Halloween 2020 might go down as the weirdest Halloween in the history of our lives but that doesn’t mean it can’t be epic! We are planning a Halloween at Home party and whether it’s a covid quarantine or next year’s Halloween party; whether you are still social distancing alone or with your bubble or don’t care and are having a rager, here’s the what you need and how to execute Halloween at Home Great Candy Treasure Hunt.
What you need
Decorations
Sure you have the outdoor decorations but to turn your house into a spooky, treasure hunt you need the inside to have some ambiance.
Lighting, in my opinion, is always the most important detail of any party. If it’s too bright, the spooky effect is gone. If it’s too dark, everyone will be lost. So I ordered this curtain of purple lights and
The next thing I ordered was this BEWARE door curtain. Making the entrance to something a big deal starts everyone off in the right mindset. Don’t skimp here. It’s true that first reactions matter, even at parties.
Next, a pack of some fun and festive Halloween decor helps to fill in the empty spaces and, of course, more spider webs. We’ll put webs everywhere to make getting to the different rooms and candy hunt extra creepy.
And lastly, and probably my absolute favorite freaking thing are these Coleman kid lanterns. We got them a couple of weeks ago for Daughter’s birthday when we set up a tent outside to watch a movie. These things are beyond cool and great quality.
Music
Music takes any event from fine to epic. Sure you want to include classics like Monster Mash and Ghostbusters but you also need to include sound effects and ambient noise, especially during the hunt.
PRO TIP: Do a quick listen. Some spooky noises are really creepy and might frighten some kids. You’re going for spooky, not terrifying.
Here’s my Best Halloween playlist. Take what you like and copy it and add whatever else you want.
Candy
Candy. A lot of it. In abundance. You may not be a sugar-giving parent. We aren’t either but it’s Halloween in the weirdest year of ever, just say yes and make it epic.
Friends
In this Covid climate of things, this is a touchy subject because everyone is quarantining differently. My advice? Be honest. If you know another family that might be distancing like you and following the same protocols—ASK THEM. Be upfront and tell them how you are quarantining and ask how they are and see if it a match that you are both comfortable with.
If you have close friends that aren’t social distancing like you but that you feel comfortable talking to, why not ask if they’d be willing to quarantine for the 2 weeks before. The same goes for any holiday or birthday. It’s a strange conversation these days but one we have to get used to having.
But to be clear… you don’t need to have anyone over to have fun! I would 100% still be doing this with just our little family of 4, full on costumes and all! (Which by the way just arrived as I type this!)
How to execute
You have your decoration and music and candy, now let’s get to the real planning!
1. start Early
The candy hunt will start when it’s dark but give yourself time to hang out in your costumes, take pictures, play games, make crafts, and eat. You can go Pinterest crazy and make Spooktacular treats. Personally, I’m just going to order pizza and make sure we all eat before the candy comes out—cause, let’s be real here, ain’t no kid going to eat real food once the candy arrives.
As far as games, I’ll be playing freeze dance with the Halloween playlist and maybe some charades with Halloween movies and spooky characters.
2. Hide the Candy
As it starts to get later and it starts getting darker, have one parent take the kids outside while the other adult hides candy throughout the house.
PRO TIPS:
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- Make a map or list of where you hide the candy so that you can go back to each room and make sure no candy is left behind. No one wants to find melty candy bars in a closet in June.
- Make some rooms off-limits. For example, we will not be hiding candy in our bedroom or the kitchen. Go the extra step and use caution tape to keep them out.
3. THE HUNT BEGINS
Once the evening grows dark, plug in the Halloween lights and play the spooky ambient music, and organize everyone outside with their lanterns. Starting in one space not only builds anticipation but you can give everyone directions and then begin with a countdown.
Let them go nuts and go from room to room in search of sweet treats. Turning off the lights, haunting noises, and adding spider webs up the stairs or to get into rooms will add to the fun search.
PRO TIP:
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- Move everyone together from room to room. It will still be chaos (as it should be) but it’ll be organized chaos.
4. Candy Swap
The finesse of the deal, the adrenaline of negotiations. We arrive at what was always my favorite part of Halloween. I was a Butterfinger gal. My sister Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Neither of us like 3 Musketeers but our best friend loved them! Trading was sooooo much fun!
To add to the fun of the trade, pitch a simple tent in your living room or outside with blankets and—YEP! Those lanterns!!! Hang a little “Trading Post” sign and what kid could resist?
5. Halloween Movie
After the pictures have been taken, the pizza eaten, the hunt hunted, and the candy traded, now it’s time to set up a movie and have the kids veg out, relax, and eat their goodies. You could set up a movie in the tent or cozy them up on the couch.
MOVIE IDEAS
for younger kids
– E.T. (i mean, classic)
– Scoob (2020, a super cute Scooby Doo movie)
– The Addams Family (2019)
– Casper (1995)
MOVIE IDEAS
for slightly older kids
– Hocus Pocus (a personal fave)
– The Witches (2020, the remake is coming and will be out on HBO October 22!)
– Goosebumps (2015, with jack Black)
– Gremlins (80’s ruuuules!)
6. Halloween Adult Drinks
Now that the kids are tired and happy, make yourself a delicious Halloween Cocktail. There are so many recipes and ideas out there. OR feel free to join our FaBOOOOlous Virtual Happy OUR Cocktail Experience the night before where we’ll mix up Halloween cocktails which means you’ll already have the ingredients and the know-how to make your adult drinks after the Great Candy Treasure Hunt! Click the link and join us!
Will be having Halloween at home?!
I’d love for you to share ideas, recipes, and pictures!
P.S. Halloween Costumes for Couples + Families and our Most Favorite Family Tradition
Here’s a pin to share!
*Links are affiliate. Everything mentioned is something I myself have purchased.
