5 Budget-Friendly Ways to Have Fun with Your Kids at Halloween
Here we look at 5 Budget-Friendly Ways to Have Fun with Your Kids at Halloween.
With the cost of living crisis continuing to take its toll on people’s bank accounts, another child-friendly holiday on the horizon may not be a cause for celebration for many parents.
After all, making costumes, buying sweets, and paying to keep the kids entertained with their friends can all eventually start to add up, meaning the only thing that ends up being spooky this holiday season, is that of your empty purse.
However, fortunately, Nick Drewe, retail expert at WeThrift is on hand with five frighteningly fun activities for all the family – that won’t break the bank. From getting creative with costumes, to watching creepy films, to making Barbie into an undead ghoul – there is truly something for everybody on this list.
See a classic horror movie at the cinema
As any holiday season approaches, with it comes a flurry of Open Air or Secret Cinema events, bombarding you and your kids with promises of outdoor screenings. However, these events usually come with quite a steep price tag – especially if you have a lot of people in your family.
Check out your local cinema for bargain viewings, most will have a special deal on for Halloween.
Decorate Barbie dolls
Instead of splashing out on expensive Halloween decorations that will be forgotten within the year, why not make your own – and make it into a fun activity for the kids?
While children’s dolls are usually glamorous and dressed in pink, a spooky makeover can make them into the perfect table centrepieces for Halloween – and can be purchased from most pound shops.
Cover the dolls in fake blood, grey face paint, an old Kohl eyeliner from your gothic era – whatever you fancy. This will allow your kids’ imaginations to run wild, without you having to worry about overspending.
Make your costumes
Pre-made Halloween costumes can be a huge expenditure and, realistically, can only be worn once or twice in your child’s life.
However, it is a definite possibility that somebody in the family has an item of clothing that hasn’t been worn for a while – be that a black dress that was used for a job interview in the 90s, or a black sun hat that was discarded after a past summer holiday – that can be turned into a creepy costume.
A great activity, especially if your children are small, could be to find something they don’t wear often and spook it up.
An old white T-shirt could be ripped to look like your child is transforming into a werewolf, while an old P.E. uniform could be customised into the clothing of an undead cheerleader – the possibilities are truly endless, and the process would be fun and creative.
Make a creepy meal with things from your cupboard
Lots of restaurants may try and tempt you and your children to their doors, to indulge in a Halloween-themed meal – however, this could end up being quite expensive. So, why not create a fairly normal meal from items you already have in the cupboard, and make something at home with the kids?
Spaghetti can cost under a pound, and is well-liked by most children – so why not add some food colouring to it to make it green? This could make a normal spaghetti dinner into ‘worms’, while simple black olives stuffed with garlic could be ‘eyeballs’.
Jelly is a classic dish that can, thankfully, easily be made to look like something frightening. Brain-shaped jelly moulds can be bought from shops like Asda or eBay, allowing you to create a perfectly petrifying dessert. As well as this, decorating cupcakes can be a tasty and cost-effective way to keep your children entertained, especially if they try out some spine-tingling designs.
Try apple bobbing and Halloween charades
Every 90s child will remember the thrill of dunking your face into an ice-cold bucket of water, in order to retrieve an apple with your teeth. Despite technological advancements in 2023 making party games like this obsolete, why not go back to basics?
A portion of apples can be bought very cheaply, and this classic party game can end up being hours of sensory fun for children of all ages – encouraging a competitive element that won’t get out of hand.
Another totally free Halloween activity is that of spooky charades – a sinister take on the centuries-old parlour game. From acting out horror films to depicting fearsome novels, this game is a simple yet effective way to ‘kill’ a few hours on Halloween night.
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