Most people who come to our house around Halloween say something like, “Wow, you guys really go all out for Halloween!”
I suppose you can see why once you pull up to our house and see several giant inflatables, skeletons crawling up the house, and spiders running along the windows.
Zombie skeletons are crawling up the side of the house, trying to get into the bedroom window, and others have taken up residence on the benches and front porch.
You must pass by the Grim Reaper to get to the front porch. Watch your step, or a three-foot jumping spider is sure to elicit a scream.
Walk inside the house to be greeted by three scary witches stirring their cauldron and waiting for new trick-or-treaters to eat, errrrr… I mean, offer them something to eat. You get the idea.
Sometimes family traditions just naturally evolve…
It all began with a couple of lighted pumpkins.
I did not start out thinking that I would decorate my entire house for Halloween; it just sort of evolved over a period of time. It became a more significant project every year and so much more time-consuming.
What I discovered is that my kids REALLY LOVE IT and I am now committed until the last child moves out. Perhaps I will be persuaded to do it all again once grandchildren arrive!
Halloween decorations are part of our family traditions.
So why do I do it? I don’t do it for the neighbors (and complete strangers) that enjoy the decorations and drive by every night.
I don’t do it for the sheer joy of an increased power bill (note to self, invest in LED everything).
This yearly tradition of decorating for Halloween creates a lasting impression on my children, and they look forward to it every Fall.
They anticipate eating dinner at the “spooky” table and drinking “witches brew” out of the fancy goblets.
Another favorite is sleeping in front of the Halloween village and watching the train as it lulls them to sleep.
They love watching the reaction of people getting scared when the jumping spider makes a surprise visit, and delight in showing family and friends all the creepy animatronics.
Setting up the Halloween village is a treasured favorite. It is complete with miniature haunted houses, a graveyard, a train, and a park for zombies. My kids have even taken up decorating their own rooms with Halloween decorations.
MORE Halloween Traditions?!?
Decorating for Halloween has become one of our most favorite traditions in itself, but it also sets the stage for other family traditions like get-togethers, carving pumpkins, dinners, and movie night.
The Pumpkin Patch and Horror movies…
Who am I kidding? We don’t do horror movies. Goosebumps and Gremlins are about as scary as we get!
Our family takes searching for the perfect pumpkin pretty seriously. So I really appreciate businesses that make their pumpkin patches fun and exciting. We have a local farmer that not only sells pumpkins, but has a haunted corn maze, food trucks, and jump houses.
After lots of pictures and more pumpkins than we need, we head back to the house for dinner, Halloween floats (vanilla ice cream, Fanta, and whip cream), and a scary movie. We turn off all the lights and let the Halloween glow of our decorations set the spooky ambiance.
We like to sit at the fancy, spooky table for dinner. Play some creepy music in the background and dine by candlelight.
My kids set the record for how fast they can inhale their food. I swear by the time I have dished up my plate, they have eaten everything in front of them and are looking to bail. To keep everyone at the table and the conversation going, I like to use “conversation starters.”
This game started organically when the kids were small and we were sitting around a campfire. We were all mesmerized by the flames and sitting quietly. So of course my mind started to wander, and it ended up at a particularly embarrassing moment I experienced in grade school. I started to giggle and told my kids the story.
After my story was told, and they all had a good laugh at my expense, I asked my first conversation starter question. “What is an embarrassing thing you have done?” Their stories were hilarious!
You can download my full Conversation Starters PDF. Here is a list of conversation starters for you to try:
- What was your favorite Halloween costume so far?
- What are some fun memories you have from past Halloweens?
- If you were on a deserted island, what three people would you take?
- What is your favorite comedy movie?
- If you could go on any vacation in the world, where would it be and why?
- What is your favorite number and why?
- What is your favorite form of exercise?
- Who was your first best friend?
- What do you like to do with your friends?
- If you could be a famous musician/singer, what kind of music would you sing? What would your style be like?
- If you could suddenly play any musical instrument in the world perfectly, what would you want to play?
- What animal would you be?
- What is the weirdest dream you ever had?
Pumpkin Carving and Spooky House Hunting
Usually on a Saturday afternoon, we carve our pumpkins while we have sugar cookies baking in the oven (we will frost and decorate them later). After we carve our pumpkins, we take them out to the front porch, and each kid poses with their new creepy friend. We incorporate our skeletons into the photo op, of course!
Once they are cooled, we frost and decorate the cookies and plate them up to take to a couple of neighbors. I totally encourage my kids to wear their costumes, a Halloween shirt, or just a pumpkin headband when we deliver the cookies. It makes it more fun, and the neighbors get a kick out of it.
Now it is time for Spooky House Hunting!
We also love to drive around the neighborhoods and look for other spooky houses. We usually hit the same places every year (bless them for continuing their own traditions!). We have also discovered other spots on social media and add them to our list. As it starts to get dark, we pile into the car with our travel mugs of hot chocolate, popcorn, and a list of eerie houses.
Caution: I swear it does not matter how old your kids are, but you will have a messy car afterward full of popcorn and spilled hot chocolate (make sure it’s not too hot before you set off). But that is OKAY!! It is the fond memory you want, not yelling about spilled popcorn. Popcorn is easy to vacuum up. Making your child feel bad about something (that really is insignificant) is much harder to clean up.
Halloween Night and Trick-or-Treating
Halloween night is the best! We set up the fog machine, turn on Halloween music, and wait for trick-or-treaters.
Our Halloween dinner tradition is to eat potato soup in bread bowls before we head out to trick-or-treat. I keep a pot of hot chocolate and apple cider on the stove for a warm drink when the kids get back. I also love it when the neighbors come over to trick-or-treat. I invite them in to show them the decorations inside and offer them a disposable travel mug of a hot beverage to take with them.
When they get home, my kids and their friends will dump their candy on the floor and organize it. Then the trading begins! Of course, I oversee these transactions and request they pay the “mom tax” as soon as I see Rolos or Starbursts.
I have really enjoyed reminiscing about my family’s Halloween traditions and hopefully, these ideas will help you create or add to your existing traditions. Remember, establishing a unique family culture can strengthen the bonds of your family. I am sure your kids will thank you for it… one day!
I hope you have a wonderful Halloween and make it the spookiest yet!