A Poor boy's Halloween!!

**halloween4ever** · 10-01-2009,02:44 AM

Because of circumstances I will not be able to Spend much money on Halloween this year. I am looking for suggestions on what my family can do this Halloween with little money. We are planning on taking the kids trick or treating and watching scary movies throughout the day/night, but I am looking for other ideas on top of that.

Ideas needed.....I want to get the maximum fun possible out of that day..

**jdubbya** · 10-01-2009,02:57 AM

You really don't need to spend a lot of money to enjoy Halloween. I remember the fun we had taking our kids out for TOT. Watching scary movies is a ritual at our house on Halloween night. What have you done in the past? You can put up some modest decorations a couple weeks before, letting the kids help makek a "spooky house". A stuffed dummy with a kmart mask makes for a good prop. A couple of inexpensive tombstones from Walgreens or walmart help fill the scene out. Don't forget to carve a couple of pumpkins. Heck, I'd say that makes for a great Halloween. Enjoy what you have to work with and enjoy the time with your kids.

**FirstSpartan** · 10-01-2009,03:06 AM

How old are the kids?

A camp out in the backyard and watching scary movies in the tent at night would be fun.
Of course you gotta to play 'ghost in the graveyard' with the kids!
Pumpkin carving and gourd painting. Making small paper mache skulls and small cheese cloth ghosts.
Ohhhh...and making huge piles of leaves and jumping in them!
Davy2 just posted this for some free paper tombstone models to build: more paper models
Same here at ravensblight.com: ravensblight
Making a scarecrow with old clothes stuffed with leaves and mounted on a 2x4 stake pounded into the ground.

IMO it's not how much money you spend, it's how much fun you have with the kids. Keep them involved and excited and it'll be the best Halloween yet!

**halloween4ever** · 10-01-2009,03:09 AM

Originally Posted by jdubbya

You really don't need to spend a lot of money to enjoy Halloween. I remember the fun we had taking our kids out for TOT. Watching scary movies is a ritual at our house on Halloween night. What have you done in the past? You can put up some modest decorations a couple weeks before, letting the kids help makek a "spooky house". A stuffed dummy with a kmart mask makes for a good prop. A couple of inexpensive tombstones from Walgreens or walmart help fill the scene out. Don't forget to carve a couple of pumpkins. Heck, I'd say that makes for a great Halloween. Enjoy what you have to work with and enjoy the time with your kids.

Thanks for the reply. We usually do everything you mentioned, except for the kids making props idea. The kids ussually help me carve pumpkins, but I will try to think of a prop they can make.

**halloween4ever** · 10-01-2009,03:11 AM

Originally Posted by FirstSpartan

How old are the kids?

A camp out in the backyard and watching scary movies in the tent at night would be fun.
Of course you gotta to play 'ghost in the graveyard' with the kids!
Pumpkin carving and gourd painting. Making small paper mache skulls and small cheese cloth ghosts.
Ohhhh...and making huge piles of leaves and jumping in them!
Davy2 just posted this for some free paper tombstone models to build: more paper models
Same here at ravensblight.com: ravensblight
Making a scarecrow with old clothes stuffed with leaves and mounted on a 2x4 stake pounded into the ground.

IMO it's not how much money you spend, it's how much fun you have with the kids. Keep them involved and excited and it'll be the best Halloween yet!

Thanks! I love the movie in the tent idea. Someone just gave me a tent earlier this year.

One other thing...what's "ghost in the graveyard"?

**FirstSpartan** · 10-01-2009,03:20 AM

Originally Posted by halloween4ever

Thanks! I love the movie in the tent idea. Someone just gave me a tent earlier this year.

One other thing...what's "ghost in the graveyard"?

here's a link to the rules of ghosts in the greaveyard which can explain it much better than me. And I'm sure there are many different variations of the game as well.

rules for ghosts in the graveyard

**13ghosts** · 10-01-2009,06:18 AM

ravensblight is great for free projects!

Depending on your kids ages, you could find some great craft projects for them to do, that would be very cheap. Some of my favorite decorations are the cheapest to make.

I LOVE my witch potion bottles, you can use them to decorate kitchens and bathrooms. You can re-use bottles from around the house, and print the labels from here or other sites, or even use the ones at the dollar tree.

My head in a jar is one of my faves, and basically didn't cost me anything to make.
How to Make a Head in a Jar (with pictures) - wikiHow

Flip thru a family fun magazine and you'll find great ideas for younger ids too. I wanted to make pumpkin faces for the windows with my kids, you use cardboard and orange tissue paper.

You can paint pumpkin faces on rocks.

It's all about spending time together and having traditions, for me anyway. I don't think you have to spend a lot to have a great Halloween!

**Reynard Muldrake** · 10-01-2009,08:04 AM

I always loved/love to go around and check out all the decorated houses. Driving to different neighborhoods would cost a little money for gas, of course, but it's a relatively cheap way to spend an evening. Plus you could always trek out and see how far you want to walk to explore.

There's also reading stories or making them up, playing games, making homemade decorations, local community events that may not cost much (or anything), shopping for goodies at thrift stores, throwing a potluck party...