We have a great list of ideas for Halloween alternatives this year. Not everyone celebrates Halloween. And that’s okay, we are all different and all have different ideals and beliefs. But sometimes it is hard when your kids, or even you, feel like you’re missing out. Halloween is a very festive and fun day with candies, tricks, and treats. But there are plenty of fun things you can do this Halloween that doesn’t involve trick or treating, dressing up, or scary things! Let’s explore all the Halloween alternatives that you, your friends, and family can enjoy.
Alternative Halloween Festivities
Whatever your reason is for not wanting to do Halloween is your own and you don’t owe anyone a reason and there is no reason to feel left out of the fun. You can make your own fun with these alternative Halloween festivities ideas.
From being outdoors to being indoors, games, food, and more, here are some great Halloween alternatives to ensure everyone has fun this fall!
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Related: Fall for a good book this fall with these great fall themed books!
Halloween Alternatives
Each of these alternative Halloween festivities is a great way to get family, friends, and neighbors together!
1. Movie and Snack Night
Make some popcorn, buy some candy, and find all the great fall movies that you can enjoy together as we family. Everyone gets treats and yummy snacks and you can enjoy great movies together like:
- Charlotte’s Web
- It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
- Babe
- Akeelah and the Bee
- October Sky
- Up
- Paddington
- Fly Away Home
2. Host A Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is a great way to celebrate fall without the spookiness of Halloween. We have a great fall printable scavenger hunt that will allow you to search and find so many different aspects of fall like red leaves, pine cones, orange leaves, feathers, and more!
3. Host A Light Night
Halloween is about darkness and scariness. So, host a party that celebrates lights! Bring candles and lanterns and listen to uplifting music. Everyone can bring their favorite beverages, foods, and treats!
4. Flannel and Fire Night
Instead of going out, stay in! Put on your flannel jammies and sit by a fire pit! Invite your family and friends. You can roast weenies, toast some smores, drink hot chocolate, and tell funny stories!
5. Fall Festival At Home
No one has to feel left out of the fun when you can bring the fun to you! Set up a mini fair for friends, family, and neighbors at home. Set up different food bars like a caramel apple dipping table, popcorn bar, apple cider tasting. You can do pumpkin ring toss, a hay bale photobooth, and do other fun things like mini pie bake-offs! It’s a great way to get your close community together.
6. Fall Potluck Party
Invite everyone over and enjoy a fun and tasty potluck. Everyone can bring their favorite fall dish whether it’s sweet potato casserole, apple pie, pumpkin spice lattes, whatever it may be! You can decorate with candles, leaves, and other fall themed items.
7. You’re Loved
Instead of “You’ve Been Booed” which is a cute trend that is meant to uplift loved ones and neighbors, you can put a twist on it and make “You’re loved” treat bags and drop them off to family, friends, neighbors, even nursing homes.
8. Volunteer
Speaking of nursing homes… volunteer your time. Halloween is about getting and we can instead be giving. You can help at a soup kitchen, at an animal shelter, help at a fall charity even, help with a church ran fall festival. There are so many ways to give back to your community!
9. Cider and Craft Night
I’m not a pumpkin spice girly, but I am a cider girly! And I love crafts. Combine the two and you can have fun taste testing different apple ciders and making fun fall crafts like wreaths!
10. Autumn Bake Off
My friends and I have done this before. Everyone bakes/makes their favorite autumn treat and we all get to taste test them and swap recipes. It’s a lot of fun… and is super tasty.
11. Fall Game Night
You don’t have to go out to have fun. There are so many great games you can play as a family. And you can even have fun prizes like blankets, candles, pajamas, homemade goods, candy, etc. There are so many great games like:
12. Night Time Picnic
Enjoy yummy snacks and treats together under the stars. You can get snuggled up in warm blankets, enjoy hot chocolate, and star gaze!
13. Visit A Pumpkin Patch
Instead of having fun at night, have fun during the day! You can go to a pumpkin patch and pick out a nice pumpkin, go on a hay ride, run through a corn maze! They’re so much fun.
14. Apple Orchard
Not a pumpkin fan? Go to an apple orchard and pick apples together! Many apple orchards offer people the same things that pumpkin patches do. Just check with your local orchard.
15. Read Together
Enjoy snacks and treats while you listen to a story! My parents would read to me, even when we got older, and it was a special thing that I do with my family now. And there are so many great books you can read or listen to as a family like:
- Sarah, Plain, and Tall
- The Year At Maple Hill Farm
- Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn
- Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
- Leaf Man
- Fletcher and the Falling Leaves
Fun Halloween Alternatives Everyone Can Enjoy
We hope you enjoy these fun Halloween alterative as much as we do. There is no reason you should miss out on the fun and there are many ways to still have fun without ghouls, ghosts, and scares!
More Fall Fun From Kids Activities Blog
- We have so many fall crafts!
- Get your crayons ready for these fall coloring pages!
- Or download and print these leaf coloring pages that double as a leaf template for leaf shaped crafts.
- Kids can make their own leaf drawing with this simple how to draw a leaf step by step guide.
- Fall activity sheets are sure to keep your little ones entertained.
- These tree coloring pages are full of autumn leaves in need of some fall color.
- I made a list of fall crafts your whole family will love!
- Cool and rainy days call for fall crafts for kids
- This pumpkin book craft is sure to be a hit!
- Pumpkin activities are really “gourd” ways to teach your little ones!
- Go find some fall leaves on our nature scavenger hunt that works great even for younger kids because no reading is required.
- The 50 fall activities for kids are all of our favorites!
- Looking for fall crafts with cinnamon sticks? Check out these cinnamon pumpkin crafts!
- Try out this preschool level jack-o-lantern craft!
- Check out this preschool apple tree craft!
- Check out this pine cone craft! It’s perfect for fall.
- We have a simple Autumn craft using fall leaves to make a tree!
- Make easy to clean up confetti out of leaves!
- Make clay fall themed pies!
- You have got to check out this fall themed necklace for kids!
- Don’t miss out on this super fun fall tic-tac-toe!
- We have a fun and cozy fall build a scene printable!
What was your favorite Halloween alternative? Mine is number 4!
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