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If you’ve got teens, like I do, you already know that celebrating Halloween is no longer the simple holiday it used to be, and finding fun Halloween activities for teens can be a literal nightmare. Remember the days when your Halloween to-do list looked like this?
1. Get/make costume for kid.
2. Take kid trick-or-treating.
3. Ration candy until it’s forgotten/goes stale.
With teens, yeah, not so much. Halloween is not so much fright anymore as it is fraught — fraught with intense questions that can make some teens seem, well, lukewarm about the once-beloved holiday: Am I too old to dress up? Is trick-or-treating dumb? Am I the only one of my friends who still really likes Halloween? However, there are indeed cool Halloween activities for teens that they won’t be embarrassed about.
We’re not saying they’re actually letting you in on any of these musings, but you may detect a reluctance in them (for the first time) to participate in Halloween — or their wanting to do something Halloween-ish, but maybe a little more on their own terms.
It’s bittersweet for sure, because you can still remember how adorable they looked in the Thomas the Tank Engine costume you made out of a microwave box. (Sob.) But you can offer up (gently, casually — be chill) some fun Halloween alternatives for teens to keep the spirit alive. And if they’re not driving yet, throw in an offer to transport them and a few friends, and see if that doesn’t perk them up out of their existential teen Halloween doom and gloom. If your teens want to do something fun besides door-to-door trick-or-treating, we’ve provided at-home ideas when possible to keep the festivities alive.
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1. Host a Virtual Halloween Party
Halloween can still be a blast for your teen. Have them get their friends together for a virtual Halloween party so they can get their spooky and competitive game on. The party planning’s taken care of thanks to this genius interactive PowerPoint game that you can edit (with editing directions included)!
Similar to the famous TV game show, the game comes with categories, but this one has a Halloween theme (For the Love of Candy, All about Pumpkins, Superstitions, Fall Favorites, Many Monsters, and Pumpkin Spiced.) Each category has 5 questions for a total of 30 questions. What else is included? Game sounds, music, plus Double & Final Jep-arty! Make sure to wear an awesome costume!
PamsPartyPrintables/Etsy.
Virtual Halloween Party Game
$9 per person
Buy now
2. Stock Up on Sale Candy
Our favorite part about Halloween? The candy, of course. Be prepared for all of your guests and trick-or-treaters looking for snacks on the big day. This nearly 7-pound bag should keep them satisfied. No need to head to the store IRL, though, because Amazon has you covered
without leaving the couch:
Ultra-Soft Sherpa Fleece Weighted Blanket
$79.20
on Amazon.com
Buy now
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3FAUn_HQFE/
A post shared by Lauren – Organizer & Coach (@intentionaledit)
9. Rock a Corn Maze
Halloween corn mazes continue to be a crazy-popular activity, especially in the Midwest (duh). And would you believe there is actually a corn maze finder so you can find the corn labyrinth closest to you?
10. Explore a Local Graveyard
This is good one for teens who 1) geek out on history 2) have parents who geek out on history. This was actually something my older daughter and I liked to do together in the fall. It was creepy … but peaceful too. Just honor cemetery regulations and hours — most don’t appreciate folks poking around in them after dark. Or, we recommend reading a haunting book
like this one instead:
Ghost Hunters: True Stories from the World's Most Famous Demonologists
$14.99
on Amazon.com
Buy now
https://www.instagram.com/p/B22PBLEhn6G/
A post shared by Alexandria Colonial Tours 🕯 (@touralexandria)
11. Crack the Code of a Horror-Themed Escape Room
Escape rooms are popping up everywhere these days, and some of them have downright horrifying themes, perfect for Halloween. This one is a fab example (and note many of them require reservations, they’re so popular).
Do you dare? You can also bring the fun home with this at-home game
.
ESCAPE ROOM IN A BOX The Werewolf Experiment
$32.99
on Amazon.com
Buy now
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2zOylzFyw6/
A post shared by Sherlock Official Live Game (@221b)
12. Take in a Paranormal Ghost Tour
Most towns and cities across the world have at least one historical “ghost walk” or tour covering the alleged paranormal activity of the area — and many of these are NOT for the faint of heart. Maybe the real ghosts make a point of celebrating Halloween… you never know. Check this terrifying event happening at an old prison in Philadelphia and see if you or your teen have the cojones required to enter something like this. Or visit the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio, where The Shawshank Redemption was filmed — and take part in a public ghost hunt or a private paranormal tour!
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3E0taxj0yE/
A post shared by National Building Museum (@nationalbuildingmuseum)
So yeah, if you now have a teen, they may want to do Halloween different this year — but trust me, it doesn’t have to be any less fun. Pinky swear.
These celeb parents have gotten very real about their kids growing up.
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