The spookiest time of the year is finally upon us. Moving to college, I was incredibly concerned about celebrating my personal favorite holiday: Halloween. Aside from just parties, there are so many ways to celebrate spooky season in cost effective, dorm friendly ways. I’ve compiled a small list (keep in mind, I love Halloween) of things I’ve done with my friends this October.
1. Decoration
Since carving pumpkins requires tools I did not want to purchase and messes I did not want to clean, we had to come up with a plan B. Painting pumpkins is a lot easier and less messy. When I was at Target, I picked up some small (marketed as pie pumpkins) and got right to work. My friends and I sat in the room and painted goofy faces on our orange canvases and placed them all around the room. Not only was this a good way to decorate, we also got a few hours of fun out of the whole process, which, I will say, easily got me into the spirit. For an even cheaper alternative, go to the dollar store and get plastic pumpkins. You’ll even be able to keep them for years to come.
Also, on every board you have, have some fun and make it festive. In my room I’ve got a big chalkboard that I try to decorate with something related to the season. Right now it’s got a big pumpkin that says happy halloween. If you don’t have a wipe board/chalk board, grab some paper. Even if your art skills aren’t the best, it’s sure to make you and your friends laugh.
2. Costumes
Is it really Halloween without costumes? Although this may seem obvious, creating your own costumes is much more cost efficient and can give you a lot more freedom to be creative. I will note that, in all my many years of Halloween enthusiasm, some of my most fun memories have been coordinating and making costumes with my friends.
3. The Day Itself
While on every campus there are going to be opportunities to party and celebrate almost every holiday, I wanted to give a few more family friendly things that you could do. You can’t wait until the parties start to celebrate.
Movie marathons are a classic. It’s not October to me unless I’ve watched all the Halloweentown movies. Disney does their Halloween marathon every year, which I certainly appreciate as one who isn’t into the gory horror. If that’s more your speed, some bloodbath massacres are also sure to get you into the spirit of the season. Whatever floats your boat, movies are a staple for the season.
Going to haunted houses can be super expensive, so my friends (strongly against my will) have decided that scaring each other is the next best thing. They’ve turned October in prank month. Whether it’s fake rats or just hiding behind a door, this has definitely kept me on my toes. While maybe this isn’t my favorite way to celebrate, it has given my roommate some hard laughs. Try it out, everyone can use a little spook.
All in all, going to college isn’t a reason to leave childhood fun behind. If anything, it’s more of a reason to celebrate youth. Have fun, be safe, and most importantly happy Halloween.