Halloween 2020 is going to be a little different than what we’re used to for several reasons, but it’s going to give us a unique opportunity to enjoy the holiday favorite in new and memorable ways. It falls on a Saturday this year, a fact that has everyone excited, even though Saturdays don’t mean as much this year as they used to. Halloween hasn’t fallen on a Saturday since 2015 and it won’t happen again until 2026. Everyone loves a full moon on Halloween, and we’ll tell you why this one is going to be so special, but the thing that’s got everyone talking is that Halloween 2020 is happening in the middle of a pandemic that has us all shut away in our homes. Not to worry. We have a few ideas that will make this a Halloween to remember.
Throw a Halloween Party
You can’t throw a big block party this year, but you can still throw a Halloween party that your family and friends will love. Decorate your home with all your favorite Halloween props like spiderwebbing, ghosts, fog, cauldrons, and pumpkins. Put on your scariest, funniest, or most creative costumes and turn up the classic spooky tunes like Monster Mash and Thriller. Dance the night away with your family and don’t worry about bedtime. After all, it’s not a school night!
Go Virtual This Halloween!
Another fun option is a virtual Halloween part. Use Zoom to video chat with all your friends and family. Make treats together, play games, watch movies, have a costume contest, and take turns telling scary stories. Check out these awesome Halloween themed ideas from our friends over at Catch My Party.
Go Trick or Treating
This will be a tough year to partake in traditional trick or treating, but that doesn’t mean we have to skip the candy. Get creative with your trick or treat activity. First, have your children dress up in their Halloween costumes. Hide candies around the house like Easter eggs and let the little go search for them. Make it a contest to see who can collect the most candies.
Make Halloween Fun for Older Kids
If your kids are older, turn the candy hunt into a scavenger hunt. Give each kid a list of things they have to find and photograph. Leave candy with each item and give them baskets, buckets, or bags to collect the candy in. You could also create a treasure hunt. Leave clues around the house and the yard. The hunters will decipher each clue in order to find the next clue. Eventually, the clues will lead them to the hidden treasure: an entire Halloween’s worth of mixed candies.
Make Halloween Snacks
What’s better than Halloween candy? Halloween treats! Pick up some cookie cutters with spooky shapes and use them with your favorite sugar recipe. Bust out the frosting and sprinkles and let the kids go crazy. If you’re in the mood for something a little more savory, create a Halloween charcuterie board and turn your meats and cheeses into spooky Halloween snacks. You can also find haunted house cookie kits locally or online. Display your creative creations in the kitchen or living room and enjoy them during your movie marathon or virtual party.
Have a Scary Movie Marathon
No Halloween is complete without a traditional scary movie. Since it’s a Saturday and you’re stuck at home, why not make it a marathon? Pick out all your favorites ahead of time and snuggle up with your family, snacks, and Halloween pajamas. As an alternative, find out if your local drive-in is showing any scary movies for Halloween. If you’re looking for movies to watch, try Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu. For the kids, Disney Plus has some unforgettable classics like Hocus Pocus and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Decorate Pumpkins
Halloween pumpkins can be as easy or as challenging as you want them to be. If you have little ones who aren’t ready for carving, get the arts and crafts stuff from under your bed and make paint and glitter pumpkins. You can make it a contest for your virtual party or just get pictures of each participant with his or her pumpkin.
Have a Backyard Moon Party
Our final and favorite tip for Halloween 2020 is to host a backyard family moon party. Set up in the yard with your movies and snacks. Make it an all-nighter with a tent and sleeping bags. Be sure to check the weather and be dressed appropriately. Wear your costumes if it’s not too cold. Have fun drawing the moon with younger kids or zooming in on this year’s special moon with the telescope
The Blue Moon Seen Around the World
What’s the big deal about this particular moon, you ask? First of all, it’s a full moon, and as everyone knows, the full moon brings out the ghouls and monsters. But there’s more to this moon than its roundness. This year, we’ll be enjoying a blue moon, the second full moon in a singe month. What’s more, this blue moon will be visible in all time zones. We haven’t seen a Halloween full moon in all time zones since 1944 and we won’t see another one like it until 2039.
Make Halloween 2020 the Best One Yet
Choose your favorite activities from our list or dream up some of your own to share with your family as you spend this Halloween inside together. Customize the menu to be as sweet or as healthy as you like. Order costumes online, shop locally, or get creative and make them yourselves before the big day.
What are your plans for Halloween 2020? Will you allow your children out to trick or treat or will you create some fun home activities? Tag us on instagram and Facebook in your Halloween shenanigans @edeninspiredhome
