8 Great Family Halloween Activities Beyond Trick or Treating

Trick or treating has become synonymous with Halloween, but for many it isn’t a practical way to celebrate. Whether you live rurally or know that your neighbors would prefer not to be disturbed, never fear! There are loads of great ways to have a spooktacular time without ever leaving the comfort of home. We know how to have a ghoulishly good time celebrating Halloween – and here’s our guide to family fun beyond trick or treating…

1) Pumpkin carving

Pumpkins are always a favourite decoration at Halloween, so why not get the whole family involved with the fun of creating your very own spooky lanterns? Guide little hands carefully when using any sharp implements – or get little ones to draw their design on the gourd for you to cut out for them. Everyone can enjoy scooping out the innards though, and remember to save the pulp – pumpkin seeds make a great snack when toasted, while you can get creative with the flesh, making anything from soup to pumpkin pies. PartyWorld’s pumpkin carving set makes the whole job a breeze – and you could even up the stakes with our “Best Pumpkin Award” rosette, to ensure the whole family really puts the effort into their designs!

2) Create a haunted house

Let your creativity run wild and create a miniature theme park at home! Get your kids on board and help them use whatever props you have around the house to spook-ify your surroundings. Old sheets can be pinned from the ceiling to form room dividers, and black paper can be cut into bat-like shapes and suspended. Make spiders webs from cotton wool or artfully folded and cut white paper; save old cardboard and use it to make a coffin to lurk in the corner. Enjoy letting your imagination take flight, and let the children dream up some seasonally-scary designs. PartyWorld has a fantastic selection of Halloween accessories, perfect for creating your very own haunted house experience. Our light up hanging ghost decorations create a genuinely unnerving effect, or go all out and set up our ghostly animated lady prop, to really give you the shivers! Younger children may prefer an autumnal theme featuring pumpkins and scarecrows, and you could look to PartyWorld’s beautiful seasonal décor, such as our Halloween pumpkin and pine wreath. Those who are older may want to reference their favourite spooky films.

3) Scavenger hunts

A Halloween themed treasure hunt is always a hit with the kids. You can keep it simple and hide spooky treasures (eyeball shaped chocolates, anyone?!) all over the house. Or you can create a more complicated hunt, laying clues that lead from one to the next. Get your little scavengers really excited by providing them with collecting buckets for their loot – PartyWorld’s deluxe pumpkin bucket or their Halloween candy buckets are perfect for the job.

4) Werewolf tag

This is the ultimate Halloween equivalent of hide and seek – but on the move and in the dark! It’s guaranteed to get your little ones squealing with excitement, so if you are lucky enough to have a garden it’s a great game for outdoors. One person starts off as the werewolf, and as they find and tag the people hiding, those they have caught become werewolves too. Eventually you have a whole pack of werewolves on your hands! The last person to be caught is the winner. If you feel your garden is too dark to be safe, consider some gently spooky illumination with PartyWorld’s paper pumpkin lanterns. Just pop an electronic tea light in the bottom and you’ll save your werewolves from tripping over!

5) Pin the spider on the web

A Halloween version of a party classic, the idea is that each participant is blindfolded in turn, and then tries to pin the spider back in the centre of his web. PartyWorld’s version of this game looks fantastic and is a great way to get the kids having fun without hitting the trick or treat rounds.

6) Costume report

Dressing up is an essential part of any Halloween celebration, but why not encourage your children to engage a step further by asking them to come up with a costume report. Perhaps they are dressed as the ghost of an historical character – help them research that person’s life and social context, and present a summary to the rest of the family. Those who have dressed as spooky creatures – cats, spiders, werewolves – might look into the biology or mythology of their outfit. If they are keen to dress as their favourite fictional character (see PartyWorld’s amazing selection of fancy dress, from Fireman Sam to Star Wars), ask them to tell the family all about who they are and what their story is. This builds confidence, communication and presentation skills, as well as being a fun way to make the most of your Halloween costumes!

7) Put on a Halloween play!

This might sound ambitious, but if you have children who are interested in performing, you could ask them to write and perform their very own Halloween play. Create a stage by screening off a corner of the room with old sheets, curtains, or even wrapping paper. Older children might write a script, but improvisation works well too! Use your costumes as a jumping off point for the storyline and prepare to be impressed by those incredible young imaginations. Check out PartyWorld’s huge range of Halloween costumes for kids of all ages to get some inspiration – will a convict run amok with The Jester? Perhaps a young witch will take some lessons from Morticia Addams! Or a vampire princess, Snow White, and a pumpkin will somehow have an adventure together… Sit back and enjoy the show!

8) Halloween pinata

Sweet treats don’t just have to be for trick or treating. Keep your little ones entertained AND give them their fill of sugar by creating a Halloween pinata. PartyWorld have some fantastic Halloween themed options, such as a ghost and a spooky cat. Simply stuff the pinata with as many yummy goodies as you can, and then let the mayhem commence. Each little one takes a turn to bash the pinata until it finally releases its treasures!

Halloween doesn’t just have to be about trick or treating. There are many reasons why it might not be the best activity for you and your family, but the good news is there are loads of fantastic activities you can choose to make Halloween a spooktacular occasion for all! From seasonal crafts to fangtastic theatricals, scary snacks and dastardly décor, Halloween at home can be a magical celebration. PartyWorld’s incredible selection of Halloween costumes and Halloween decorations will ensure your event is one to remember!