Halloween: a fun holiday where everyone gets to dress up in costumes, eat as much candy as they want, and stay up past curfew. But with the global pandemic bringing the traditional way of trick-or-treating to a close for the year, that leaves us forced to find other ways of celebrating this fun holiday. Still unsure of what to do? Don’t worry! Here’s a list of fun activities you can indulge in! And hey, even if trick-or-treating wasn’t your thing, you might still enjoy them all the same!

1. Pumpkin Carvings

Just because one simple Halloween tradition has been shut down for the year doesn’t mean they all have to. Carving pumpkins is a fun activity to try to get into that Halloween spirit! With carving pumpkins, the only limit is your imagination, so don’t be afraid to get creative with your carvings! Stuck on what to carve? Try the traditional Jack-O’-Lantern or something Halloween themed, and hey, you can always look to Pinterest for inspiration. For an added bonus, maybe try making it into a competition with your family or try comparing them with your friends.

2. Halloween Treats and Candy

What’s a Halloween without a few treats? Since there is no trick-or-treating this year, what about some homemade Halloween treats of your own? You can always find recipes online to cook up something good for the spooky season! If you’re not interested in making things with food or aren’t really experienced in the kitchen, don’t worry. You can always buy a couple of bags of candy to munch through instead. Whatever works to satisfy your Halloween cravings.

3. An indoor version of trick-or-treating

The traditional method of trick-or-treating may be unavailable now, but so long as we keep it indoors, there really isn’t any reason why you shouldn’t be able to, and while this activity may not apply to some households, there might be some kids who might enjoy this idea. How would it work? Simply use the rooms of your house as “doorsteps” and have the kids trick-or-treat throughout the comforts of home by either handing them the candy from the other side of the door or allow them to take a certain amount from a bowl next to the door. To enhance the experience, and if you have time to spare, try decorating each door uniquely as well, if you want the Halloween aesthetic.

4. Horror Film Fest (and other Halloween-filled media)

Halloween would be a perfect time to bring out the horror films! You could watch a couple with some friends, whether that would be virtually or physically, or you could watch them alone (if you don’t scare easily). Not a movie person? There are horror-themed books and TV shows as well that you might enjoy. And hey, if you’re someone that scares easily, or have someone in your household that does, don’t worry! There are always a couple of good non-horror Halloween films that the whole family might enjoy!

5. Create a Halloween playlist

There are always quite a number of Christmas playlists out there, but what about Halloween? Despite the lack of well-known Halloween-themed songs, there’s bound to be enough songs surrounding the holiday to add to your playlist. They don’t all have to be about Halloween either; if you find a song that reminds you of Halloween, or has that eerie feeling to it, go for it! Music is always open for interpretation, so there isn’t really a wrong way to make a Halloween playlist. If you think it goes with Halloween, then go for it.

6. Halloween crafts

If you’re a crafty and creative person (or if you just need to kill some time), then this one’s the perfect way for you to get into the Halloween spirit! Once again, you can find craft recipes online or you can improvise and make your own. Art has no rules, so go wild and just have fun while making something!

7. Halloween-themed Games and Ghost Stories

Play some games! Tell a story! Both of these are some great ways to pass the time of Halloween indoors! Some fun Halloween game ideas would be pumpkin bowling, a Halloween-themed bean-bag toss, Twister, or glow-in-the-dark ring toss. Not a games person? Perhaps ghost stories are more your style! Find a good one somewhere to scare your friends and family, make your own to share, or even combine the minds of the group and brainstorm a full story. The sky’s the limit!

8. Halloween costumes

Here’s another Halloween tradition that we don’t have to let the pandemic end: costumes! Fun for all ages, dressing up for Halloween is always a great way to celebrate the season! Even if you feel that you’ve outgrown going trick-or-treating, you can’t go wrong with a Halloween costume! It doesn’t have to be extravagant; you can make it simple and straightforward. For a bonus point, make a competition or fashion show-type thing with your costumes.

9. (small!) Halloween gatherings

Okay yes, we are in the middle of a global pandemic, and being in contact with several groups of people isn’t good. However, in small doses, it may not be all bad. Maybe host a virtual Halloween party, or invite a few friends over for a small party, maybe no more than four or five. Either way, there are plenty of methods to stay connected during these hard times.

10. Start thinking about the next few holidays of the year

Let’s face it, we’re a little tired of 2020, so the sooner the year is done, the better. Maybe start thinking about what you wanna do for Thanksgiving or start planning out your Christmas wish list now. Or maybe you’re even over 2020 and want to start thinking about New Year’s. Either way, plan the end of 2020 with a bang!

That concludes 10 things to do during a quarantined Halloween! Hopefully, you find it useful in planning your Halloween extravaganza (or at least gave you something to kill some time while you wait for the year to end!)