12 Trick or Treat Alternatives for Celebrating Halloween
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As much as it breaks my heart, there will come a day when my girls don’t want to trick or treat. There may also be years when trick or treat just won’t work, like when bad weather blows in. Fortunately, just because you can’t trick or treat it doesn’t mean the fun has to end!
Check out these 12 trick or treat alternatives for celebrating Halloween.
1. Host a Halloween Party
No matter your kid’s age, a Halloween party is always a fun idea. Invite your friends or neighbors to come dressed in costumes. Put out bowls of candy and punch. Turn on some Halloween hits and let everyone enjoy the spooky evening indoors.
2. Have a Scary Movie Marathon
With all the streaming services available, it is super easy to plan the ultimate scary movie marathon according to your kid’s age. Head to Disney Plus for more family-friendly scares and HBO Max for more adult features.
3. Boo Your Neighbors
A new fad is to boo your neighbors. This means packing a bag or basket of Halloween goodies and leaving it on your neighbor’s doorstep. One idea is to “boo” the neighbors with the best decorated homes.
4. Get Spooked at a Haunted House
If trick or treating isn’t your kid’s thing and they want bigger frights, take them to a haunted house. Many of the haunted houses offer “do not scare” medallions that you can wear to alert the actors that you (or your kids) don’t want to be scared. This works well for families of kids of different ages.
5. Visit an Amusement Park
Many amusement parks offer special Halloween-themed events, such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, which are good for kids of all ages. You can enjoy the rides, as well as characters in themed holiday costumes and themed treats.
6. Carve Pumpkins
Spend Halloween decorating or carving pumpkins. Then, post pics to social media and ask your followers to vote for a winner.
7. Tell Scary Stories by the Campfire
If the weather cooperates, head outside to tell scary stories by the campfire and make s’mores. If you struggle with telling stories, ask your Amazon Alexa to tell you a few. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, cuddle up by the fireplace.
8. Find Your Way Out of a Corn Maze
See if you can find a corn maze nearby for your family to get lost in. Even better if you can find one that is open in the evenings. Some of these double as haunted corn mazes.
9. Take a Ghost Tour
Bigger kids may enjoy going on a ghost tour. There are many ghost tours in New York City, including Haunted Broadway and Candlelight Walking Tours.
10. Play Some Horror-Themed Games
Keep the spooky feeling going by playing a horror-themed board game. You can take Clue to the next level with games like Escape the Room in a Box: The Werewolf Experiment and Betrayal at House on the Hill.
11. Volunteer at a Halloween Event
With all the different Halloween events happening, there is a great need for volunteers. For example, if your kids are too old for Boo at the Zoo, sign up to volunteer at the event to make it enjoyable for the next generation.
12. Pass Out Candy to the Littles
When the day comes that your kids don’t want to go trick or treating, see if they will join you in passing out candy to the trick or treaters that show up at your door.
