Guest Author - Melissa Weise

Just because you are too old to trick or treat, doesn’t mean that you have to give up Halloween. There are still plenty of things to do to celebrate. Here are ten ideas.

1. Decorate There are so many decorations for Halloween that you can buy nowadays that you can really get creative. Make a cemetery in your front yard, fill a hallways with spiderwebs, create a mad scientist’ laboratory on your porch. Think of fun things to do for the trick or treaters who will come to your door, but remember to make a less scary version for the younger treaters, too.

2. Make dinner There are so many different Halloween themed foods out there it is scary. Check out a woman’s magazine this month or just google recipes. You could learn how to make monster blood soup, test tube shooters, tombstone sandwiches and other creatively named food for a fun Halloween dinner for family and friends.

3. Do a craft You could make a crafty decoration or a neat little bauble for a younger friend or relative. You could make a costume or a Halloween-themed piece of jewelry to wear.

4. Have a horror movie fest Pick your favorites, ask around for suggestions on scary movies you haven’t seen, or check online for well-reviewed horror movies. Then rent or buy a few, pop up some popcorn and hang out with friends. You can also check out what movies are already playing on television. Often channels will host a horror movie fest on Halloween on their own.

5. Bake something Like dinner recipes, there are tons of Halloween themed baked goods recipes out there. My favorite is a bat cake with green (pistachio) pudding in the center. Awesome!

6. Dress up anyway Why not? Go out and buy or rent something awesome or be really creative and make something up.

7. Find a younger kid to bring trick or treating What better a way than to live vicariously through your cousins, younger siblings, or young neighbor friends? And if you dress up and ask really nicely, you may get a sweet treat or two yourself…

8. Carve a pumpkin These days, there is more than one way to carve a pumpkin. No longer does a jack-o-lantern need to have triangle eyes, nose and a goofy mouth. There are so many neat patterns you can make your pumpkin into a werewolf, a spidery moon, or a Frankenstein face. You can make your own pattern, too. Check out all the different ways to make a pumpkin scary and try your hand. If it turns out well enough, you may even be able to enter and win a pumpkin carving contest.

9. Volunteer Offer to help work at an after school program, a soup kitchen, food bank or daycare. There are plenty of kids who won’t be having a happy Halloween and you have the chance to make theirs better.

10. Host a Halloween party You could take many of these suggestions to put on a rockin’ Halloween party for your friends who also don’t know what to do now that you are “too old for Halloween” ---NOT! You are never too old for Halloween!