Do you remember planning all the fun Halloween activities back in the day and figuring out what you were going to be for Halloween? And, then sorting and saving your candy haul after knocking on all those doors? I have such happy memories of all those fun Halloween activities. It only got more fun enjoying the holiday with our kids!
As a grandma, I now love seeing the little (and not so little) grandkids in their makeup and cute costumes when they come to the door. Now that we’re in a neighborhood, we get to see so many others. Our Texas weather has proved to be very conducive to being outside for the candy passing as well as the trick-or-treating.
Halloween is probably best if you’ve got family and friends nearby. It’s not that much fun if you just feel obligated to spend more money than you’d like on candy that you’d rather not have in your house. If you’d just as soon skip over October 31st and go straight to the 1st, you might want to consider some of the fun Halloween activities we listed below!
If you’re one of those Halloween observers from afar who would rather pop popcorn and binge-watch your favorite re-runs, series or movies on your own, than host a get-together in your home. If so, you’re not alone! There are actually a lot of us. But, sharing your home and a meal can be such a great thing for others, that it’s worth at least giving it a try. And, you might find that after you jump in as a Halloween Hostess, you might start to like it for the joy you bring to others and to yourself! Here’s a post called How to be a Stress-Free Happy Hostess full of ideas that might be just for you. ?
(See the free gift below for more happy hosting tips.)
Halloween Decorating Ideas
The great thing about decorating for Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving is that it can start from the same foundation. Those fall colors, sunflowers, pumpkins, cornhusks, and fall leaves work for all three. Start with the fall decorations you have stored away and tweak them a little for Halloween with a jack-o-lantern or two and maybe a spider web with a big plastic spider! We’ll talk about Thanksgiving ideas in another post.
I’m sure you have fall things to pull out. My favorite thing to do is take out the Halloween tub and spread it all out on the dining room table to bring back to mind what I’ve actually got. After searching my Pinterest boards (Celebrate Fall and Celebrate Halloween), I make a little list and hit the Dollar Store, Hobby Lobby, and/or Walmart. Other great spots to shop for inexpensive decorations are Good Will and your local thrift shops. (They’re also awesome for Halloween costume shopping.)
My friend Lora recently shared a post about using branches and a basket as a foundation for decor that can change through the year. Check it out here: Easy Seasonal Decorating Ideas with Branches.
Have you decorated your front door yet? Start there with a couple of pumpkins and a pot of fall mums and add your special touches. That’s what I did. I added the wooden crate this year, a cheap wreath from Walmart, and a 40% off sign from HobLob! Pumpkin String Lights (from Amazon) would be perfect above the door, and maybe I’ll add something to the bench. A painted pumpkin needs to go in between the two sugar ones. This is my style of decorating! I put things together, step back, add or subtract, and sometimes leave it alone. What do you think I should do? Please comment below!
Fun Halloween Activities (indoors & out)
#1 Cookie Baking with friends or your grandkids is a fun way to get your Halloween season started. Pillsbury has a couple of choices. You should be able to find them at your grocery store.
#2 Girlfriends Costume Party with the rule that it has to be DIY or repurposed from a thrift store. It could also be themed, but that might add too much stress! Make it a bring your own drink and appetizer to share (definitely low-stress for the hostess!)
#3 Movie Night with theatre candy, popcorn, and soda. Pick appropriate Halloween movies for your gang and have yourselves a scary blast! Netflix or Prime videos are a good place to start.
#4 Pumpkin Decorating with construction paper or real punkins is another fun and very traditional Halloween activity. Use scissors, permanent markers, paints, or knives. Add googly eyes, hair, or a hat to give some personality. This activity could be added to another Halloween party or could stand alone. Just add some goodies to eat.
#5 Trick-or-Treating can be in the form of a costume party (like the Girlfriends Party above), or it can be at home while passing candy to the little trick-or-treaters. It’s always fun to join in and dress up with the rest of the gang. We’ll be passing candy at the bottom of our (neighborhood type) driveway and want to get in on the festivities too.
We had so much fun last year. We’ll be on our comfy camp chairs with a decorated table and bowl full of candy. It will be the type we won’t want to finish off if there’s any leftover (maybe!) Here’s a list of fun DIY costumes from my friend Ree…55 Best Halloween Costumes for Couples to Wear Paired Up Together (by The Pioneer Woman)
#6 Halloween Chili can be simmering in the caldron (slow cooker) and ready to be dished up at any time during your festivities. Quiet Hollow’s colorful and prize-winning Slow Cooker Chili Recipe can be found on the Recipes for Friends on Quiet Hollow page. (It really is that good if I do say so myself!) Soon, you’ll find a tasty White Chicken Chili there…equally yummy and fun and easy for a Happy Halloween Hostess to feed a crowd in the Fall.
A PIN for your Halloween Board!
Fun Halloween Activities + Hospitality
On Quiet Hollow, we look at hospitality a little differently. We shy away from going for the fancy, expensive decorations and food preparations that could make friends or neighbors feel a little jealous or impressed.
Our goal here for Halloween hostess is to enjoy having people in her home, to create tasty meals, and maybe to find a cute arrangement of decorations, but it’s with the larger goal of bringing joy to her guests. We’re simply looking for fun Halloween activities people will enjoy.
Looking for opportunities to ‘bless instead of impress’ is great at any time of the year. It’s especially loving during the holidays. Even at Halloween time! We’ll be chatting about ways to bless your guests during this sugary, scary, dressed-up happy holiday. You’ll get some Happy Halloween Ideas you can use this year! Plus, at the very bottom of the post, there’s a free Happy Halloween Hostess hosting gift for you!
Here’s the free gift I mentioned up at the top of the article. It’s helpful for any type of get-together and would absolutely help the stress level if you’re planning a Halloween party!
Free Checklist for Stress Free Hosting
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Finding a new purpose in living and joy in the day-to-day was the goal when author Kathy Rowland and her entire family (adult kids and grandkids) moved from the PNW to Texas several years ago. The focus of Quiet Hollow is to encourage ‘next chapter women’ – those who are retired, empty-nesters, or have found themselves without a spouse to jump back into life. And, she shares multiple tips, ideas, and possibilities toward that end. Kathy completed her almost 30 years as an elementary teacher and hopped into over a decade of volunteer work, side hustle-type businesses, and grandchild care before discovering her unique and fulfilling purpose for the next chapter of life. What you read on Quiet Hollow is a large part of that calling. Another part is the happy life she’s leading in Central Texas in the same neighborhood as the 3 big kids and her 5 grandkids. She and her college sweetheart husband made sure to add a pool to their new Texas home, so there are lots of noisy, splashy days in their little oasis of a backyard. Come join her on Quiet Hollow in a conversation about finding and living the life you were created to live in this later stage. The chats will be full of laughter, support, faith, and inspiration to create.
