It may be a little late to start this discussion since Halloween is right around the corner, but it is still essential to discuss the different ways to enjoy the best time of the year (aka Spooky Season). To enjoy Spooky Season, you don’t necessarily have to only do Halloween-related things. This time of year can be celebrated in many different ways, some of which don’t even have to involve Halloween.
General Fall Festivities
Making and Listening to a Fall Playlist:
Before getting into any of the other activities, setting the mood is a requirement. To do this, creating or finding the perfect Fall playlist is essential. What I personally do for this is to search for a playlist on Spotify or YouTube, take the songs that I like, and then make my own playlist.
Pumpkin Decorating:
For someone who is not super into Halloween, you could still go to a pumpkin patch and decorate pumpkins with a friend. To decorate a pumpkin, you don’t have to carve it. Other ways to decorate a pumpkin could include using a Sharpie to draw designs, putting glitter, getting a pumpkin decorating kit, or even using florals. There are tutorials all over the internet to give you either a step-by-step guide or just general inspiration.
Baking:
If you enjoy pumpkin spice goodness, bake some pumpkin muffins or pancakes. Trader Joe’s has several baking mixes for fall that would be great to make and enjoy whilst decorating pumpkins or in the morning with coffee or tea. If you’re not super into pumpkin spice, maybe try a new cookie recipe or make muffins to share with friends or family.
Movies to get in the Fall/Halloween Mood:
- When Harry Met Sally
- You’ve Got Mail
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- The Addams Family
- Hocus Pocus
- The Corpse Bride
- Sleepy Hollow
Hopefully, this list is a good start to get you in the Fall/Halloween mood. None of these are scary options so everyone can enjoy the options.
Getting into the Halloween Spirit:
- Go to a Jack-O-Lantern Festival. It is super cool to see what artists create out of pumpkins. How easy it is to find one may depend on your area. If you cannot find one close by, maybe create a Jack-O-Lantern competition with your friends or family. This can be a fun way to make your own Jack-O-Lantern festival at home, and it also allows you the chance to try out some of the pumpkin decorating ideas discussed earlier.
- Have a night with your friends where you each have to make up costumes for each other with a mood board and then bring it to life. To start, maybe create a mood board on Pinterest or with a PowerPoint. You can then take turns presenting the costume ideas to your friends and then making them. To make this more sustainable, you can use clothes that are already in your closet or items around the house that can be used as props. Each person styles the person that they made a mood board for. You could do hair and makeup as well. If you are interested in FX makeup, it may be fun to show off your skills. From here, have a little fashion show to showcase the vision and the final product.
- Watch some spooky movies, play games (perhaps find a Halloween-themed deck of cards or make one!), enjoy candy (or baked goods), and have a night in with your friends. This may not be the most Halloween plan out there, but it is a simple way to have a good time and also get into the Spooky Season spirit.
- Go to a horror night or haunted house if you dare (and if you like scarier experiences). To find a place for this experience, maybe start with a Google search to see what is available in your area. From here, get a group together, dress up (or get cozy), and go get scared.
I hope you are having a magical Spooky Season!!