Halloween is one of my favorite holidays in my house. However, since school has gone back into session and football season kicked off we are on go mode all the time and Halloween snuck up on us this year. Therefore, over the weekend we spent a day getting in the Halloween spirit. And today I’m sharing with you some things that my family did to get in the mood for Halloween in case it snuck up on you this year as well.
See Also: Planning the Perfect Halloween Party with Dollar Tree Headquarters
Go Pumpkin Picking
Usually, the boys go pumpkin picking with the school, but we’ve never made it a family event. However, this year their dad and I were chaperones on their field trips. We lucked up this year and two of the boys were going on the same day to the same patch. We went to Holly Forks Pumpkin Patch and it was a lovely experience.
With the school, they were only able to pick little pumpkins, however, their dad and I got one for their older brother and two large ones after the field trip was over, so we could experiment with some new pumpkin goodies this year.
Make Pumpkin Goodies
Most years we do pumpkin carving and bake the pumpkin seeds and leave it at that. However, this year we made pumpkin pie for the first time, in addition to pumpkin seeds, and if I do say so myself it turned out quite well.
We did the pie from scratch, which was a great experience and even the kids were able to participate in the preparation.
Additionally, before we started cooking the pumpkin goodies we put the Little Snowie 2 to the test to make some tasty snow cone treats. Make sure to check out our video below:
Do a Halloween Puzzle
The boys are going through a phase where they just love doing puzzles. Therefore, we also added a Skeleton Floor Puzzle into the mix. It has the bones labeled on the back of each puzzle piece, so we were also able to sneak some education into our Halloween activities.
Build a Halloween Gingerbread House
When doing my online grocery order I came across a Halloween Gingerbread House (I didn’t even know they existed lol) so I had to throw it in the cart. Unlike the Christmas Gingerbread House, this one was already prebuilt, so you just must add on the decorations.
We started it yesterday, but with all the activities and having a little get-together we didn’t get to finish so I’ll be sharing pictures of that on Instagram once we’re done.
It’s a nice experience, however, it’s very time-consuming. We spent about 2 hours on it yesterday and didn’t finish so make sure if you do decide to do this activity you have a few hours to spend on it.
Put Up Halloween Decorations
Halloween decorations are always fun, especially if you plan to give out candy on Halloween night. You don’t have to go all out with it either. In fact, this year we simply put up the Star Show Slideshow and we’re all set with our decorations out front. Once we carve the pumpkins we’ll put them out with the Skeleton puzzle as well, though.
Go Pick Out Halloween Costumes
This year the boys were all over the place with what they wanted to be for Halloween so instead of ordering their costumes online we took them to Spirit Halloween, so they could pick them out in person. They opted to go with a “Demented Doctor”, “Ninja Warrior”, and “Stealth Ninja”.
See Also: How I Got My Entire Family’s Halloween Costumes for Under $100
Carve Pumpkins
Pumpkin carving is one of the boy’s favorite Halloween activities. However, since once the pumpkins are carved they start decaying we will be doing this activity a few days before Halloween, so they can be lit up for Halloween night.
Depending on the type of pumpkins they have in mind this can be another time-consuming activity so make sure you leave plenty of time for this activity as well.
Final Thoughts on Getting Your Family in the Mood for Halloween
Overall, getting in the mood for Halloween can be done in a variety of ways. There are just so many activities that the kids can do (at least when in elementary school) that allow the entire family to bond.
How are you and your family getting in the mood for Halloween?
I think making a halloween gingerbread house is diffrent. Why do the gingerbread houses have to be reserved for Christmas only.
My kids are in for the candy. LOL. They want to make their own costumes this year so we are going with that.
My usual Halloween Prep is DIY’ing costumes. I love making costumes, it allows me to express maximum creativity. I also watch a few non-scary movies with the kids.
These are great tips. We have been to several Halloween parties and playdates since the season started. I think we are well into the Halloween mood lol
Awesome ideas especially pumpkin carving my family loves to carve at least two. We also do the local hayride and maze.