October 26, 2020

Celebrating Halloween At Home

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Brookdale Senior Living offers multiple care levels for seniors in more than 600 communities nationwide. Brookdale helps you find the right care plan for yourself or your loved one. With amenities such as transportation services, salons and private dining rooms and activities such as gardening, fitness classes and trivia nights Brookdale caters to a wide range of interests and needs.

Dust off your broomstick and fire up the cauldron — Halloween is right around the corner! This October’s festivities may look a little different from Halloweens past, but don’t let that stop you from doing the Monster Mash. There are plenty of ways that you can enjoy this haunted holiday with your loved ones, even when you’re apart.

Check out these creative ways to celebrate Halloween at home and stay connected with all your favorite goblins and ghouls.

Decorate Your Space

Staying home for Halloween is all the more reason to decorate! Even if you don’t plan to have guests, decking the halls with dark and dastardly decor will put you in the Halloween spirit. Take photos and share them on social media to stay connected with loved ones and give them a virtual tour of your haunted house.

Send Ghastly Gift Bags

Trick-or-treating may look a little different this year, but you can still treat your little loved ones with goodies. Put together gift bags of Halloween candy and party favors, then mail them out ahead of time for a special seasonal delivery. With treats from a dollar store, you can make someone’s day for a frighteningly affordable price.

Create a Creepy Mask

Many of us are wearing masks these days, so why not get into the Halloween spirit with a phantasmagoric face mask? If you love crafts, this is the perfect time to break out the sewing machine and create a cute or creepy mask for the spooky season. You can even spread the love by making masks for family, friends or charity.

If DIY isn’t your thing, there are plenty of Halloween-themed masks on Etsy and Amazon.

Carve Pumpkins Together

Carving pumpkins is a family tradition you can continue to celebrate even when you’re far apart. If you’re tech-savvy, you can get together on Zoom or Skype to carve your pumpkins together.

But if video calls aren’t your cup of apple cider, that’s OK too — you can trade photos of your ghoulish gourds through email or on Facebook. With enough participants, you could even make it a contest.

Put the BOO in Book Club

Nothing beats curling up on a chilly autumn night with a scary story. Whether you already belong to a book club or want to start one just for this spooky occasion, October is the perfect time to dive into a book by Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, Shirley Jackson or Stephen King. You can always meet on Zoom or discuss in a Facebook group if you’re not able to meet in person.

Check out this list of Halloween reads for inspiration.

Host a Halloween Party on Video

Celebrate Halloween at home by “hosting” a Halloween party on video! Let your friends and family know the time and date a few weeks in advance. Then, go all out with decorating the wall that sits behind you on your video call and get crafty creating a costume. If you decide to make some gift bags (see above), your guests can open them during the party.

More Senior-Friendly Ways to Spend Time Together, Apart

Want more ideas for connecting with friends and family you can’t see in person? Watching a binge-worthy TV series together can be a great way to stay in touch. Check out these six senior-friendly shows to watch together, even when you're apart.