to play the basketball version.
5.Halloween craft afternoon – just you, or your chosen crew. Enjoy hot chocolate and marshmallows together while carving pumpkins, making masks or colouring in Halloween pictures.
6.Slime Search – fill a large bowl or small bucket with chopped up jelly (green’s best!) and hide wrapped sweets or other treats all through it. Each player must be blindfolded and has 5 seconds to reach in and grab their treat. Add some tricks too if you like!
Whatever you get up to, stay safe and have a happy Halloween.