As October approaches, it’s time to start planning for Halloween activities! Whether it’s a delicious treat to make and enjoy the week before, or an activity to complete at home instead of going door to door on the day of, we’ve got some recipes and examples below on how you can have a spooky and fun time without extensive planning – or an expensive price tag!

These three ingredient Halloween treats from Chelsea’s Messy Apron are perfect for all the right reasons. Not only do they truly embody the spirit of Halloween, but they are adaptable for any situation. Use either pre-made ingredients for the bases or homemade treats for an extra activity, these treats mean Halloween can be fun without being too complicated. Cookie decorating is another simple Halloween treat that can be economical and relatively simple to put together. This activity doesn’t require much planning – the only thing that you need to do ahead of time is bake the cookies! Veronika’s Kitchen has a recipe for cookies and instructions on how to decorate them with a Halloween spin. However, you can easily pick-up pre-made sugar cookies at your local grocery store. For decorations, you can make and dye your own icing or find other sprinkles and decorations at the dollar store or online.

For craft activities, there are many different ideas that can utilize items you may already have at home. These Paper Plate Monsters from Simply Everyday Mom only require paper plates, googly eyes, glue, paint and construction paper. For these Toilet Paper Roll Halloween Crafts from The Best Ideas for Kids, start collecting your empty toilet paper rolls, and together with a few other craft items like paint, coloured paper, and glue, you can have a collection of Halloween monsters to decorate your home. You can also check out Michaels Canada for Halloween-themed kid craft kits that can be ordered online or picked-up curb side.

Halloween may not be quite the same this year, but there are still many different ways you can enjoy the occasion with your family! Share your Halloween crafts and treats with us in the comments or our social media.

With Halloween only a couple weeks away, make sure you have everything you need ready to go for trick or treating this year. While the occasion may look a bit different this year, you and your family can still have fun collecting chocolates and candy or distributing it to others by making sure you have the following ready:

For the trick-or-treaters:

Make sure all costumes are clean, in good shape, and ready to be worn. Though this seems unnecessary, sometimes costumes can get ripped or in disrepair after school activities or wearing around the house. Make sure any adjustments needed are made now, and costumes are safely stowed away until the big day. As with any Halloween in Calgary, there is always the potential for bad weather - make preparations now for what to do if winter coats, gloves, mitts and toques are needed. Will the costume be able to be worn outside a coat, or is there another way you can show it off while staying warm?

Face paint, make-up and elaborate hair dos can be a key part of a costume. It’s important to not only make sure you have all the materials you need to get them done, but that you know what you’re doing before the day of. Test out any supplies ahead of time to make sure nothing is dried out or low on supply. Doing a trial run of the face paint or hair style is also a good idea so you know how much time is needed before trick or treating and the work goes smoothly on the day.

Masks will also be an important safety precaution and accessory this year. To make them part of the costume, try to coordinate by finding colours and material that coordinate with the costume. Get creative and try putting together your own mask if you can’t find one online and customize it for the occasion! Other important materials to have on hand when you’re going house to house is hand sanitizer and wipes. Be mindful that you keep your distance from others, and disinfect in the event other surfaces are touched.

There are many different tools children can use to collect their candy - from pails, to reusable bags and the classic pillowcase. Whatever method is being used this year make sure that everything for candy collection. Check and bags and pillowcases for rips and tears (no one wants any candy leaking out!) and make sure there are a couple extras on hand to take along in case any start to get too heavy. Check straps on pails to make sure none are bended out of shape or broken off, and replace or make repairs if necessary.

For those handing out candy:

Handing out candy may seem like a no-brainer, but there is still preparation involved to make sure you’re ready to give out treats to trick or treaters once the first visitors arrive. First, make sure you have all the candy and treats you need. Whether it is chocolate, assorted candies, chips or whatever other kind of treat, try to think carefully about how much you need. While it never hurts to have extra, you probably don’t want to be stuck with a lot of leftovers after the end of the night. Try to consider the age and demographic of your neighbourhood - are there a lot of young families, or are most of the residents older? If you can think back to last year, try to recall how much you purchased and if you had enough and adjust accordingly. It always helps to keep track each year of how many visitors you get to help plan for the year ahead.

If you have decorations up, make sure that everything is in place in the days leading up and that nothing needs to be replaced or repaired. No one wants a burned out light or fallen-over ghost! Even though the goal is to make your decorations spooky, make sure that they don’t take away from the safety of others. Make sure your yard is still well-lit and there are no major obstacles in the way for visitors.

This year, it is also important that those handing out candy take precaution to protect against COVID-19. Make sure your face mask is ready to go and easy to put on and off when trick or treaters arrive. You can also have fun and customize a Halloween-themed mask to surprise guests! Have hand sanitizer on hand, and make sure any potential surfaces are disinfected beforehand just in case (like doorknobs, doorbells, and handrails). The province has a list of tips and guidelines on having a safe Halloween, including innovative ways that people can safely hand out candy while also maintaining the appropriate physical distancing and limiting the surface areas being touched. Visit alberta.ca/halloween for more.

However you may be celebrating Halloween this year, make sure you have everything you need for a stress-free and ghoulish event!