Halloween Family Traditions
Looking for the best Halloween family traditions to start this year with your family?
Then be inspired by these Halloween traditions for families!
Halloween is a holiday that many people look forward to year after year.
And with good reason!
From decorating your home to fun trick or treat costumes to making spooky Halloween crafts.
The Halloween season is jam packed with lots of fun Halloween traditions the whole family can enjoy.
So, to help get you excited and plan this year’s Halloween (and years to come) we have put together this ultimate list of the best family Halloween traditions.
And if holiday family traditions are your thing, then make sure you also check out these fun Christmas morning traditions and Easter family traditions.
Best Halloween Family Traditions
Cook Halloween Themed Food
Obviously, food is one of the best highlights of any holiday season. And Halloween themed food is no different!
From making spooky Halloween treats with the kids to creating a ghoulishly good Halloween dinner, cooking Halloween themed food is a must do tradition to start with the family this year.
Visit A Pumpkin Patch
Pumpkins are synonymous with Halloween. So, why not plan in an annual trip to the pumpkin patch!
You can spend the day picking your own pumpkins or even plan in an annual family photo shoot.
Most pumpkin patches will also have other Halloween activities running from spooky mazes to country hay bale rides to kids’ arts and crafts!
Take A Yearly Family Vacation Trip
Want an annual vacation with a twist? Then ditch the swimsuit and pack your trick or treat costume and head to one of these Halloween festive destinations!
You can either choose the same spot to go back to year after year or each year choose a different Halloween filled vacation spot to check out. Either way this is a Halloween family tradition the whole family will look forward to each year.
Throw A Halloween Themed Party
Parties are always fun and most people enjoy being around friends and families during the holiday season.
Halloween themed parties can be extra fun! From decorating the house to spooky treats to costumes it is very easy to make it an annual Halloween tradition all your friends and family look forward to!
And let’s not forget the fun filled Halloween themed party games and activities for the kids.
Watch A Scary Movie
Even if you are not someone who likes horror movies, watching a scary movie with your favorite people can be an awesome experience for you. Not to mention that Halloween is all about scaring others and getting scared in return.
If you have younger children, then you’ll find lots of age-appropriate family Halloween movies and cartoons too!
This is definitely one of the easiest, yet best Halloween traditions you can do.
Decorate The Entire House With Everyone’s Help
Decoration is definitely a bigger part of the entire Halloween holiday celebration for most families.
From creating spooky decorations to hanging the decorations together it is a Halloween tradition that even the youngest members of the family can get involved in.
Visit The Haunted House With Your Kids
Haunted house is another activity that is at the heart of Halloween around the world.
If you have one in your neighborhood or city, it’s always a fun visit! Though probably not appropriate for young children, it’s an experience that will get your adrenaline rushing as you spend time with family.
No doubt there will be lots of memorable moments too that you can laugh about as a family afterwards.
Volunteer as a Family this Halloween
Volunteering is an incredibly important and rewarding experience that you can do as a family!
So, why not make volunteering as a family a tradition you do every Halloween!
A quick check with your local community groups and you’ll find countless opportunities where you can volunteer as a family.
Go Trick Or Treating
Trick or treating is a tradition nearly all kids (big and small) look forward to every year!
And what’s not hard to get excited about!
From Halloween themed costumes to endless candy to checking out all the spookishly good Halloween decorations it is one of the highlights of the Halloween season.
Carve A Pumpkin
Whether you pick your own pumpkin or buy one from the shops, sitting down and carving pumpkins as a family is another Halloween tradition that has been around for years.
You may have even done this as a kid with your own parents!
Carving pumpkins and decorating them with loved ones can be extremely fun and an amazing memory for everyone.
You can even make it extra memorable by creating a family trophy that can be given each year for the best pumpkin carving and decorations!
Play A Game Of Switch Witch
This is something that can stop your kids from eating too much candy after Halloween.
The rules are easy! Kids have to share a little of the candies they collected from the trick or treating event with the witch, and in return they can get prizes from her.
This makes kids excited about a new activity and also reduces candy intake.
Gather Around The Firepit With Family
As the fall weather kicks in, you can enjoy a Halloween evening sitting around the firepit as a family telling spooky stories or reminiscing about the fun Halloween activities you have been embarking on.
Or better still, it can also be used to cook s’mores or other tasty treats together as you sit back and admire all your Halloween themed decorations.
Try Out Reverse Trick Or Treating
Most of us have been trick or treating with kids before, but reverse trick or treating can also become one of the best Halloween traditions that you can start with your own children!
Simply prepare some goody bags with all your favorite candies. Then you can head out as a family and let your kids drop the goody bags off at your neighbor’s house or to people in need to make them smile this holiday season.
Visit A Fall Festival
October in general is the time of the year filled with fun fall festivals.
If there are some held in your area or nearby it can be a great tradition to start visiting them with your family during the Halloween season.
They are great for checking out local handmade goods, eating tasty treats, and many also have free activities for the kids.
Make Halloween Crafts Together
Making Halloween crafts together is a family friendly tradition that everyone can look forward to.
It doesn’t matter if you have young kids or older kids, there are thousands of Halloween themed crafts to choose from!
Go On A Halloween Themed Scavenger Hunt
Create your own Halloween themed scavenger hunt where the whole family has to tick off items they see on their scavenger hunt list while walking or driving around your neighborhood.
This is also a great way see what fun and scary ways people have decorated their houses and front yards for Halloween.
Hold A Day Of The Dead Celebration
If there is a loved one who has passed away in your family, this can be the day to remember them and what they meant to you.
You may want to visit one of their favorite place, talk about that person with your family, or even cook something that they used to love.
The idea is to celebrate their life and the impact their life had on you and your family.
Make Scarecrows Together
If you have never tried to do this before, it can be extremely fun and easy to do this every year with your family.
All you need to do is get some basic supplies from the store and then you are good to go!
Take out one day from your busy schedule and sit down with the family to make your own scarecrow that you can put in your backyard.
Go Costume Shopping Together
Finding the perfect Halloween costume doesn’t need to be stressful!
In fact, you can make it your very own Halloween family tradition to go costume shopping together. You’ll be surprised how fun it can be trying on all the different costumes. There are sure to be plenty of laughs and memorable moments along the way!
If you don’t want to buy a costume and prefer to make your own, then you can then make it a tradition to create your costumes together instead. Crack own a few treats and sit down and enjoy each other’s company as you work on your costumes as a family.
Eat Dinner In Your Costumes
Who said costumes need to be just for trick or treating?
Why not inject some fun into your family dinners during October and have themed dressed up dinners!
You can dress up (or down) in your pajamas or make the most out of your trick or treat costume by wearing it for dinner.
This is also great for when you may not be able to go out trick or treating. It means you can still enjoy dressing up without feeling like you are missing all the Halloween fun.
Make Handmade Halloween Cards
Who doesn’t love getting a handmade and handwritten card!
Although not the most traditional time to send a greeting card, no doubt your family and friends will love getting a handmade card from your kids and family.
From making cards together to posting them in the mail, this is a family Halloween tradition everyone will enjoy!
Create A Family Fall Bucket List
Sit down and brainstorm activities you would love to do as a family throughout the fall and Halloween season.
Once you have created your fall bucket list, then you can place in a prominent spot in the house, like the refrigerator.
Each time you are looking for a family activity to do you can choose one of your fall themed activities.
From pumpkin picking, harvesting, or even wagon rides there are tons of family friendly activities you can do.
Then once you have done the activity cross it off your list.
Each year you can create a new list or keep it as a family tradition to do the same fall bucket list.
Roast Pumpkin Seeds
This might sound like a simple tradition, but it gives you the feeling that you are in the Halloween season.
Save the seeds from your pumpkin carving and then roast them in the oven so you can enjoy them with the entire family. It’s simple, yet it’s something that makes you a little more excited for Halloween.
Plan A Family Photo Shoot
Whether you want gorgeous pumpkin patch family photos or costume clad family photos, Halloween is the perfect time to plan in an annual family photo shoot.
Put Luminaries In Your Front Yard
Luminaries make for the perfect Halloween decorations. Putting luminaries outside the house can show your Halloween spirit, but it can also light up the yard for the people to come.
And best of all, they are super simple and fun to make!
The whole family will love making these paper Halloween luminaries year after year!
Final Thoughts On Halloween Family Traditions Ideas
Halloween is a great time to spend with your family creating fun traditions. From visiting a pumpkin patch to watching spooky movies to trick or treating we hope we have inspired you with these great Halloween family ideas.
And if you’re still looking for more great family time ideas, check out these traditions to start with grandchildren, Easter family traditions, family fun night ideas, free family activities, and inspirational family quotes.
