Have you chosen to not celebrate Halloween this year? While our website is brimming with Halloween activities and events to enjoy, I wanted to send you some alternatives to have a fun and festive October with your family without partaking in Halloween (for whatever your reasons may be). Read on for some thrilling—but non-scary—ideas.
Goodbye, Halloween and spooky things! Hello, fall fun and cinnamon buns!
Ready to get into the Halloween spirit with some scary movies (and some not-so-scary ones)? Here's a short list of animated favorites for little kids and another list of live-action movies that might be best suited for the older crowd. Either way, you're in for a spooky good time! Note, there are no horror / thriller movies on this list, because it's not that type of party :-)
It's the favorite time of year for many Texans! The weather is just about perfect; crunchy leaves are beginning to cover the sidewalks, and the hint of winter holidays is in the air. The only thing is... you have a TEENAGER at home! It was so easy to find fun fall activities when the kids were younger. There were festivals around every corner, plus simply going outside and jumping into a pile of foliage was its own adventure. But as children step into the world of junior and high school, they might be less easy to please, and not as impressed with the daily wonders of everyday living! What gives?
If you're wondering how to keep your teen having a great time this season, I have all the ideas you need to win “Parent of the Year.” During these months of cooler temperatures and apple cider, you just need a bit of planning and patience, and you can give your child - no matter the age - an autumn to remember! Here are some of my personal favorites that you should definitely put on your fall bucket list:
Hands up if you have a music-loving family! I sure do! Music has played a significant role in our household, especially during the preschool years. We’d spend hours singing and dancing in the living room or in the car, and those moments made for some fun, quality family time. Even into our early homeschooling years, listening to enriching songs became an essential part of our school day. On field trip mornings, we’d pop in a CD (back when kids knew what those were), and let it play on our way to the Children’s Museum or to the beach.
I was curious if other people enjoyed this book as much as we did, so I checked the Amazon reviews, and it looks like it’s a favorite for many families! We recently finished Misty of Chincoteague as a read-aloud, and it was such a delight! There’s nostalgia, energy, suspense, childhood play, and lots of horse fun woven throughout this book. I may have been more excited than the kids to get to our evening read each day!
If you're all out of paint and your child wants to do an art project, you can make your own watercolors at home with the following pantry staples: baking soda, vinegar, corn syrup, cornstarch, and food coloring!
My daughter and I tried this and were pleasantly surprised! The paints work well, and making our own was easy peasy and saved me from a last-minute run to Michael’s! Furthermore, I was able to use up some ingredients from my pantry that I hardly ever use. For example, I tend to buy corn syrup once a year for some uncommon recipe, and then it sits in the pantry, begging for attention!
