12 Ways to Celebrate
Halloween
as a Grown-up
But my kids are grown and gone. So am I still allowed to embrace the Spooky Season as much as ever? Um, yes, of course! My options may no longer involve trick-or-treating, but honestly, we have leveled up for even more fang-tastic chills and thrills.
So if your kids are no longer collecting candy (that you can in turn steal), or if you don’t have little ghouls and goblins at home, its time to scare up a different kind of Halloween fun! Here are some witch approved ideas for how to celebrate this hauntingly fun holiday AS A GROWN-UP!
1. Create your own magical Halloween playlist.
The first step in setting a spooky mood is MUSIC! Christmas isn’t the only holiday with a fabulous soundtrack! There are 100s of Halloween songs to choose from (check out my Halloween playlists on Spotify for inspiration.)
2. Decorate your own Haunted Mansion.
I know this sounds obvious, but part of the fun of celebrating any holiday is to get into the spirit of it with decorations.
People automatically think of decorating for Halloween the outside of the house, but bring it inside as well! Garlands, paper bats and black & orange tabletop displays are simple and easy decorations with big impact. Make sure to include fall scented candles!
3. Design your own pumpkin display.
There are soooo many fun ways to decorate pumpkins! (Take a look at my pumpkin Pinterest board for inspiration.) Create your very own pumpkin display outside…or even inside where YOU can enjoy it!
4. Throw a ghoulishly good Halloween party.
Throw a neighborhood block party held in your driveway that includes all ages, with games and pot-luck food. You can indulge your inner child and get a bubble machine and a face painter. Or make it a haunted graveyard and scare everyone silly.
For adults only, throw a Creepy Cocktail Party with poisons concocted in your own cauldron. Or a Pumpkin Carving Party with pizza and beer! Your only limit is your imagination.
5. Host a devilish Halloween dinner party.
Get a little fancy with candelabras and dark flower arrangments. Set the mood with some spooky music and serve some macabre horror-derves. You can create a theme, such as Steampunk Scary or Monster Mash and request that your guests dress accordingly. Or just ask everyone to wear black and a Halloween eye mask!
Dinner entertainment can include games like Truth or Dare, Two Truths and a Lie or Kiss, Marry, Kill.
6. Visit somewhere spooky.
Take a turn through a local pumpkin patch, corn maze or haunted house in your hometown. Or take Halloween on the road and plan a roadtrip to a destination like Sleepy Hollow, NY. Or book a stay at a Haunted Hotel! Just be sure to check under the bed before you turn out the lights!
7. Hold a scary movie marathon.
On your own (if you dare!) or with friends. You can watch a Halloween lineup of monstrous movies, or choose a spine-tingling tv show like Grimm or Dexter to binge watch on Netflix or Prime. Make sure to have plenty of candy on hand!
8. Read a hauntingly good novel.
If you are an introvert (like me!), perhaps a little more low key fright night is in order. Now is a great time to pull out Dracula, Frankenstein or The Picture of Dorian Gray. Or look for a more modern novel to chill you to the bone!
9. BOO your neighbors.
No tricks, only treats left hanging on the neighbors front door to share a little Halloween spirit. Print off one of these cute tags or poems to include with your goodies.
You can use a gift bag or inexpensive Halloween bucket and include magazines, candy, baked treats, soaps or small candles, Halloween paper plates &/or napkins or small toys for kids. A simpler version would be to leave small pumpkins with a boo-tiful bow tied on top on their doorstop.
10. Learn the zombie dance to Thriller.
Maybe you are cooler than I am and already know it. But if you don’t, now is a great time to learn! Make some space in your living room and turn up the music! Here is an intro tutorial series I found to get you started!
11. Dress up your pet and do a photo shoot.
If you have a pet that is willing to suffer through the indignity of a Halloween costume, dress them up and take some photos to post on social media! One of the guilty pleasures of this time of year is looking at pictures of pets in costume.
12. Show your Halloween spirit by dressing up and handing out candy.
If you love a good costume but aren’t ready to party, dress up in your bewitching best and wow the trick-or-treaters! Look for some unusual ideas to hand out instead of candy, like stickers, friendship bracelets or rubber duckies. (Please don’t give out toothbrushes.) Your house might become the most popular trick-or-treat destination on the block!
And if your location doesn’t get a lot of little monsters, then team up with a friend in a more popular neighborhood and get your scare on together!
Happy Haunting, lovely friends!
If you love Halloween, don’t let the spookiest night of the year go by without finding a way to celebrate! On your own, with a few close friends, or with the whole neighborhood…it doesn’t matter as long as you are having a frighteningly good time!
