Halloween is quickly approaching and as it falls on a weekend this year, you can bet on staying up as late as you want with your friends without worrying about class the next day. Since COVID-19 poses a risk for some individuals who want to go out and show off their costumes this Halloween, many students are deciding to stay in and have a small costume mini party in the comfort of their homes or apartments. If you are not planning on going out this Halloween and want to plan a small and safe get together with some friends, consider these ideas to entertain the group all night.
1. Secret Boo Baskets
Much like secret santa, secret boo baskets entails each person attending your Halloween bash receiving each other's names from a hat, or another anonymous method, and getting tasked to create a spooky basket for the person they receive. This is a fun way to get everyone in the Halloween spirit prior to the event, by requiring them to create a fun holiday inspired basket specifically customized for the person they are making it for. You can set a price limit for the boo basket, so that everyone receives a fair gift, and suggest affordable places to buy candy and decorations such as the Dollar Tree, Walmart or Target.
2. Taking a ghost photo shoot.
If you have kept up on social media, specifically Tik Tok, you know that ghost photoshoots in spooky locations have been quite the rave lately. To take a ghost photoshoot, everyone will need a white sheet and a pair of sunglasses (if you want to add an accessory). You can choose a couple locations that you think would be a suitable background for the photos and set a self timer to get everyone in each picture. This photo shoot will provide a lasting memory that you can share with your friends and keep as an archive of this Halloween.
3. Making Halloween treats.
If you and your friends like to bake, you can make cookies or cupcakes and decorate them with Halloween inspired frosting and edible decorations which you can find at your local Target, ranging from $2.39 to $4.49. Other Halloween snacks you can make are red chocolate covered apples, for which you will need white chocolate chips to melt, retailing for $3.49 at Target, and red food coloring, retailing for $3.59 at Target, to mix it into it. Making some holiday inspired treats is a fun way to bond, get creative and provide some food snacks to keep energized for the night.
4. Costume Acting Contest.
Since you and your friends aren't going out, it may feel that it isn't necessary to wear costumes, but you can encourage dressing up for this occasion by having a costume contest. This contest entails everyone getting five minutes to act out a scene that fits their costumes, followed by a voting poll as to who acted and dressed the best. You can provide a reward, such as a gift card, candy bag or something you know your friends will compete for to make the contest more lively.
5. Play Spooky Games.
If you and your friends enjoy board or card games, there are many that are specifically made for this Holiday. Hocus Pocus is a game, inspired by the Disney Movie Hocus Pocus, where everyone playing works as a team to match their cards, which consist of ingredients and colors, as they place them in the cauldron in order to stun the witches. If you enjoy playing fast paced games, this will be perfect for your Halloween get together. You can purchase Hocus Pocus for $15.99 at your local Target. If you want to play a more eerie and comedical game, consider Stupid Deaths, a card game where players must decide whether scenarios are true or false. For every correct answer, a player gets farther away from the grim reaper, elongating their life in the game. Stupid Deaths has a maximum of six players and retails at Target for $20.49.
Whatever you decide to do on Halloween, it is important to consider COVID-19 guidelines in order to keep you and those around you safe. This spooky night can be made fun in any setting and with any amount of people, so consider entertaining your friends with these fun activities so that you can have a memorable Halloween despite any restricting circumstances.