The Halloween Season is upon us...

Which means buckets full of candy and outrageous costumes. You’re never too old to enjoy the spookiest day of the year, so for seniors ready to embrace the spirit of the holiday, here are five activities to try. If your household or community is anything like ours, then Halloween activities are a must!

Painting pumpkins

Typical holiday tradition includes busting out a sharp knife to carve a creepy face onto an unsuspecting squash, but carving jack-o-lanterns can be messy and dangerous. A much safer, low mess option is to buy some cheap acrylic paints and paint the pumpkins instead. This activity is perfect for seniors and can be fun for the whole family. Sharpies are another simple alternative, buy a fresh pack of permanent markers and draw on triangle eyes and crooked teeth and voila. Painted pumpkins also last longer, so this activity can be done earlier in the season for decorations that last through the month.

Homemade costumes

Why spend a ton of money on a costume you’re only going to wear once? Get into the spirit by making a costume with things you have on hand. Even just a simple mask is enough to give your grandkids or trick-or-treaters a small fright. Dollar stores are a great place to pick up art supplies on a budget, and often they carry blank masks that you can decorate. Use paint, feathers, pipe cleaners, and an assortment of other items to create something unique. To make a mask out of things laying around the house, take a paper plate and cut out eyes and a mouth, turn yourself into a lion, a clown, or something else with just some crayons. Punch some holes in the side and tie it to your head with some yarn.

Watch Halloween movie

Horror movies tend to be popular around October, but getting scared isn’t for everyone. Luckily, there are Halloween movies that are fun at any age. Grab the whole family and watch Bette Midler portray Winifred Sanderson in Hocus Pocus. Or, enjoy the crazy antics of The Addams Family in the 1991 film. If you have a little one in your life that you want to introduce to Charles Shultz, you can’t go wrong with It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Options for Halloween movies that are fun at any age are endless.

Make some holiday treats

While candy seems to be the focus of the season, it isn’t the healthiest of snacks. With some creativity, you can still eat treats that fit in with the theme of the season without loading up on sugar. Draw faces on oranges to make them look like jack-o-lanterns, or add a bit of food coloring to some apple cider to make it look like a slimy green potion. Little things can help your October snack feel a bit more spooky, for more snack ideas read “6 Easy Halloween Snacks for Seniors.”

Make decorations

If you want your house to be extra spooky, there are tons of easy projects that you can make with things already in your home. Use white tissue paper to make some simple ghosts by crumpling one piece for the head and covering it with another piece, secure it with a rubber band or some yarn, and draw a face on it for a simple specter. If you love fall but aren’t as into Halloween, you can make decorations that will last through Thanksgiving. You can use card stock or felt to cut out different colored fall leaves and make a garland to hang in your entryway. While pumpkins seem to be distinctly Halloween, other gourds can be used to add a fall harvest flair to your home.

Not in the mood for Halloween Activities?

Even when you’re well past the age to go trick-or-treating, Halloween is a holiday that can be enjoyed by all! So take the time to throw in some Halloween activities this year.