Here are six ideas for a spooktacularly fun Halloween at home in 2020
Halloween is right around the corner and usually this time of year would see parents rushing out to buy - or if you’re really ambitious, make - fancy dress costumes, enough sweets to feed all the children on your street and plenty of spooky decorations to give the Sanderson sisters a run for their money.
This year, things are looking a bit different as we face a Halloween dictated by the rule of six, social distancing and wearing masks - and we don't mean the scary face kind.
But this doesn’t mean the day is ruined. Here are some ideas of how you and your family can still make the most of the spooky season while keeping safe at the same time.
Will you be taking part in any at-home Halloween activities this year? Send your pictures and details of your event to suffolk@iliffepublishing.co.uk to be featured on our website.
1. Pumpkin picking
Nothing says autumn like a stroll through a muddy field hunting for the perfect pumpkin, right?
A visit to a local pumpkin patch is a must this year as it gives you the chance to do a fun activity with all the family while staying outside in the fresh air. And it's an activity you can enjoy any time in the run up to Halloween.
Undley Farm Events, near Lakenheath, has been open every weekend in October and will also stay open from Monday to Saturday next week for those wanting to visit during the half-term break.
It has pumpkins of all shapes and sizes on offer - including white ‘ghost’ pumpkins and green ones as well as the classic orange - and is also home to the ‘Maize Maze’ which this year celebrates NHS staff and other key workers.
Entry to the pumpkin patch is free, with pumpkins priced according to their size. The Maize Maze costs £5 for adults, £3.50 for children and £15 for a family of four. There are also donkey rides on offer at £3 per go.
Booking is essential for 2020 and can be done on the website here .
2. Halloween film night
Although trick or treating might be off the cards this year, there is still plenty you can do inside the house to mark the occasion in the right way.
And what better way than to pick some of your favourite Halloween-themed films and have a movie marathon?
Whether it be children's favourites like Hocus Pocus or The Nightmare Before Christmas or horror movies better suited to adults, this is an activity which everyone can enjoy.
So buy in all your favourite snacks, not forgetting the toffee apples, snuggle under a blanket and press play.
If you want to go the extra mile, you can always dress up too.
3. Family Halloween party
With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, many probably hoped to host big parties and discos for their family and friends.
While those plans are out of the window thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, you can still make your ideas a reality with a mini house party.
Get the whole family to dress up in costumes, deck the house out in cobwebs and fake spiders, and buy in all the supplies you need to play your favourite Halloween party games.
Game ideas include blind touch and feel, where you put various 'body parts' and 'bugs' in boxes and get your blindfolded guests to put their hands in and feel. Trying using sausages for fingers, cherry tomatoes for eyeballs and jelly for brains.
You can also play classic party games like musical statues or pass the parcel but Halloween-ify them with music like Bobby Pickett's Monster Mash or Thriller by Michael Jackson.
And don't forget everyone's favourite activity - bobbing for apples.
4. Make Halloween snacks and treats
No movie night, party or any other Halloween activity would be complete without some festive snacks.
You can't go wrong with Halloween-themed cupcakes and biscuits but if you really want to push the boat out and show off to your friends on Facebook, why not try some of these:
5. Halloween scavenger hunt
Just because children can't go out trick or treating, doesn't mean they can't still challenge themselves to fill their bags with as many sweets as they can.
Instead of going door-to-door this year, why not set up a room-to-room scavenger hunt with clues leading them to where the treats are.
You could also write a list of items they have to find - such as a pumpkin, cauldron, or spider - and have them check each one off the list in order to get their clue.
Finish the hunt with a special prize such as a toffee or chocolate apple and count how many sweets each child - or adult - was able to find.
6. Pumpkin carving competition
There's only one image on everyone's mind when someone says 'Halloween' and that's a lit up pumpkin with a scary face.
And one of the most popular - and most fun - activities at this time of year is choosing a design and carving your pumpkin.
This year, why not turn it into a competition and have everyone join in?
Set places at a table in your house (or on a mat in the garden if you don't want the mess) with all you need to carve a pumpkin.
If you have young children, it might be wise for an adult to help with the cutting.
Once everyone has finished, put tealights in each of the pumpkins and turn off the lights to see all the great designs.
For those with a competitive streak, have a friendly vote to see who wins the prize for best pumpkin carver.
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