With the constant uncertainty of what will happen next following Covid-19, many students look forward to the weekend festivities as a small escape from their everyday routine. Hundreds of plans have been made for ways to spend this holiday, whether it be going out and trick-or-treating or just staying home with a few friends.  Halloween is here, and with it the spectre of a global pandemic. Here are some Halloween ideas that not only ensure social distancing and safety for MFS students, but as a result are fun and exciting as well.

• Halloween Movie Marathon

Nothing screams Halloween like a movie marathon. Whether it be Halloween classics or scary movies, this is a great way to spend the night. Grab a blanket, prepare a bag of your favorite Halloween candy or popcorn, and sit back and enjoy. Some classic Halloween themed movies to watch include: Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, and Friday the 13th.

• Making Spooky Treats

Halloween is all about the treats as well as the tricks. This spooky season, treat yourself by baking some Halloween themed snacks. From a brain cake to graveyard guacamole, to monster cupcakes, this is fun for the whole family. You can even mix it up and turn it into a contest for best-looking treats.

• Have A Pumpkin Carving Contest

If you want a friendly competition that will be fun for the whole family, why not try pumpkin carving? Have everyone pitch in to buy the necessary materials and maybe even throw in a few prizes to raise the stakes. Gather your supplies, set a timer, and let everyone go off and have fun carving their pumpkins. Then, have a certain group of friends or family be the judges. You can even collect votes online! A safe way to engage with others while maintaining social distance. This is easy and fun for people of all ages.  Here are some inspirations for different types of carvings.

• Haunt Your House

Make some DIY Halloween props and decorate the inside of your home like a haunted house. With some red paint, disposable towels, and shower curtains, you can turn your bathroom into a literal “blood bath.” Have some fun and make the house an interactive haunted house for the whole family. 

• Have A Halloween Candy Exchange

Kids’ favorite part of Halloween is the trick-or-treating and bags full of candy. Instead of going out, assign everyone at home a random family member and create a Halloween candy bag just for them. Fill the bags with the person’s favorite candy and other spooky treats. From there, everyone can exchange bags and enjoy. Simple, easy, and, most importantly, safe. 

• Make A Spooky Feast

What better way to enjoy the Halloween season than with a spooky feast. This is a great way to have fun with the little ones as well. Some easy and fun foods include: mummy hotdogs, ghost pizza bagels, and jack-o-lantern quesadillas. These snacks are simple to make and even easier to clean up.

•  Host An At-Home Costume Party

Dressing up is an iconic Halloween tradition. Instead of going out and trick-or-treating, you can have a Halloween costume party at home. Dress up with the family, and have fun showcasing your different costumes. You can also turn this at home costume party into a mini-fashion show. You can even create some DIY costumes and show them off to family and friends.

•  Create An At-Home Halloween Escape Room

This is a great activity for teens and adults. First, come up with a storyline to get the plot moving and help set the mood for the escape room. Then, design hints and clues to place around the room, hiding the keys or objects needed to “escape.” For every object that is needed to escape, attach a hint to the back of the object to let the players know their next step. Break into two groups and see who can “escape” faster. Add prizes to make everything more entertaining.

•  Face Painting

If you don’t want to dress up, face paint is the way to go. Fun and easy, this is a great way to spend the night and keep small children entertained. Get creative with it and come up with some crazy designs, or keep it simple and classy, and stick with a butterfly or tiger.  You can even let kids take turns painting each other’s faces. Either way, it’s fun for everyone. 

• Play Halloween-Themed Games

What better way to keep kids entertained than with some Halloween-themed games or backyard activities. You can set up a bobbing for apples station or even a “pumpkin patch” stomp game. Fill some orange balloons with candy and watch kids stomp on the “pumpkins”. If you want something more relaxing, try a backyard bonfire, a  great way to tell spooky stories and enjoy some delicious treats.