Murder Mystery Dinner with Friends
Halloween in 2020 will be different than past years, but there are still ways to enjoy this festive start to the holiday season. This blog may seem early, but October 31st is only 7 weeks away! It is time to start planning. Below are my top 10 ideas for a jovial and happy start to your fall celebrations.
1. Decorate: I always feel “in the moment” when I put the final touches on my Christmas decorating. Halloween is no different. In fact, go bigger this year. Hang lights on the trees and fill your porch with jack-o-lanterns you and the family have carved.
2. Murder Mystery Dinner: This is my favorite party to host. You can find these dinner party games online. Make this event as formal or casual as you wish. The key to success? Your guests need to be good sports. Introverts do not work as well when you are asking everyone to step out of their comfort zone and play a character. But ohhhh, this party is a blast! Is it safe during these times? That is up for you to decide (and based on your state’s regulations). For most of the games you only need 10 people, so this party works well in a COVID world.
3. Scavenger Hunt: There are numerous options online for scavenger hunts. You can do this with your family or gather a few neighborhood friends. This type of outing allows you to social distance, but still gather in small groups. Once the hunt has concluded, have everyone return to your front yard. Gather outside for cookies and drinks. Remember to have prizes for the winners!
4. Cookies and Cheer: Decorate Halloween themed cookies with your children. Take this a step further. Let the children dress up and deliver these treats to neighbors and friends. Everyone loves a random act of kindness.
5. Scary Movie: Who does not love this! Build a fort inside, pop some popcorn, and watch an age-appropriate Halloween movie.
6. Fire and Stars: Host family and friends, with whom you are comfortable socializing, and have an outdoor campfire. Roast marshmallows and hot dogs and tell stories. If you have a telescope, do a little celestial gazing. I find there is nothing more mysterious about God’s world than when I stare into His star-studded sky.
7. Driveway Treats: If you have an active neighborhood with a lot of children, organize your block for Halloween. Have each family set up a table with Halloween candy and treats. The neighborhood children can go driveway to driveway. Have bags pre-made with goodies inside each package. Ask an adult from each home to hand a bag to the child. This avoids dirty hands digging into baskets.
8. Haunted House: Yes, there are social distancing haunted houses! In many cities drive-thru exhibits are popping up. Check your local listings.
9. Pumpkin Carving Contests: This is a blast and is something the adults can do. It takes two people. One person is the carver. The other person stands facing the carver and describes the carver’s face. The carver must follow the verbal directions of the describer and carve a pumpkin to reflect what the talker is describing. The trick? The carver does not know the talker is describing the carver’s face. As you can imagine, the end results are hilarious. Oh, and the describer has a sheet of paper or clipboard they hold so the carver does not know there is not a drawing of a face that the describer is describing. Of course, you could print out real faces to describe, but it is more fun to have the carver create his own face on the pumpkin (without knowing!). Have prizes for the best and worst likeness.
10. Floral Pumpkins: My son and I made these when he was in elementary school and gave them to each of his teachers. Find smaller pumpkins. Cut the top and remove the insides. Place a floral foam piece inside soaked in water. Buy cut flowers and make a floral arrangement. These are sweet gifts and a great way to have fun with these beautiful fall gourds.
Together with you,
Lisa Lou