If you love Halloween [1], it's easy to go all out buying spooky decor [2] and over-the-top costumes [3], but celebrating doesn't have to leave you completely broke or out until all hours of the night. You can still participate in all the festive and sugar-filled activities on a budget and have fun while you're at it. Many of these Halloween [4] activity ideas you can do from the comfort of your own home — a bonus if you're looking for low-key ways to celebrate Halloween this year. Check out 31 things you can do this Halloween ahead, and make sure to add a few to your fall bucket list.
— Additional reporting by Haley Lyndes and Lauren Mazzo
Drink pumpkin spice lattes.
We have a recipe for homemade iced pumpkin spice lattes [5] right here.
Visit an actual haunted site.
Google "haunted places near me." You're bound to find something spooky.
Gut a pumpkin, then toast the seeds.
If you make a jack-o'-lantern this year, don't just dump the insides. Follow these steps to roast the pumpkin seeds for a delicious fall snack.
Find your way through a corn maze.
This family-friendly Halloween [7] activity is a great option if you want to get outside.
Pass out candy to trick-or-treaters.
Even if you don't feel like going out yourself, you can dress up in an easy Halloween costume [8] and pass out candy to tick-or-treaters.
Jump around in leaves.
Is there anything more fall-y than fallen leaves?!
Experiment with spooky cocktails.
For an adult Halloween [9] activity, try whipping up one of these festive Halloween cocktail recipes [10].
Make a "charcuterie board" with your favourite Halloween sweets.
It's only on sale this time of year, so you might as well enjoy it! Buy all your favourite Halloween [11] sweets to make a sweet "charcuterie board."
Make your home into a haunted house.
Light your favourite fall candles [12], drape some fake spiderwebs all around, and put on some spooky sounds to turn up the Halloween [13] vibes at home.
Play around with dark makeup.
You don't need to go out to play with some fun Halloween makeup looks [14] and take some fire selfies.
Watch scary movies all night.
How to choose? Great news: we have lists of all the best Halloween movies [15] right here, whether you're looking for a family-friendly flick or one that's guaranteed to leave you scared.
Do a Halloween craft.
Tap into your creative side with one of these cute Halloween crafts from TikTok [16].
DIY Halloween decorations.
Here are some Halloween decoration DIYs to get you started [17].
Carve a pumpkin (or 10).
Many people opt to carve pumpkins ahead of the 31st so they have them to put out on Halloween [18] night, but you can also turn it into a fun thing to do on Halloween.
Go apple picking.
It's a perfect Halloween [19] activity, and you come home with fresh apples to use for this delicious baked apple dessert.
Tell ghost stories around a fire.
An outdoor fire is ideal, but you can also put a spooky fireplace YouTube video [20] on your TV in a pinch.
Go trick-or-treating.
Tag along with your kids, nieces, nephews, or friends' kids to go trick-or-treating. You're never too old to enjoy it!
Make lunch or dinner out of pumpkin ingredients.
Try one of these savory pumpkin recipes [21] for lunch or dinner.
Take a night hike.
Grab a headlamp and some flashlights, and hit a local trail that you know will be safe to hike at night.
Roast s'mores.
Strike up a bonfire outside, or use TikTok's trick for making s'mores inside.
Turn on a spooky Halloween playlist.
Put on a Halloween [22] playlist while you're doing anything — making dinner, decorating, waiting for trick-or-treaters — and it automatically becomes more festive.
Take a spooky graveyard tour.
Go IRL, or dial down the spookiness factor by finding one you can watch on YouTube [23].
Bake Halloween cookies.
Here are a bunch of Halloween cookie recipes [24] for you to choose from.
Scare yourself by reading thrillers.
Get some new mystery and thriller book recommendations here [25].
Visit a pumpkin patch.
For a family-friendly thing to do on Halloween [26], visit a pumpkin patch to take cute photos, drink some apple cider, and pick out pumpkins to take home.
Bake autumn desserts.
Bake a pumpkin or apple pie, or one of these other delicious autumn desserts
.
Have a costume contest (virtual or IRL).
Gather your friends in real life or virtually and host a Halloween [27] costume contest for yourself, your kids, or your pets.
Get creative with no-carve pumpkins.
Make pumpkin decorating easier for kids and adults alike by painting pumpkins instead.
DIY last-minute Halloween costumes.
Create a spread of themed Halloween snacks.
From a "Hocus Pocus" charcuterie board [28] to bat Oreo bites [29], the festive Halloween snack [30] options are endless.
Have a Halloween colouring-book night.
Get free Halloween [31] colouring page printables here.