Updated for 2024
Halloween is a super fun holiday, and we love getting out there with the kids for Trick-or-Treating, but we know that it’s not a choice everyone wants to make.
Kiddos can get sick, or maybe they’re not quite brave enough to walk up to the door and ask for candy, or maybe you’re limiting the amount of candy your kids eat. Whatever the reason – you can still celebrate Halloween without going Trick or Treating.
We are sharing some fun ideas – and if you have any to share that you think we overlooked, just leave a comment below and we’ll add it to the list!
12 Ways to Celebrate Halloween (That Don’t Include Trick or Treating)
Decorate Your House and Yard
Maybe this is the year you finally decorate the house and yard the way you’ve always wanted to. Go all out, get the kids involved, get creative, and have fun.
Check out our Amazon shop for the latest and greatest Halloween decorations.
Do a Tour of Other Decorated Houses
Pile everyone into the car and drive around past all the spooky haunted houses you can find. You’re sure to find some creative ones, and your whole family will be dazzled.
Check out our list of awesome Halloween displays that we update every year!
Make a Donation Instead
Instead of spending money on candy this year, make a donation to a local organization or food pantry. Maybe you’ll inspire other families to do something similar.
Carve Pumpkins for Sure
This time-honored tradition doesn’t have to be skipped. It’s fun, and you can even roast the seeds afterwards. If you prefer not to clean up the mess of a full-on carve, this list of No-Carve Pumpkin ideas is perfect.
Need Pumpkins? See our List of Pumpkin Patches in SoCal. We update this every year!
Host a Backyard Movie
Enjoy a movie in the backyard. Depending on the space available, you can invite the playgroup or the neighbors over. You can definitely enjoy a fun, Halloween-themed movie together. Or maybe you want to go to a Drive-in for a spooky movie they’re playing!
Have a Costume Party at Home
Dress up anyway! Costumes are fun and you’ll probably have a ball wearing costumes as a family – even if you don’t leave the house. You could even have several changes of costumes over the course of Halloween day and evening. Heck – during the whole month of October!
Have Family Game Night Instead
Or play card games. You can play pretend poker and use fun size candies or toys for chips, or let everyone pick their favorite board game and play all of them, one at a time.
Watch Scary Movies at Home
Maybe a backyard movie isn’t going to work out, but you can still make popcorn and (maybe) candy treats and settle in on the couch to watch (age-appropriately) scary movies with the kids. Freeform always shows Halloween-themed movies in October, and there’s a TV show called Svengooli on Me.TV that always shows vintage horror movies on Saturday nights. Perfect timing!
Scatter Treats in the Yard
If you’d still want to do the candy part, but you’re not interested in heading out, try scattering the treats in the yard or hidden around the house, like an Easter Egg Hunt. Have small bags of candy strategically placed by these decorations so your family can find their candies.
Make Popcorn Hands
Embrace the moment. Use disposable clear, plastic gloves. Place a candy corn in each of the fingers to serve as “nails.” Fill the gloves with popcorn. Secure the glove closed with a twist-tie. This is a fun project to do at home and then use as decorations as well.
Celebrate With School
For many schools, Halloween means an autumn carnival or annual costume parade. Get in touch with your child’s teacher and ask how you can help. Teachers may not be thinking ahead to Halloween just yet.
Related: Fall Harvest Festivals in SoCal
Perhaps, your child’s teacher wants to keep it low-key with a simple costume reveal at the end of the day, or maybe your child’s teacher would like to have family members read Halloween or fall-themed stories to the class.
Another teacher might love to do a costume dance party. Get creative and try to get as many classmates’ families involved as possible.
Wendy Kennar is a mother, writer, and former teacher who has lived her entire life in the same Los Angeles zip code. You can read more from Wendy at her website WendyKennar.com where she writes about books, boys, and bodies (living with an invisible disability).
