BOO! It's time for all things Halloween, and this month, we take a look at some of the most popular Halloween treats, traditions, party ideas, costumes and movies for 2024. Get ready for a spook-tacular time!
MOST POPULAR HALLOWEEN CANDIES
According to RealSimple.com, the top favorite Halloween candies, in order, are Reese's Peanut Cups, Kit Kat bars, Skittles, original flavor M&M's and Snickers. In Texas, Starburst candies are also a big favorite.
HALLOWEEN COSTUMES YOU'RE SURE TO SEE THIS YEAR
Barbie costumes are a sure hit for girls this year, and Deadpool costumes for boys are expected to make a big appearance. Likewise for Harry Potter, Bluey the popular cartoon puppy, Disney and Pixar costumes like the Minions, Wednesday Addams, Ghostbusters and Transformers, Spider Man, Sonic the Hedgehog and more. Witches, fairies, ninjas, dinosaurs, cowboys and bunnies are always favorites as well.
DECORATING FOR THE OCCASION
Halloween is a fun time to decorate, both outside and inside your home. You can go spooky, give your home a haunted mansion look, use harvest decor or just go for something eerie with fake spider webs, haunting music and spooky lights. There are many skeletons, scary pumpkins and other decorations or "creatures" you can buy ready made to simply set up in your yard and be ready to go.
For your inside decor, think plastic spiders and bats, pumpkin string lights, steaming cauldrons filled with dry ice and Halloween window stickers. Decorated pumpkins also make for a fun atmosphere - they can be silly or scary, it's up to you.
HAVING A PARTY?
Crazy Halloween treats are always a crowd pleaser, especially with smaller children ... but adults like them too! Spider cookies are popular, and there are numerous recipes online for making them from scratch, using cookies like Oreos for your foundation and adding sweets like M&Ms to go wild, funny or seriously creepy. Witch finger pretzels can be a ghoulish but tasty addition to your treat displays as well. Eyeball or mummy cupcakes are easy to make - just google for different types of recipes. You can decorate donuts, brownies, Rice Krispies treats, popcorn cups, bananas, marshmallows and so much more - or go for healthy with a charcuterie board of fruits, nuts and vegetables styled like a pumpkin, witch or other Halloween character. Devilish eggs and sausage mummies can be cool tricky treats as well.
Party games can be super fun for kids, and there are so many you can try. From broomstick races, monster bingo and scavenger hunts to apple bobbing and pass the pumpkin contests, there are so many activities to keep kids active and entertained. It's all up to your imagination. For older kids and adults, why not try a fun game of monster charades?
FAVORITE HALLOWEEN MOVIES
Depending on age, some of the most popular Halloween movies are Hocus Pocus, Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Halloween, Haunted Mansion, Goosebumps, Edward Scissorhands, Frankenweenie, Little Shop of Horrors, Halloweentown, The Addams Family, Casper, Monster House, The Halloween Tree, It, Hotel Transylvania, Coraline and Fright Night, just to name a few.
LOOKING FOR COOL HALLOWEEN RECIPES?
The Food Network's website offers some of the most fun recipes, from mummy-inspired breakfast muffins and spiderweb treats to witches' cauldron party punch. The Food Network has assembled its Top 50 Halloween Recipes as chosen by fans - to find a multitude of favorite great inspirations, visit https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/photos/halloween-recipes.
Happy Halloween!
When witches and goblins and ghosts appear, it's that favorite Halloween time of year!