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Life

Partying Not Your Thing? Here Are 6 Things To Do At Home On Halloween That Are Just As Fun

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Courtney Lemkin

Spooky season lovers, get ready because Halloween is only a week away. While many college students attend parties on Halloween, some choose to celebrate the holiday at home or in their dorm. Whether you stay in on Halloween because large parties aren’t your thing, you have an early morning class the next day, or Mother Nature canceled your original plans to go out, there are still fun ways to celebrate the day without having to leave your home or campus. 

Remember that Halloween happens right after midterms so while you may not have anything planned, you can still use this day to celebrate the halfway point of the semester, make memories, and bond with friends while in college — even if the plans are last minute and done at home. 

Here are 6 ways to celebrate Halloween to the fullest. 

1. Watch a Movie 

Watching a movie is a perfect way to enjoy Halloween from the comfort of your own home. Instead of going out, you can opt to just watch a movie in your living room or dorm. You can even invite some friends over for a movie marathon. Since it’s Halloween, those who are horror movie enthusiasts can watch scary thrillers. But for those who aren’t into scary movies, Halloween-themed classics like the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown or The Nightmare Before Christmas are great options. You can also host virtual viewing parties using services like Group Watch on Disney Plus+ or  Watch Party on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu. 

This year in particular, one movie that is perfect to watch for the at-home movie marathon is Five Nights at Freddy’s Movie. The trailer is already out and the movie itself will be in theaters and on Peacock on Oct. 27. Perfect timing for Halloween!

2. Paint Pumpkins 

This option is good for not only convenience but also cost. All you need for this activity is, you guessed it, paint and pumpkins. Stop by your local grocery store to pick up your supplies. While carving pumpkins is more widely recognized amongst people when thinking of Halloween activities, the option of painting them is so much easier for those who have never carved a pumpkin before or don’t know how. Plus it’s not as messy! Painting pumpkins passes the time, gets you in the autumn/ Halloween spirit, and allows you to create great fall-time decorations. 

3. Host a Game Night 

Having a game night with all of your friends instead of going out is a great way to spend Halloween. You can divide people into teams and play different games such as bobbing for apples, cornhole, murder mystery, or a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt. 

You can also do a virtual escape room with your friends instead of going to one in person or purchase an escape room board game on Amazon that you can play as many times as you’d like. 

If you are an RA (Resident Assistant), a game night is a great way to get everyone in your dorm involved. It also serves as a great bonding experience for everyone (especially for underclassmen) to get to know each other better. 

4. Attend An On-Campus Halloween event

The examples I mentioned above might already be a thing on your college campus as some schools plan activities on Halloween for students to take part in. Others go above and beyond with their own Halloween traditions that students can look forward to each year. One example is the yearly YSO (Yale Symphony Orchestra) Halloween Show at Yale College which is a Halloween-themed silent show that’s written, produced, directed, and stars YSO members. 

5. Make Halloween Treats 

Hungry on Halloween night? Try making some Halloween treats. This is a fun thing to do with friends in your dorm or with your family if you’re living at home. Need recipe ideas? Go on Instagram and TikTok for some Halloween-themed snacks to make. If you make extra, you’ll have something good to eat in between your classes.  

6. Design DIY Costumes and Have a Halloween Photoshoot

Just because you aren’t going out, doesn’t mean you can’t dress up for Halloween. If you didn’t buy a costume, you can always make one at home using clothes you already have. If you have a costume but just didn’t get to wear it because of canceled plans, you can still dress up and invite friends over for an Instagram photoshoot. You can even brainstorm some spooky and trendy Halloween-themed Instagram captions for a little extra fun. 

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Courtney Lemkin is a National Contributing Writer for Her Campus. She writes articles for the lifestyle and career vertical where she gives advice relating to academics, campus life, and more. She is a graduate student at Adelphi University, earning her MA in educational theatre with a concentration in English education. She is a graduate of St. John's University where she majored in communication arts with a concentration in media management and minored in English. During her time at St. John's, she was the vice president of the campus' multimedia organization and also has prior editorial experience writing for College Magazine. She later became an editor for the online publication, then worked her way up to social media coordinator / newsletter editor, and eventually held the position of editor in chief. In her free time, Courtney enjoys anything related to the arts and loves going to see Broadway plays.