Halloween is a favorite holiday for many kids, but when you're a houseparent with a big group of children, it can feel daunting to plan festivities on a budget. Fortunately, there are plenty of fun and affordable ways to make the entire month of October exciting for the kids in your care without breaking the bank. Here are a few ideas to help you celebrate Halloween with all the kids in your home.
Instead of spending money on store-bought costumes, turn costume creation into a fun activity! Gather materials like old clothes, craft supplies, and any leftover fabric or accessories, and encourage the kids to make their own costumes. Shop at thrift stores for supplies or old costumes, and check out if there is a crafting workshop in your area for free or affordable supplies. You can even turn it into a competition where everyone votes on the most creative or funniest costume, with small prizes as rewards.
This is a great way to encourage the children to use their imagination, and it fosters teamwork if they help each other with ideas and designs.
Host a Halloween-themed movie marathon with family-friendly classics like Hocus Pocus, The Addams Family, or Casper. To make it extra special, turn the living room into a cozy movie theater by setting up blankets, pillows, and popcorn stations. You can even make it interactive by having the kids dress up as their favorite movie characters or pause the movie for Halloween trivia during breaks.
This idea is both low-cost and flexible, providing hours of entertainment that can be spread over multiple days or weekends.
Pumpkin carving can be messy and time-consuming, but pumpkin decorating is a creative and low-cost alternative. Purchase small pumpkins or use paper cut-outs if real pumpkins aren’t in the budget. Provide markers, stickers, glitter, or paint, and let the kids decorate their pumpkins however they like. You can even host a themed contest with categories like "Scariest Pumpkin" or "Silliest Design."
If you use washable paint, you can get another activity out of a "wash your pumpkin" morning with little kids. Give them some water, soap, and a sponge and give them hours of free and fun play. Clean-up can be messy! This is best done outside on a mild day.
This activity allows the children to express their creativity without the need for sharp tools or extensive supervision.
A Halloween-themed scavenger hunt can be a fun way to engage the kids while also getting them outside or moving around the house. Hide spooky items like plastic spiders, mini pumpkins, or Halloween-themed trinkets, and give the kids clues to find them. You can also create challenges along the way, like telling a spooky story or solving a riddle to earn their next clue. If you live in an area where the weather is nice, take this scavenger hunt up a notch by customizing the search to exterior halloween decorations in your neighborhood!
The scavenger hunt is an exciting and cost-effective way to keep the kids entertained, especially if you let them help plan some of the clues or challenges.
To make Halloween night extra special, host a themed dinner with spooky foods that the kids will love. Think mummy hot dogs (wrapped in crescent rolls), ghost-shaped sandwiches, or “witches' brew” punch (green juice with floating gummy worms). You can get the kids involved in the kitchen by letting them help prepare the food or decorate the dining area with DIY Halloween decorations.
Not only does this idea make Halloween dinner fun, but it also encourages kids to work together and participate in creating a festive atmosphere.
We hope you have a great Halloween. Stay safe and have fun!
