Alternative Activities for Halloween

Activities
Independent Living
Social/Community
Sensory
Behavioral
Resource

·        Visit a Farm–Visiting a farm is the perfect Halloween activity for the family. Check out this article that lists the best farm in each state! Many farms have multiple activities that capture the Halloween spirit. Try your luck in a corn maze or take the family on a hayride.  

·        Pumpkin Picking–While at the farm or at a pumpkin patch, pick out a pumpkin. Many of the Botanical Gardens across the nation lay out pumpkins to be picked. Picking pumpkins is a great interactive activity for people of all ages!

·        Pumpkin Carving–After picking out the perfect pumpkin, spend Halloween night carving it. There are so many stencils to choose from. Everyone can pick out their favorite stencil and enjoy a spooky night of carving. After the carving is completed, put in tea lights, and set your jack-o'-lanterns outside. Make sure to snap a picture with your pumpkin!

·        Pumpkin Seeds–Save the seeds from your pumpkins to bake them for a healthy snack! Check out one of these recipes for a tasty variation.

·        Bake Spooky Treats–Spend Halloween day baking a few spooky treats! This is a wonderful idea for individuals who have specific dietary needs and may not be able to enjoy trick-or-treating. Look at these dairy and gluten free recipes. If you don’t want to make them, check out these diary-free candy options.  

·        Scary Movie Marathon–Instead of going on Halloween night, stay in, snack on your pumpkin seeds or Halloween treats, and have a scary (or not-so-scary) movie marathon! Check out this list of Halloween movies.  

·        Spooky Themed Dinner–If staying home is the plan, make it fun by having a spooky themed dinner. There are many simple ways to turn a regular dish into a spooky one fit for a Halloween dinner.

·        Halloween Crafts–Spend the day making Halloween crafts! Decorate the house with them or craft a costume to wear! Check out these DIY sensory friendly costumes.

·        Make a campfire–When the sun goes down, warm up with a nice campfire. To make it more in theme of Halloween, have a spooky read aloud by telling ghost stories and making scary s’mores. You can also add these cool packs, to enjoy a mystical colorful fire.  

·        Have a Halloween Party–Really get into the spirit by having a Halloween party. Invite some people over, play a spooky-playlist, and do some activities from this list together. You can also bob for apples, wear costumes, play Halloween games, and try some sensory activities.

·        Look at the Halloween Decorations–If trick-or-treating isn’t the right activity, you can still get dressed up in your favorite costume and look at all the eerie Halloween decorations.