It’s that time of year again. Ghouls are on the prowl, witches have their brooms revved up and ready to go, and everywhere you look pumpkins are grinning at you.
We know how much fun Halloween is for the young; Well, it’s just as much fun for the young at heart.
There’s no reason seniors shouldn’t get just as much enjoyment out of this Halloween season as children do. Here are seven senior Halloween ideas to help make that happen.
- Make your house or apartment the kind of place trick-or-treaters will remember coming to. Put up some scary decorations or wear a costume yourself as you pass out treats to the children visiting your house.
While my children and I were trick or treating some years ago, we came upon a house decorated to look like a haunted mansion. As we approached the house, a man—presumably the homeowner—appeared from behind a bush or tree … carrying a chainsaw and causing a few small children in the pack behind us to scream. The man may have overdone it a bit, but he certainly was in the Halloween spirit and provided a memorable experience to many visitors that night. (Unfortunately, it’s possible he was responsible for a few heart attacks as well.)
- Fire up the oven and start baking those Halloween goodies. There’s nothing like a scary cupcake. Well, a grotesque cookie may be just as good. Who wants a gingerbread man when he or she can eat a witch? How many treats can you whip up that look like a spider? And of course there’s the all-time classic pumpkin pie.
If you need ideas, allrecipes.com is great place to start. You can have a great time exchanging ghoulish treats with your friends or holding a scariest treat contest. Sugar-free and gluten-free recipes are easy to find nowadays, so don’t let dietary concerns stand in your way. Make Halloween a special time for your taste buds!
- Organize a costume party. You can base it on a time period (if you make it the 1950’s you can finally take that leather jacket out of mothballs). Play it safe and comfortable by wearing makeup instead of covering up with a mask. Wear an outlandish wig. Most of all, play the part and escape from real life for an afternoon or evening. It’s great fun to be something you’re not—and Halloween is one time of year you can get away with it.