Halloween Fun & Traditions
The air has cooled and the leaves are falling…
When witches go riding and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers, ‘tis near Halloween!
This month has been filled with fun as we countdown the days until Halloween! Each year, I look forward to building on our family traditions and creating new memories as our children grow.
A few of our annual traditions include:
Monster Mash Morning! The first Saturday of October brings a friendly gift to kick off Spooky Season. I love surprising the kids with a goody-bag filled with Halloween Pajamas, a new Halloween book and an activity. Pumpkin skull-shaped waffles with Halloween sprinkles make for an extra-special breakfast.
Installing our life-size Monster display! This family tradition began years ago when my father-in-law, brother-in-laws and husband began creating this monsters for their own yard when they were growing up. The tradition has been passed down and we now get to share these spooky creations with our own neighborhood! Our monster friends have even been featured on the local news!
Skeletons are Alive! Just down the street is a quaint historic downtown area that installs creative skeleton displays in front of all the local businesses. We always look forward to seeing the displays and picking up a few special treats for our Halloween party.
Picking out the perfect pumpkin at Erwin’s Orchards, a local 100+ year old family farm and business. We’ve been picking out our pumpkins here since my husband and I started dating! Now Conor and Alice are picking out their own pumpkins.
Carving the pumpkins! This year, Conor planned out his design, drew a template and carved it almost all by himself. He is learning and growing so much in Kindergarten and it was wonderful to see him take his idea and make it real. Alice helped to design her pumpkin, too. A “Cutie Kitty” for everyone to enjoy.
Of course, the big finale is our annual Halloween Party and Trick-or-Treating! It looks like the weather will be as perfect as possible for the midwest! We are looking forward to a bonfire, potluck and celebrating with our neighbors as the kids run from house-to-house collecting treats.
Family traditions are a wonderful way to create deeper emotional connections within the family unit. Research shows that family traditions are incredible important in the social-emotional development of children, provide a sense of identity and security, and reinforce family values and culture.
Traditions do not need to be complicated or costly - just intentional. In fact, the best and most memorable traditions are the simple everyday activities we do as a family.
I’d love to know - what are your favorite fall family traditions? Please share your favorite tradition in the comments! Happy Halloween!
You may also like to see my Halloween Etiquette Tips and Spooky Chic Halloween Brunch Inspiration. For kids, visit my Instagram for the replay of the special LIVE recording of Mr. Pumpkin’s Tea Party read by author and illustrator Erin Barker in partnership with Blue Manatee Press.
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