More than 2000 years ago, ancient Celtics gathered at the end of a summer harvest and wore costumes to ward off ghosts. The modern Halloween descends from years of traditions that travelled across religions and various regions, each honoring different traditions, and in the U.S., it boils down to costumes and candy.
While it would be fun to go door-to-door collecting tricks or treats this Halloween season, it really isn’t an option once you’re an adult. If you’re looking for Halloween activities beyond handing over candy and attempting to scare little ones off their pants, here are 9 activities you should consider.
1. Scavenger Hunt
The best part about a scavenger hunt is that you can use different themes, including scary pirates, the 90s, the Wild West, and mental asylums. Once you’ve picked a theme, you can move on to finding clues and decorations that align with the vision. Of course, inform your guests in time. The Wild Wild West never fails to impress with cowboy hats and boots.
Then, map out the hunt indoors, outdoors, or both. If you’re having difficulty finding the right tricks for each prize, find a few free ones online. Keep your questions neat and easy to read and decide if participants should gather their prizes for presentation at the end of the game or just take pictures. As with all parties, always have some snacks on standby for everyone once the fun is complete.
2. Tarot Reading
We can all be professional witches this season with the right tarot cards and a bit of direction. It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not; it’s always fun to have your cards read, and even better when you can bring your friends and family along.
First, grab some tarot cards for your reading. For even more fun, find a deck that matches your Halloween theme. Read the instructions carefully to remember the signs before shuffling the deck and picking five random cards and starting to read.
Lay the cards out as a five-handed star and start with the card at the bottom left corner. What does the future hold for you? Good tidings? Are you safe for the next season, or should you watch out for evil eyes?
3. Themed Photobooth
Every holiday deserves some good pictures, and if you can’t make it to a professional photobooth, how about you bring the experience home? First, pick a scary theme and be consistent with your decorations for the backdrop, props, and ceilings.
A couple of paper bats never ruined a Halloween season, because you can tape them up and voila! No more boring ceilings. Of course, the lit-up scary pumpkins make the experience even more pleasant and introduce warm ambient lighting for the pictures. For the backdrop, pick a couple of cartons or wooden boards to lay with paper for painting and stickers.
Alternatively, use a house corner and decorate it with stars, moon, skeletons, and other drawings to spice up the picture. Of course, remember to bring your camera and clean the lens before you start taking photos.
4. Costume Contest
Halloween is always the perfect time to dress up to show off your creative skills. If you prefer to purchase your outfits, don’t forget to do it earlier in the year before the prices skyrocket and the stock runs out. We love a good scary theme that encourages masks, glow paint, and pointy hats if need be.
Of course, you can always make your costumes and bring your friends and family in for the fun. Designing creatively and from scratch makes the experience more competitive, encourages everyone to be creative, and helps everyone learn a skill.
Unless you’re a design expert, the designs may not be as pleasant as store-bought items, but the goal isn’t to turn into the best seamstress. It’s all about making something you enjoy and sharing it with your loved ones for a memorable event.
5. Play Halloween themed Games
A little friendly competition never ruined the holiday spirit. If you can’t do anything else this season, gather a few games to play overnight. These could be anything from themed card games to the usual games, just with a different set of prizes for the night.
We recommend trying out different games to give everyone a shot at winning or making different mistakes. You simply cannot run out of options with Halloween-themed slots, videogames, bingo and poker. If you’re looking for less online-based games, try pumpkin carving and bobbing apples for a more hands-on experience.
6. Halloween Magic Potions
Fun, safe, and edible is never the wrong way to enjoy a Halloween season. You can make an adult version of these potions or just go for beer if your crew prefers. The idea here is to make it fun to find the portion.
Hide some “you’ve been cursed” signs all over the house, and if you find one, you will have to consume a magic potion to take away the curse. Put the potions in cute little bottles, just enough for people to take a shot but not enough to get carried away. Or just dare them to do activities like “howl at the moon” or “dance for everyone at the party”. It’s all about keeping everyone involved and happy at the end of the party.
7. Beer Pong
Try some beer pong if you want to turn up the festivities. Everybody loves some friendly competition, and if it ends with beer, even better. You can style up the game by getting Halloween-themed party cups. Divide the teams equally and distribute the drinks evenly before everyone gets a little lightheaded.
8. Adult Pinatas
Pinatas are not only for kids but are also the perfect way to close off a long night of festivities. You can shape the pinata into anything you like, including animals, beer cups, pistols, and the traditional horse. For stuffing, ditch the candy if you tried it last season and offer gift cards, dollar bills, fun jewelry, wine gummies, fortune cookies, and gas cards. Try to have as many pinatas as possible so that everyone gets an equal chance at winning.
9. Trivia
The best way to get everyone to mingle and get excited is to introduce a couple of questions. Trivia is a party favorite, allowing just enough competition without becoming overbearing. For themes, go for more spooky stuff like paranormal activities and scary movies or make it a bit macabre by jumping into true crime and serial killer stories.
Be sure to collect enough questions for the night and tell everyone the themes beforehand so they can familiarize themselves with the topic in case it’s outside their comfort zone. Also, have a prize for the winning team and snacks for everyone as the game progresses, to keep their minds buzzing.
Have Fun This Halloween Season
No matter how old you are, there’s always more fun to be had. Don’t just stay inside this year. Get a few friends, start planning, and have a blast on Halloween.
