Halloween Countdown Traditions
Looking for a fun, family-centered way to celebrate Halloween and the fall season? Our Halloween countdown calendars may be just the thing! Traditionally, advent calendar pockets are stuffed full of candy or little prizes, but we actually prefer a different approach!
At the beginning of every fall season we like to make a fall bucket list as a family. This list has everything from watching football, eating cider donuts, and visiting a pumpkin patch to reading Halloween books, getting a new pair of Halloween pajamas, and frosting Halloween sugar cookies with Grandma!
**In creating your bucket list, remember that not everything on the list has to be a big event. Some of the best memories are jumping in a pile of leaves, walking the neighborhood to spot decorations, and watching a Halloween movie at home!**
Now, here’s where the advent calendar comes into the picture. We use our Halloween advent calendar to make sure we actually get to the items on our bucket list.
Each item on the bucket list gets put on a strip of paper and placed in a pocket of the calendar.
The beauty of the Halloween wall hanging is each pocket corresponds directly to a date on a calendar. I strategically look at our month and place activities into pockets on days I know we can accommodate the activity.
Busy day with after school activities, carpool, and Dad working late? Perfect day to slip the activity “drink hot chocolate or apple cider” into the pocket. Have one of the special drinks with dinner, go through a drive through, etc.
And as the parent, you reserve the right to move slips at night as schedules change.
If 31 “activities” feels overwhelming, fill some or all pockets with Halloween jokes!
We admit, fitting a piece of candy for each child into the pockets can get tricky when you have a family of 4 kids. And we know October is full of candy. So share a laugh instead!
Each morning before school, or at night around the dinner table, read the new Halloween joke aloud. You might be surprised how much your kids like this option; even “too cool” teenagers chuckle at a joke now and then.
If you love the traditional advent calendar approach, go right ahead! Fill pockets with chocolate kisses, jelly beans, candy corn, etc. Stop by a dollar store and fill the pockets with Halloween stickers, mini erasers, plastic spiders, temporary tattoos, etc.
Our Halloween countdown calendars also come with a ghost finger puppet to move from pocket to pocket. Simply move the puppet each day as you anticipate the big celebration of Trick-or-Treating!
Whatever you decide to fill the pockets of your Halloween countdown calendar with, we hope it becomes a part of your family traditions and memories! The truth is, the smallest bits of effort create magical moments for kids.