Photo taken by Chloe Rodgers
Are you trying to get excited for spooky season but struggling to think of any good ideas? Well no need to worry because we have been brainstorming some devilishly good activities that are sure to get you feeling ready for the 31st.
1. Get out in the garden!
This might sound like a controversial first choice; what is scary about a garden besides a few slugs and spiders? Well, pumpkins, of course! If you are lucky enough to have access to a garden or an allotment, and are feeling ready for Halloween in May/June, then go out and get some pumpkin seeds! In the next 100 or so days you will be able to watch the spookiest season of them all approaching by seeing those seedlings grow into pumpkins!
If you don't have access to a garden or allotment and fancy spending a bit more money, you could miss out on the gardening and go straight to a pumpkin patch to pick out your very own pumpkin!
2. Make Halloween Pizzas!
If you've seen our previous article then you will know how easy it is to make a dish or a bake Halloween-themed. One easy example is Halloween pizzas.
You may have seen these all over Pinterest and Instagram recently. Simply choose your favourite recipe for pizza dough and shape it into a ghost or a pumpkin. Other shapes are possible but these are some of the easiest to start with. You can make one large pizza to share or lots of mini, bitesize pizzas.
Once you've shaped your dough, add tomato sauce, cheese and any extra toppings you would like. You can even cut red pepper into Halloween shapes like pumpkins, ghosts and bats to add extra flavour, texture and Halloween flair!
If you try this out feel free to send it in to us for a chance to be featured in the next article!
3. Plan out your costume!
Have you ever spent the year getting excited for Halloween, only to realise that you forgot one of the most important things: the costume! No need to worry, dear reader, here is your reminder to get your costume ideas together now so you have plenty of time to buy something.
This is also your call to get together with your friends or your significant other to plan a group costume. Dressing up is all the more fun when you do it with your friends and loved ones so make sure to pop a message in the group chat tonight before it's too late!
If you're feeling low on ideas, make sure to check out Pinterest as they tend to have some of the best costume ideas around. For example, you could go as one of the Addams family, Wednesday will likely be particularly popular due to her TV show that has been aired recently. Alternatively, Disney villains, the Scooby Doo gang or one of the Monster High characters could be fun.
As with the previous suggestion, feel free to send in your photos for a chance to be featured on our website!
4. Check out YouTube for some Halloween dance workouts!
If you're looking to improve your physical fitness but still want to be spooky while doing it, there are lots of dance workouts on YouTube that could help. Now that it's getting colder as we move away from Summer, it may not be quite as tempting to get active outdoors, so home workout videos can be a great alternative. They also don't have the price tag of a gym membership which is an added plus!
Here are links to some of the Halloween dance workouts you might enjoy:
Let us know how you find the workouts if you try them!
5. Find a Halloween event going on near you!
There are typically lots of events going on around Halloween, suitable for all different interests and ages.
For example, there may be more local events, like friends having parties or you could even organise one of your own. Or there may be events happening at areas in your community. Keep your eye out for posters in shops and on notice boards where you live
If you live in a city, like London, there are plenty of websites that will showcase events that may interest you. If you are fortunate enough to afford it, you could even have a trip to the theatre to watch a spooky play or a murder mystery.
6. Play some spooky video games!
There are lots of spooky or scary games that could be especially fun to play this time of year. We compiled some of our best suggestions here:
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Any of the Five Nights at Freddy's games, created by Scott Cawthorn. The Game Theorists on YouTube who have many videos on the lore behind this series.
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Little Nightmares 1 or 2 created by Tarsier Studios and Bandai Namco Entertainment. The third installment to this series is coming out soon!
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Phasmophobia created by Kinetic Games, this is a great multiplayer game to enjoy with your friends.
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UNDERTALE or DELTARUNE by Toby Fox.
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Just Dance created by Ubisoft, with plenty of Halloween tunes to dance along to. Play alone or with your friends!
7. Read some spooky books!
Here are some books that are perfect for this season
Classics
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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
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Dracula by Bram Stoker
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The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
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The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
Suitable for teens and kids
There are many suitable books for teens and children. There are picture books and sticker books for the younger kids and many series for teens. For example, many teens may have watched the Pretty Little Liars TV show but there is also the book series by Sara Shephard of the same name which is mysterious, creepy and perfect for Autumn.
Suitable for adults
There are all kinds of book series that add a spooky vibe. Whilst many may immediately think of the thrillers, crime or horror novels, Halloween can be implemented into all kinds of genres. For example, 'The Pumpkin Spice Cafe' by Laurie Gilmore is a romance novel with a lovely autumnal vibe.
8. Do some Gothic creative writing!
Get ready to send in your submissions for this one, we would love to read and share them! I vividly remember studying Gothic texts in English literature in school and being tasked to incorporate the Gothic style into some creative writing. You don't need to be \Edgar Allan Poe to give this one a try, but it can be a lot of fun and give you a chance to show your creative skills. Try out poetry, short story writing or anything you like. Check out our articles coming soon for autumnal/Halloween writing prompts for all you budding authors out there!
9. Watch some TV shows with Halloween/Autumn vibes!
There are so many TV shows that will get you in the mood for spooky season. Here are some of our favourites that you may not have seen:
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Gilmore Girls
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Pretty Little Liars
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Vampire Diaries
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Sabrina the Teenage Witch
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American Horror Story
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Charmed
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Send in your recommendations or reviews for Autumnal TV shows!
10. Go on a Autumn walk!
Even though the nights are longer and it is getting colder and rainier, walks in Autumn are still lovely. It is important to still stay active and get fresh air, and there is plenty to appreciate in the great outdoors in Autumn. For example, jumping in puddles and watching the leaves fall from the trees. Feel free to send us photos from your Autumn walks, with friends, family, pets or alone.
