Few holidays loom as large in a child’s life as Halloween. Candy, costumes, and parties – what more could a kid ask for? You may have left your trick-or-treating days far behind you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in on some of the fun. Here are some ideas for ways to celebrate this spooky holiday with your grandkids this month.

Halloween Activities for Grandparents & Grandkids

Carve pumpkins. Pumpkin carving is the quintessential Halloween activity. If you have younger grandkids, let them choose a design and then help them transfer it to the pumpkin. Handle the carving for them. If you have older grandchildren, you can all carve your own pumpkins together. Just keep an eye on those knives!

Bake pumpkin seeds. While you’re carving pumpkins, use the pumpkin seeds you scoop out before carving to make a tasty snack! Wash off any leftover pumpkin guts from the seeds, then season them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast in the oven at 300 degrees for abut 45 minutes until golden brown.

Decorate your apartment. Recruit your kiddos to help you decorate your apartment for Halloween. You can cut out paper ghosts and black bats to hang on the walls, string up stretchy fake spider webs, hang up coloring pages of Halloween scenes, set your freshly carved jack o’ lanterns outside your door, and of course, set out several bowls of Halloween candy!

Go trick or treating together. If you’re feeling up for it, ask your children if they’d be willing to let you take your grandkids out trick-or-treating this year. Younger children need someone to walk along with them as they go house to house, and you could be the perfect person for the job.

Bake Halloween candy cookies. Kids are always thrilled with their Halloween loot, but parents may be less excited about having it take up space in the cupboard for the next six months. Put some of that Halloween candy to good use by baking it into cookies. Simply use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and swap out the chocolate chips for chopped up Halloween candy (chocolate candies preferred)!

Some holidays, like Christmas and Thanksgiving, are always centered around family. Halloween may not always fall into that category, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to spend time with family during this spooky season. We hope you find joy in celebrating with your grandkids this Halloween!