It’s Halloween week! I’ll be the first to admit that Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday. So, naturally, it is my only child’s favorite. Since she was old enough to talk, she has been obsessed with ghosts, spooky things, and Halloween. It was an adjustment for me to not dive straight into Christmas when I was feeling spirited but instead focus on the holiday right in front of us.
Because it doesn’t come naturally to me, I make a little extra effort to engage in the holiday with and for her. Here are a few easy Halloween ideas to do this week with our kiddos that make it feel a little extra fun without a lot of effort:
1. Halloween Snack Plate
Our kids usually come home and immediately ask for an after-school snack, so why not add a little extra Halloween magic to it? All you need is a couple of themed snacks to complement your usual snacks. Something like a $1 package of ghost Peeps or even easier, a bottle of candy eyes that you just stick on things already in the pantry like Oreos or yogurts. I usually throw some candy corn on there too and we call that a wrap!
2. Halloween Food Picks
This is another great item that takes no effort by just adding it to your usual routine. I got these cute Halloween picks off Amazon (yay, two-day shipping!) for just over $5. Pack a normal school lunch, stick these in, and bam! We are super festive. If you don’t have time to order, I think cupcake toppers from the Halloween aisle work just as well. You can also beef it up a little by adding other affordable items like gumballs that look like eyes, a couple of gummy worms, or other Halloween cookies like these Mother’s circus cookies. Tip: I found our cookies at Cracker Barrel this year, so might have better luck starting there than at Walmart, Target, or Kroger!
3. Halloween Pasta
Often found at Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and at Aldi for around $5, snag a bag of these Halloween shaped pastas and throw it in some pasta or soup, and you have a spooky meal! Serve it on a special night when you can wrap up in a blanket and watch a Halloween movie on the couch for some extra cozy vibes.
4. Mummy Hotdogs
Most kids love hot dogs, maybe not all, but many. This is probably one of my highest-effort items each year and it still only takes about ten minutes from fridge to oven. All you need is a pack of hot dogs and crescent roll dough. Roll out your dough, slice it into tiny strips, and wrap it around your hot dog. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350F degrees and you have a fun, if not a tiny bit creepy, meal that your kiddos will love!
5. Surprise Halloween Bed
One of my daughter’s favorite things year after year is when I make her bed in a non-traditional way. I’m talking about a throw blanket we already have, any Halloween toy or stuffy to be found, and a few items from Target’s dollar spot like these paper bats (found ours at Target this year but don’t see them online!) or a string of Halloween colored lights. The beds I’ve done in the past are so subpar, I can’t even find any photos of them, but they are always a huge hit!
