15 Halloween Traditions for Families (Easy + Manageable!)

Halloween traditions for families should be easy and manageable, but fun for everyone involved. These Halloween activities will build the perfect amount of anticipation in your home. 


Halloween Traditions for Families


Halloween Traditions for Families:

I love building anticipation for the holidays in simple ways for our family. To me a tradition has to be easy enough to do that it can be easily replicated annually, or at least some of the time. A tradition should be something that is fun and exciting, and doesn't lead to burn out. 

You by no means need to do all of these traditions each year (we don't!), but my best advice is to pick the ones that work for you and leave the rest behind. 


Halloween Traditions for Families


15 Easy and Manageable Halloween Traditions for Families:

Pumpkin Carving: Each year, we go to the pumpkin patch and let each of the kids pick their own pumpkin. A few days before Halloween, we get together and carve the pumpkin. I love this activity because it's really two-in-one: the pumpkin patch and then the carving.


Halloween Movie Night: Watch family-friendly Halloween classics like Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, or Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Click here for my list of 31 Halloween movies for families.


Decorating the House: Spend an afternoon putting up spooky decorations inside and outside your home. Involve the kids by letting them help make DIY crafts like paper ghosts or bats. This is something we have not done yet, and I need to get on it!


Trick-or-Treating: Plan a fun route through the neighborhood, or attend a community trunk-or-treat event where kids can safely collect candy. We usually always do a few streets in our neighborhood, and then a few streets in the bigger neighborhood next to us.


Halloween-themed dinner: Create a spooky dinner with Halloween-inspired food like mummy hot dogs, ghost-shaped pizzas, or monster mash mac and cheese. This Halloween pasta comes in time for Halloween and would be perfect for mac n cheese!


Costume Planning: Spend time as a family deciding on costumes, whether they’re individual or a group theme, and work on making or picking them out together. We usually do a family costume, and this year we're being Nintendo characters (again).


Halloween Traditions for Families


Baking Halloween Treats: Make and decorate Halloween cookies, cupcakes, or other themed desserts, like pumpkin-shaped rice crispy treats or caramel apples. This Halloween Chex Mix Snack is an easy one to put together. 


Halloween Story Time: Read spooky or not-so-spooky Halloween-themed books together. Great options include Room on the Broom and The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything. Here is a list of some of my favorite Halloween books!


Neighborhood Booing: Start a fun neighborhood tradition by secretly leaving a small bag of treats at a neighbor's door with a note that says, "You've Been Booed!" Then, they pass it on to someone else. We usually never start the boo-ing to be honest, but we happily pass it on.


Visit a Haunted House or Corn Maze: Families with older kids can visit a haunted house or explore a spooky corn maze together. We love a good corn maze, and it's usually a part of the pumpkin patch outing when we go.


Costume Parade: Our daughter's school has a costume parade each year that my husband and I are always sure to attend!


Halloween Traditions for Families


Halloween Countdown Calendar: Create or buy a countdown calendar leading up to Halloween. We have this wooden block calendar that we've used for over a decade now and it's a fun way to countdown each holiday.


Scavenger Hunt: Organize a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt around your house or yard, with hidden candy or small toys as prizes.


Look at Halloween Lights/Decor: Hop in the car one evening and drive around to look at everyone's Halloween decorations. This is one of our favorite activities to do from Halloween through Christmas.


Host a Halloween Party: Invite friends and family over for a Halloween party with games, like bobbing for apples, a costume contest, and themed snacks. We don't do this every year, but sometimes. Here are some great Halloween party ideas if you need some thought starters. There are more ideas on this post too.


Halloween Traditions for Families

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