With so many community Halloween plans still up in the air, we wanted to share some of these great at-home options we found from Chicago Parent.

Hold an Outdoor Pumpkin Carving Party
Grab some pumpkins, safety knives, and patterns and turn your backyard into a socially distanced pumpkin-carving extravaganza.  Younger kids might find painting easier than actually carving.

Have a Virtual Halloween Party
Gather online to show each other your costumes and even eat treats together.  Apps like Houseparty will allow you to play virtual games and you can even do a costume contest with prizes for the scariest, funnies, and most original.

Tell Ghost Stores or Read Scary Books
Have family members take turns telling scary stories—turn off the lights and grab the flashlights to make it even scarier.  Click here for some great Halloween-themed book ideas.

Make Halloween Treats
Head into the kitchen to make traditional caramel apples or other scary treats.  We love these no-bake ideas or these scary-good ideas for your more experienced bakers.

Host a Candy Scavenger Hunt
Hide candy around the house or yard and give kids clues where to find them.  Another twist?  Have younger kids “trick-or-treat” inside the house—with adults and older children waiting behind closed doors to pass out the candy.

Get all of Chicago Parent’s great ideas here.