Use these free printable Thanksgiving Tic Tac Toe Sheets for Kids to keep them entertained during all kinds of holiday festivities.
Are you looking for Thanksgiving activities for kids that are easy, fun, and also free? Then this Thanksgiving tic tac toe game is exactly what you need!
Keep reading to see all the fun possibilities for using the tic tac toe game boards.
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How to use the Thanksgiving Tic Tac Toe Sheets
There are tons of ways that this Thanksgiving printable can be used this holiday season.
First, you can cut the worksheet into the 4 game boards and hand them out in Thanksgiving treat bags. Add some fall-colored M&M’s to the bags to use as your X’s and O’s and you have a great snack option too.
Next, you could use the tic tac toe game in the classroom. If you wish to save on paper, laminating the sheets and using dry-erase markers is an easy way to do so.
Are you traveling this Thanksgiving? Print out a few tic tac toe sheets to use in the car.
Also, the game would work well for use at your Thanksgiving gatherings with family. You could print out several and lay them around the kids’ table or place settings. Add some crayons and you have easy entertainment for your youngest guests.
As a bonus, these items would also look adorable spread around for the kids! So it’s an activity and a table decoration.
Here’s the Thanksgiving Printable
Before you print out the tic tac toe games, take a peek at our Count Your Blessings printable too. It’s an easy place to record your blessings this year.
Simply click the download button below to receive your printable.
Thanks so much for stopping by Productive Pete! Make sure you check out all of our Christmas printables too and sign up below to be the first to know about them!
This list of the best dinosaur gifts for kids is going to have something for all the dino-obsessed kids on your list!
Have a 6-year-old who loves dinosaur fossils? There’s a fun gift just for them below.
Or maybe your dinosaur lover is younger? There are tons of dinosaur gifts for toddlers too!
Perhaps you have a tween who still enjoys dinosaurs, but not necessarily dinosaur toys? We’ve got you covered!
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The Best Dinosaur Gifts for Kids
As a mom of three boys, we have gone through several dinosaur phases. However, my youngest who is currently 5 years old, is the definition of a dinosaur-obsessed kid. He has been for about two years.
With that long of an infatuation, the search begins to find gifts that he will love but doesn’t already own. That’s how this ultimate dinosaur gift guide came to exist.
He still loves dinos, but there’s a good chance we own every Jurassic World Dino that has ever been made!
So if you are searching for a unique gift for the kid who has all the dinos already – we have you covered.
Or if you have a new dinosaur-loving kid to find a gift for, there are tons of options for them too.
Make sure you also check out our STEM Gifts for Kids Gift Guide. It has tons of fun and educational STEM gifts that kids are sure to love.
Now, let’s jump right into all the fun dinosaur gifts we could find. Hopefully, you discover something that will make your child smile big when they unwrap their gift.
Crafts & Creative Dinosaur Gifts
There is so much beyond action-figure dinosaurs to give as gifts. Take a peek at all these fun dinosaur crafts & creative gifts. This Create with Clay Dinosaurs has the fossils for kids to form their clay over!
It’s about a classic gift as you can give, but one that kids will love because it’s full of dinosaur facts & pictures.
Our current favorite is DK Children’s Dinosaur! It has all the colorful pictures and illustrations to keep kids interested. There are so many dinosaur encyclopedias to choose from if this one is already in your collection.
Board books also make great dinosaur gifts for toddlers. You can see all the fun dinosaur board books here. Everything from silly illustrated dino books to factual ones like the My Big Dinosaur Book.
A few illustrated dinosaur books perfect for preschoolers are:
Since fossils are the way we piece together the puzzle of dinosaurs, there should be several fun activities for kids centered around them.
This National Geographic Mega Fossil Dig Kit is recommended for 8 years old and up and I will admit when I did this activity with my oldest, I had as much fun as he did.
Another fun one is the Dinosaur Eggs Dig Kit. It is the same concept, just you dig out plastic dinosaurs from the eggs!
Dinosaur Puzzles
The best thing about puzzles is that they can range in age from toddlers to preschoolers to even those technology-loving tweens.
Toddlers will love this Chunky Dinosaur Puzzle, as the pieces are just right for their small hands.
Kids in the preschool age need a bit more challenge and this Jumbo Dinosaur Floor puzzle is perfect for that.
But my all-time favorite dinosaur clothing is this Hawaiian Aloha Dino Shirt! Yes, it’s a little bit on the colorfulside, but it’s also absolutely adorable!
A few more Gift Ideas!
Just in case you didn’t find a great dino gift, we have a few other gift guides you can look at too.
This printable Turkey Coloring Page is going to have your kids gobbling with delight this year.
The simplicity of it allows for little artists to create whatever turkey they can imagine! Perhaps a rainbow turkey covered in polka-dots? Or a green and purple striped turkey? Who knows what their imaginations will create?
Keep reading for more great ideas on how to use this Turkey worksheet during your Thanksgiving celebrations.
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How to use your Turkey Coloring Page
This turkey coloring page can be used in so many different ways!
First, you can print it out and use it as a simple coloring page. No rules to follow, just grab the crayons or markers and let them do their own thing!
Geometric Turkey
Also, you could offer ideas for kids to make their turkey a geometric wonder. You could suggest that they draw their turkey feathers with shapes or designs, such as:
Squares, Triangles, Rectangles
Stars
Hearts
Diamonds
Polka Dots
Plaid (that would be a hip turkey)
Stripes
Thankful Turkey
Another idea would be to use the spaces of the turkey feathers as a place for them to write in their blessings for the year.
They could list what they are thankful for in each of the feathers and then color around them as desired.
Turkey in Disguise
This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving activities for kids. The turkey in disguise is really simple. Kids will help their turkey disguise himself so that he no longer looks like a turkey.
Then, when Thanksgiving comes around he won’t get eaten! Yes, it’s a silly concept, but also an open-ended activity for kids that can have hilarious results.
Children can use markers to disguise their turkey, or you can go one step further. Use construction paper or magazines and glue your turkey’s costume over the coloring page.
If you do the turkey in disguise, printing our coloring sheet out on card stock will help it hold up better. Or you can attach the entire finished turkey onto construction paper too.
Where to use your Turkey Coloring Sheet
This printable may be used in any non-commercial way. Meaning, as long as you don’t make money off of the printable – go for it!
Classroom Use of the Printable
This printable would work well for easy coloring in early childhood classrooms for toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarten-aged children too.
Don’t worry, older kids in upper elementary will enjoy doing the printable too. Tweens might even benefit from using the printable to record their blessings.
Scouts & Church
Feel free to use the turkey printable during your November Scouts meetings. Can you imagine how cute the turkeys would look if they were disguised as little Scouts? Adorable!
Travel Binder
Are you going to be traveling this holiday season to visit family & friends? Then print out a few turkeys for the road.
Kids could even color a couple to give to family members when you arrive. We all know Grandma loves having new artwork for the fridge!
We have another fun travel printable you might want to throw in their travel binder too. You can print out our Car Color Search and yes, it’s also a free printable.
Here’s the Printable
If you are thinking this would make a great activity at your family Thanksgiving, but are worried it’s only for kids, we have a solution for that.
Print out our Thankful Printable; it’s perfect for adults to list their blessings this Holiday Season.
The Turkey coloring page is available below. Simply click the download button and hit print!
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If you’re looking for a fun Halloween-themed game for a classroom party, then this free printable Halloween Tic Tac Toe Game if just for you!
Plus, if you use candy for your markers it works as a Halloween treat too.
I mean, is there anything simpler than a fun game of tic tac toe?
My youngest has recently become obsessed with this game. We play it over and over and over.
Therefore, he gets credit for helping me think of this fun Halloween printable for kids.
You can use this printable PDF in a few ways, so let’s jump right in and check them out.
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Ways to use the Halloween Tic Tac Toe Printable
There are tons of ways that you can use this Halloween printable.
First, let’s take a look at what you can do if you want to reuse the printable games.
In other words, you don’t want to mark up the tic-tac-toe boards.
Using the following ideas means you can reuse the games over and over; at least until Thanksgiving when you can switch them out with these Thanksgiving Tic Tac Toe Boards.
Tic Tac Toe “Place Holders”
If you want to play several games with the game sheets, one option is to laminate them and use dry-erase markers.
Or you can come up with a placeholder of sorts to represent the X’s & O’s.
This is where if you use candy, you will now have a fun Halloween game and a yummy Halloween treat!
Simply walking through the Halloween aisle at the store you will be able to find lots of fun markers to use.
If you need some inspiration, click the links below to see a few simple ideas on Amazon to use for your X’s & O’s:
Also, I highly recommend printing these out on card stock. It makes them more durable, especially if you aren’t going to laminate them, but hope to get several uses out of them.
Halloween Tic Tac Toe Uses
There are tons of ways you can use these printable Tic Tac Toe games.
The Halloween tic tac toe game cards are perfect for a downtime activity during a classroom Halloween party.
Or if your child has a travel binder, slip them into it to freshen up their options while riding in the car.
They also work great for keeping kids busy at restaurants or for simple fun at home.
So wherever you end up using the game cards, you’ll want to slip them into Halloween goodie bags with a few of the X & O placeholders mentioned above.
Or give kids the cards and a handful of candy to use as their X&O markers.
You now have a frugal and fun Halloween goodie bag to hand out at class parties, scouting events, trunk or treats, or even to your trick-or-treaters.
A few more Halloween Games
Before you print out your tic tac toe games, make sure you check out our other easy Halloween games and printables.
This Halloween printable is made for classroom & home use; no commercial use allowed.
Before you hit that print button, make sure you save this on Pinterest by clicking the P at the bottom of your screen or by clicking any of the photos in the post.
This way you’ll be able to find it next Halloween easily!
After a long, hot summer it’s nice to start thinking of Fall Date Ideas that don’t involve sweating or the need for air conditioning.
There’s something about the changing season that evokes a sense of comfort. The warm drinks and comfy sweaters combine perfectly together for a cozy date night at home on the couch.
But it’s also the last hoorah before the cold temps set in for winter. This means fitting in all of the outside date options you can before the freezing temps keep us nestled inside.
That’s why scheduling in those hayrides and winery visits let you enjoy the last little bit of good weather.
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Simple, Cozy Dates at Home
There are simply times when your relationship could handle a quiet night at home. It has always felt strange to me to be home together, without our crazy boys, but it’s one of my favorite things to do as a couple.
You can focus on one another without the fuss of dressing up and without the fussing of kids.
Even if you do not have kids, having an intentional date night at home can cancel out other distractions being at your house can bring about. Turn off the phones, hide the to-do lists, and have an evening focused on each other.
Fall Date Night Ideas at Home
Let’s take a look at some date night ideas that are perfect for nights at home.
Sit around the Fire Pit
Make Smores
Eat Dinner Outside on the Patio or Deck
Make Apple Butter
Watch a movie you both want to see
Watch a Football Game
Take a nap with the windows open & the cool Fall breeze blowing in
Halloween Themed Date Ideas at Home
Halloween isn’t a holiday that typically brings about the idea of romance. However, there are tons of Halloween activities you can do at home for a fun date.
While staying cozy at home is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world, getting out of the house for a fun night is a close second.
I think the impending doom of snow, ice, and freezing temps creates the desire to be outside as much as possible too.
Let’s take a peek at all these fun date night ideas made perfect by the crisp Fall weather.
Date Night Ideas Outside of the Home
From easy to adventurous, here are some great dates to plan for this fall. Romantic trips to stepping-out-of your comfort zone, this list has them all.
Go for a Hike
Take a simple walk in your local park
Find an Outdoor Movie showing near you
Or head to a local Drive-In
Attend a Fall Festival
Visit a Winery
Stay at B&B – bonus points if it has a fireplace
Check out a local Brewery & their Fall Brews
Take a country drive to check out the leaves
Watch a Fall Parade
Hit up your Farmers Market
Attend your local high school or college Homecoming Festivities
Go Apple Picking
Do a crazy, big Corn Maze
Go on a Hayride
Simple coffee or hot chocolate date
Eat dinner outside at your favorite open-air restaurant
Go Camping
Rent a Cabin in the Woods
Tailgate
Or attend a local football game
Do a Stock up Date and Hit up Costco/Sams for your winter stockpile
Enjoy a Fall Hayride
Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Halloween Date Night Ideas
Just like with at-home dates, there are fun Halloween Date Night Ideas for going out on the town too!
Visit a Haunted House
Have a Thrift Store Costume Challenge
Challenge yourself to do an Escape Room
Research & Visit Haunted Places in your town
Go to the movies and watch a scary Halloween movie
Do a Corn Maze in the Dark
Have a local Zoo? Visit their “Boo at the Zoo” at night
Amusement Parks typically have Halloween nights too!
Attend a Halloween Party
Or host your own Halloween Costume Party
Do a Halloween Pub Crawl
Do a Haunted Hayride together
Dates for Days & Dates for Nights
Hopefully, you have found a few things that piqued your interest for a fun date night. Do you have a date that you typically do in the Fall? Drop it in the comments to share it with others.
Also, don’t forget to PIN this on Pinterest so you can check back for inspiration as needed.
Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. For example, all that Halloween candy. That’s why these non-candy Halloween treats are great alternatives!
Full disclosure, I’m not a mean mom, my kids do get to eat candy. But when you consider school parties, trunk-or-treats, overly generous grandparents, and trick-or-treating… well that’s a lot of candy.
That’s why non-candy Halloween favor ideas are the perfect solution to a sugar-filled problem. You know kids are still going to get that candy haul they dream of all month, so it’s okay to give them a non-candy Halloween option that they will enjoy too.
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Non-Candy Halloween Favors for the Win
If you are worried about giving trick-or-treaters something besides candy, then these next ideas are going to be a great compromise.
Or maybe you are wondering what to put in those Halloween treat bags that aren’t candy, but kids will still enjoy.
No worries! We have tons of Halloween goody bag ideas from snacks to toys to witch fingers. Yes, witch fingers!
Over the last several years, food companies have begun making snack products with special Halloween packaging.
They have caught on that people are searching for non-candy options to give out on Halloween.
So if you are looking for non-candy Halloween treats, but still like the idea of spooky snacks or food, these first ideas are for you.
Snacks for the Halloween Treat Alternative Win
From crackers to granola bars you can find a little bit of everything to use as a candy alternative this Halloween. Now, even if the actual food hasn’t been changed, the spooky packaging has to make it creepy and fun.
Maybe you just want to skip doing candy and food altogether this Halloween? Well, that’s not a problem because tons of fun trinkets fall into a no-sugar Halloween treat category.
These next items are larger Halloween favors that could be handed out by themselves to trick-or-treaters.
Of course, you could always combine any of the items in this list to make fun Halloween treat bags. My boys love to help me put together our treat bags. This makes it a fun family Halloween activity too!
These Halloween Slap Bracelets are not only a blast from the past, but they are a perfect alternative to candy treats.
These smaller alternatives to handing out candy would work well for goodie bags or letting children select a few.
Now if you are one of those lucky people who have hundreds of trick-or-treaters, you could stretch them out as needed since they are still fun Halloween treats.
Smaller items like these tattoos are the perfect item to add to a Halloween treat bag!
Really Fun, Kind of Big, Non-Candy Halloween Treats
Do you only hand out treats to a few trick-or-treaters? Or maybe you are known as that “house on the block” that always has unique treats? Either way, these larger treats are perfect for you.
Their price point is a little higher which makes them ideal for those who don’t need hundreds of Halloween treats.
These Halloween squishy toys are my favorites that I have found for Halloween 2020!
Before you go, take a moment and check out some of our other fun Halloween ideas here at ProductivePete. We have easy DIY games, bucket list activities, yummy Halloween snacks, and so much more!
It’s finally feeling like Fall and that means it’s time to organize your Halloween Bucket List Activities. This list is designed for kids and families, but a lot of the ideas would work for a fun Couples Halloween Bucket List too!
If you are like me, having tons of options can be overwhelming. So before you begin diving into the bucket list ideas, I recommend checking out our free Halloween Bucket List printable.
This way as you go through the suggestions below, you can write down the ones that work for your family.
Now let’s jump right in with all the fun Halloween activities!
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Halloween Bucket List Activities at Home
Are you looking for fun Halloween activities that don’t require a ton of planning, or perhaps a long drive? Then check out these fun at-home Halloween Activities for your Bucket List.
Halloween Activities with Music, Movies, Books & More
HAVE A HALLOWEEN MUSIC SESSION OR DANCE PARTY | There’s something undeniably fun about turning up Monster Mash and jamming out to Halloween music. It’s even better if you break out dancing!
LEARN A HALLOWEEN DANCE | We just talked about having a Halloween music party. But if you want to take it to the next level, learn a Halloween dance. You can Youtube classic dances like Thriller or the Monster Mash and learn them as a family.
WATCH YOUR FAVORITE HALLOWEEN MOVIES | Without a doubt, my favorite classic Halloween movie is always going to be Hocus Pocus. As for my boys, they will currently pick, the not-so-spooky, Hotel Transylvania 3.
So grab your family’s favorite Halloween movie, grab the popcorn and enjoy a fun family movie night.
NOW, FIND A NEW (TO YOU) HALLOWEEN MOVIE TO WATCH | There are so many classic Halloween Movies that aren’t super scary and work well for kids and families. Do a little research and find one that is new for your kids or family.
TIP: I highly recommend screening any new movie you choose. One person’s review that it isn’t scary for their kids, doesn’t nessecarily mean the same for yours.
A mom who didn’t do this & regrets it to this day aka me
This year we are going to watch Halloween Town. I have seen this one before, but it will be new for the rest of my family.
MAKE A SPOOKY HALLOWEEN VIDEO | This one is great for older children making it a fun Halloween activity for tweens or teens. Have your child write, direct, and star in their own Halloween movie.
There are tons of apps that will let you or your child edit videos easily on your or their phones. Once you have it all done, watch it as a family.
READ A GOOD HALLOWEEN BOOK OR TWO OR MORE | Halloween is the perfect time to change up the reading materials in your home. Pull out the Halloween books and have family reading time on the couch or as part of your bedtime routine.
Need a few Halloween picture book ideas? Then check out our list of Halloween Books for Young Children. It has tons of not-so-spooky suggestions for young kiddos.
A COUPLE MORE HALLOWEEN BUCKET LIST ACTIVITIES
Tell Spooky Ghost Stories with the lights off
Write your own Ghost Stories & turn them into books with illustrations
Look back on photos from past Halloweens
Make a Halloween playlist for listening to at home or in the car
Have a Halloween Game Night
Pumpkin Time! Jack-O-Lantern Fun & More
CARVE A JACK-O-LANTERN | Yep, the most traditional Halloween activity made the list first! But keep reading to see how to take your pumpkin carving to the next level.
USE PUMPKIN PATTERNS TO JAZZ UP THOSE JACK-O-LANTERNS | Have you ever bought a pumpkin carving kit and thrown away those pumpkin patterns that came with it? Well this year, that can change!
Yes, it might seem daunting at first. That’s because you aren’t simply cutting out triangles anymore. Eek! But once you figure out the tricks of intricate pumpkin carving it is actually really fun.
Do a general Google search for pumpkin carving patterns and pick one out as a family to try this year. Last year we did a dinosaur and it actually turned out really cute.
HAVE A PUMPKIN CARVING CONTEST | This idea works best as a Halloween Activity for tweens or teenagers. Or it can work well if you combine into teams and have one adult handling the cutting, and the younger children being the creative directors.
If you do have a caring contest ask a neighbor to be your jack-o-lantern judge. Another fun idea is to post the pumpkins on social media and ask for votes that way!
PAINT PUMPKINS | You can either paint real pumpkins, or you can use foam decorative pumpkins. Throwdown some newspapers, gather your paint supplies, and have fun decorating pumpkins.
CREATE MONSTER PUMPKINS | What are monster pumpkins? Simply put, they are whatever you want them to be! Use nails, screws, golf tees, or any other sharp objects to hammer into the pumpkin to create your Frankenstein-like jack-o-lantern. You always use something like these jack-o-lantern teeth too!
EVEN MORE PUMPKIN FUN:
Make pumpkin spice playdough
Make pumpkin gut slime
Bake or make anything pumpkin-flavored
DIY & Crafty Halloween Activities at Home
There are tons of fun DIY and crafty Halloween activities you can add to your bucket list. Let’s take a peek at a few favorites.
DECORATE YOUR FRONT PORCH | Grab that bag of spiderwebs and go to town decorating your front porch. Let the kids help pull it apart and place the plastic spiders where they can reach.
There are tons of other fun Halloween decor items like welcome mats, funny inflatables and of course decorative ghosts.
CREATE A SPOOKY SPACE IN YOUR HOME | Decide as a family one area of your home and totally decorate it to the max for Halloween. If this isn’t your front porch, then perhaps your family room or bathroom.
Wherever you choose, the goal is to make it as spooky, creepy, and awesome as possible.
DIY HALLOWEEN COSTUMES | I’m the first one to admit that I am a ship from Amazon Halloween costume type of mom. But I always love seeing the kids that have DIY Halloween costumes.
So if you are up for the challenge, work together and DIY your kid’s Halloween costume.
FAMILY HALLOWEEN COSTUMES | Are you struggling with what to wear for Halloween this year? Maybe your family should try doing a family Halloween costume. Think of a group costume idea and then research and design it together.
DO SOME HALLOWEEN CRAFTS | Check out our list of Premade Halloween Craft Kits to simplify the crafting process this Halloween. Of course, you can also search Pinterest for tons of fun crafts too.
HAVE A HALLOWEEN PHOTO SHOOT | One of the things that seems to happen on Halloween is that it gets dark super fast. This means I always miss out on grabbing great pictures of my boys. To solve this, we have a family photo shoot night.
Start by having your kids do a dress rehearsal in their costumes. Now without the rush to go trick-or-treating, you can grab some great pictures.
If you want a few easy photography tips on how to capture great Halloween photos of your kids – check out our Halloween Photo Tips for Moms!
Party Time & Halloween Games
There’s just something about Halloween that makes the parties the absolute best. Maybe it’s that everyone is decked out in costumes, the fun music, or even the interesting party food.
THROW A HALLOWEEN PARTY | Consider throwing a Halloween Party this year. It could be geared for just your kids’ friends, your neighborhood, or even an adult costume party.
PLAY SOME HALLOWEEN GAMES | Even if you don’t have a Halloween Party, you can still play some fun games as a family. We have two that use mainly Dollar Tree supplies that would work great at home.
Undeniably, Halloween is synonymous with candy. But there are tons of other fun Halloween foods you can create and enjoy. Adding one of these fun food ideas to your Halloween Bucket list will give you a yummy treat to share. Plus as a hidden bonus, you’ll have quality family time spent cooking together.
MAKE HALLOWEEN COOKIES | Whether you do slice and bake, or go all out with decorating cookies, spend some family time in the kitchen and bake up a batch of Halloween cookies together.
TRY THESE CINNAMON SUGAR JACK-O-LANTERN CRISPS | Want to try something a little different than cookies? Then check out our Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Crisps Jack-O-Lanterns. They are an amazing and addictive combo of crunchiness and sweetness.
MAKE HALLOWEEN PRETZELS | Another fun Halloween treats idea is to make Halloween pretzels! Check out our Halloween Bats & Jacks Pretzels post to see the easiest way to make these yummy Halloween treats.
HAVE A SPOOKY SUPPER | There are so many fun appetizers, soups and dinner ideas that can be made a little extra spooky for Halloween. So grab up some ideas by checking out our Halloween Food Board on Pinterest.
A FEW MORE FOOD HALLOWEEN BUCKET LIST ACTIVITIES:
Make Carmel Apples
Drink Apple Cider
Eat Candy Corn Popcorn
Have a Halloween Breakfast
Buy Halloween cereal
Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Create a Meatloaf Brain
Make jack-o-lantern pizzas
Spooky Fun Around Town for your Halloween Bucket List Activities
If you’re looking for a fun Fall afternoon away from home, then these ideas are perfect to add to your Halloween Bucket List activities.
There’s a little bit of everything here. Ideas for families with young children, as well as Halloween fun for teens.
HEAD TO THE PUMPKIN PATCH | Make it a family tradition to search for the perfect jack-o-lantern at the Pumpkin Patch. As a bonus, you’ll also enjoy all of the other activities at the Patch.
DO A CORN MAZE TOGETHER | For some reason, the idea of being lost in a huge corn maze is something that has become associated with fall. It’s not my cup of tea because I am a self-proclaimed scaredy-cat thanks to a viewing of the movie Children of the Corn. But if you don’t have my childhood hangups, it can be fun to do with your family.
NOW DO THE CORN MAZE IN THE DARK | Remember what I said about some of these Halloween Bucket List activities being for families with older kids? This one falls in that category!
Search your area and see if any of the local corn mazes do night events. Be warned, these night time corn mazes become less about agriculture and more about scaring you when you least expect it.
HAUNTED HOUSE ANYONE? | If paying to be scared is your thing, then a Haunted House is the way to go! If it’s not your thing, you can always be the person who goes with your family and waits in the car. There’s no shame, you can hang out in the parking lot with me.
TRUNK OR TREATS FOR THE WIN | Have you ever done a trunk or treat? They are absolutely one of my favorite parts of Halloween. People decorate their trunks or the back of their vehicles and you can walk around “trick or treating” without really doing much walking.
Our local school PTO puts one on and it is so fun to see all the extravagant decorations people come up with for their trunks.
FIND A HAUNTED HALLWAYS | Another idea that is put on by our school’s Student Council is a Haunted Hallways. This is simply where they decorate the hallways for Halloween and for a small donation you can “walk the Haunted Hallways”.
If commercial haunted houses aren’t your thing, a group of high schoolers trying their best to be spooky might be more up your alley. It is for me!
HALLOWEEN FUN AT THE LOCAL LIBRARY | Check your public library and see if they are hosting any fun Halloween events over the month of October. Ours has a special Halloween Book Reading, a Monster Craft Day, as well as a Wear your Costume to the Library event.
GO ON A HAYRIDE… POSSIBLY AT NIGHT | We have a family hayride every October and it is one of my kids’ favorite Fall activities. However, it can quickly turn into a spooky hayride when the sun starts to set and we have misjudged our distance from the house.
CHECK YOUR MOVIE THEATER FOR HALLOWEEN MOVIES | Check to see if any theaters around you are showing older Halloween movies during the Halloween Season.
YOUR TOWN’S HAUNTED PAST | Look into the local legends around your community and see if you can discover any spooky past stories or haunted fables. Research your town’s haunted past and visit the suspected places if possible.
GO TRICK OR TREATING | I highly doubt your kids will let you forget this one, but make sure you add it to your Halloween Bucket List to keep them happy.
One more thing before you go!
Whatever you choose to put on your Halloween Bucket List, always remember that the idea is to enjoy the activities you are doing, not just cross them off the to-do list.
It can be hard as a busy mom to be in the moment. It’s hard to enjoy everything when you know there are twenty other things that need to be done.
But taking that time and making something memorable is how family traditions are created. Check out our Halloween Family Traditions ideas if that is something that sounds great to you.
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It’s that creepy time of year when Haunted Houses and Hayrides fill up your Fall Weekends. If you are looking for a fun way to keep track of all your spooky adventures, try using our free blank Halloween Bucket List Printable.
It’s the perfect way to create, organize and record your bone-chilling adventures this October.
Perhaps even more so this year with the impending threat of trick-or-treating being cancelled, having a fun Halloween Bucket List can ensure your kids have a great October 31!
This Halloween Bucket List printable can be used for your October activities, or you could use it to plan your Halloween at home.
This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on something and purchase it, at no extra cost to you, I will earn a commission.Read more about this in our Disclosure Policy.
How to Use your Halloween Bucket List Printable
This Halloween Bucket List worksheet is perfect for hanging on the fridge or even adding it to your planner.
However, before you do that you need to figure out what exactly you are going to put on your list. This will depend on who all is going to be using the bucket list.
The Halloween Bucket List is great for families to come together and think of fun activities for Halloween.
Also, it works well for couples who are wanting to create a Halloween Couples Bucket List. Perhaps a haunted winery tour or making a unique couples costume could make the list?
It can even be for just your kids to make their own Halloween Bucket List!
As I mentioned, with Halloween looking a little different this year, it’s the perfect way to record your Halloween night to-do’s.
Whatever you choose, the process of filling up the bucket list printable is super easy.
Ideas for your Halloween Bucket List
There are some traditional Halloween ideas that will go on most people’s bucket lists.
For example it isn’t Halloween at our house if we don’t carve a pumpkin.
Another fun activity is to DIY or pick out our family costumes.
Then there is always go trick-or-treating which hopefully happens this Halloween 2020 in some form. Fingers crossed.
Of course, there are tons of other fun Halloween activities you can add to your bucket list.
These Family Halloween Traditions are going to be an easy way for your family to create lasting and possibly spooky Halloween memories.
While digging through old pictures of Halloween’s past, a few from my childhood came to the top of the pile.
What’s funny is that the memories and Halloween traditions I remember from my childhood were all incredibly simple.
I don’t mean that my Halloweens were lacking; far from it! But the memories I hold dearest don’t involve a lot of bells and whistles.
So when thinking of starting your own Family Halloween Traditions, you might be surprised to find that for your kids, you already have a few.
Simple moments together can be just as important traditions as big ones like family vacations & big birthday parties.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s jump right in with my Halloween favorites.
Hopefully, you find a few fun family Halloween Traditions for the coming holiday.
Or perhaps, you’ll realize you already have a couple and then decide to add a few more.
This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on something and purchase it, at no extra cost to you, I will earn a commission.Read more about this in our Disclosure Policy.
Halloween Traditions for Families
Life is busy. That is simply a fact in our home and I’m sure yours.
That’s why these spooky traditions and Halloween activities for kids are easy to implement, as well as fun.
Bonus points because a few of them are even frugal ideas.
Let’s jump right into the list of traditions you can start this October.
Make a Frightening Halloween Dessert or Sweet Treat
We all know that Halloween is known for its trick-or-treating and therefore a surplus of candy.
But, it’s also a great time to be creative with your baking.
This means you can let the kids put gummy worms on cupcakes or make a cake that looks like a brain. If it’s gross, it works well for Halloween.
The best part about Halloween food is that if you mess up, it’s OK. You can just say a witch cursed your oven or that a zombie messed with the snacks.
Also, make sure you check out our Halloween Food, Snacks & Treats Pinterest board for some great ideas. Find easy ideas for those classroom Halloween snacks or even your Halloween dinner.
We have two simple and fun Halloween snacks that you need to click and see as well.
It’s a crispy tortilla covered in cinnamon and sugary goodness. It only requires 4 ingredients and of course, it also looks like a jack-o-lantern.
Next are these Halloween Pretzel Treats. If you are a fan of those chocolate bark-covered pretzels during the holidays, this treat is for you.
Create Creepy Appetizers and Monstrous Main Dishes
If the idea of making your dinner look like a brain isn’t exactly your preference, there are tons of other ideas that are edible, but still have a less creepy factor.
Appetizers are a great way to go if you don’t want to make an entire Halloween-themed meal or if you’re afraid your kids won’t eat something super gross-looking.
My favorite is to make a jack-o-lantern pizza. You can do this in two ways.
The first and easiest involves a slightly defrosted frozen pepperoni pizza. Simply cut and rearrange the pepperonis as needed to create your pumpkin. It helps to have a few extras to add too.
The next way would be to make homemade pizza. Then you have more freedom to use various toppings and create your jack-o-lantern pizza.
Make sure you check out tons of other fun ideas on our Halloween Pinterest Board!
Watch Spooky Movies & Fearful Shows
Is it Halloween if you don’t sit down and watch Bette Midler as a Sanderson Sister in Hocus Pocus?
There are so many classic Halloween movies that range from family-friendly to I’m never turning the lights off at bedtime again.
I highly recommend you screen any movie (a Google search will usually be all you need) to see what level of scare factor a Halloween movie involves.
While it’s a good idea to introduce kids to what they might observe during trick-or-treating such as costumes or spooky music, you do need to be aware of your child’s fear level.
Here are a few Halloween movies that my family enjoys:
There are of course tons and tons of Halloween movies! You can check them out on Amazon here.
So get the cozy blankets ready, grab the popcorn, and settle in for a family movie night.
Carve those Pumpkins
This just might be the most nostalgic of all Halloween Traditions.
I can still remember standing on a vinyl chair in my mom’s kitchen scooping out a pumpkin.
There was newspaper down to catch the mess, but the seeds and guts still flew everywhere.
We were triangle eyes and jagged teeth mouth kind of jack-o-lantern makers.
This is what we did with our boys in the early years. Then, we became aware of all the free printable templates to take your pumpkin to the next level.
You can simply google “free jack-o-lantern templates” or check out one of my favorite sites: PumpkinPile.
Make sure you have a good set of pumpkin carving tools and you’ll be ready to take this Halloween tradition to the next level.
If you want to get serious about your pumpkin carving, try these Pumpkin Carving Tools.
Books are the perfect Family Halloween Tradition
As the fall weather arrives and the daylight disappears earlier and earlier, our family reading time increases.
Halloween books are a great way to not only celebrate the holiday but to prepare your child for a night of trick-or-treating too.
Reading Halloween books, much like movies, can prepare young children for the idea of walking around at night with costumes and people everywhere.
This tradition is very dependent on your family’s situation, but it is something that can brighten the day of a loved one.
If you have elderly loved ones, especially if they live in a nursing home or assisted living facility, think about making a special trip to see them during Halloween week.
You could avoid the rush of doing this on actual Halloween and make the trip a simple family tradition.
Have your child wear their costume and surprise your family members with their own small Halloween celebration.
Decorate Decorate Decorate
You might be thinking, well I do decorate for Halloween. But that is not what I am talking about… I’m talking about going all out and decorating one area of your home to the max.
Choose your front porch, kitchen or dining area, living room mantle, or even a bathroom, and decorate it like crazy for Halloween.
A great place to do this on a budget is the Dollar Tree. They have tons of Halloween decorations every year.
If they don’t match your decor or you don’t like the options, contemplate spray painting them. A simple can of black spray paint can transform Dollar Store treasures into spooky home decor you love.
The part of this that makes it a real tradition, is that you go all out. I can still remember what our front porch looked like, along with our entryway every Halloween.
There were pumpkins down the sidewalk that we would carve into jack-o-lanterns before Halloween.
So many cobwebs with tiny spiders along the entire length of our long front porch. Plus a big black witch pot sitting on colorful fabric by the front door.
My mom would place little touches of skeletons and a witch’s broom leaned up against the doorframe as well.
Did I mention the bats that hung from the porch ceiling? I still remember it in detail and hope to step up my game and continue this tradition with my boys.
Research Your Town’s Ghostly Haunts
Take a little time and look into your town’s haunted past. You could do this by visiting the local library and researching town history. If you are lucky, the library itself might be old & spooky.
If the library isn’t a great option, do a general Google search of supposedly haunted places near you. Then simply go visit them. Whatever you do, make sure your kids are ready to go exploring these types of places.
Exploring your town’s haunted history can make Halloween feel more real for kids. So be prepared for the emotions and questions that go along with that.
Costumes are the Definition of Family Halloween Traditions
Halloween Costumes are about as classic Halloween as you can get. But there are ways to make your costumes part of your family’s traditions.
There are two easy ways we will look at to make costumes part of your fun family Halloween Traditions. Let’s take a look at the first one.
FAMILY HALLOWEEN COSTUMES
If you want to really go out, make your Halloween Costumes a family event. How to do this? Well, first you need to pick a theme.
For example, popular ones revolve around movies or television shows. Your entire family could go as:
The Incredibles
The Adams Family
Toy Story
SuperHeroes
Of course, there are so many other ideas, ranging from eccentric to borderline genius. Some of the favorites I have seen are:
The Bee Family – Hive Included
Safari Hunt with Animals
Farmer with Animals too
Hotdogs & Hamburgers with Ketchup & Mustard
Whatever you choose, make sure your entire family is in on the fun and you have a great tradition started. At least until your kids are old enough to not want to match you anymore… Hello tween years!
DIY COSTUMES
Another fun tradition is to make your own costumes. Don’t worry, I’m not talking about learning to sew and creating a commercial-grade costume.
But there is something to be said about creating a mix-matched costume from your dress-up piles or by being super creative with a cardboard box.
I remember with vivid detail the bat costume my mom made out of a black sheet. As well as when I went as a ghost and tripped all night; but had so much fun!
Let go of the idea of perfection and let your child help you with the process. Also, you can go as simple as being a witch, to creating a tractor out of a cardboard box. It’s the process of creating and planning the costume that makes it a great family tradition.
Have a Halloween Photo Shoot
Even when Halloween falls on a weekend, for some reason it’s always a crazy busy rush to check off all the Halloween to-dos.
We started our pre-Halloween photo sessions as a way for me to capture pictures of the kids in their costumes when we weren’t in a hurry.
It quickly turned into a dress rehearsal of sorts and became my favorite part of Halloween.
Without the quickly setting sun and your kids’ desire to collect as much candy as possible, you can take your time and capture great memories.
We’ve even gone as far as finding spooky places to take pics.
It’s become a family tradition for us to have our trial run with their costumes.
It’s also great for giving you insight into what might need to be tweaked for Halloween night. For example, a mask that needs foam added, or a costume that you need to safety pin the bottom.
The Halloween Bucket List
Our last idea in this list of Family Halloween Traditions is to create your own Halloween Bucket List. This can be as simple as a to-do list with ideas like carving pumpkins, watching a Halloween movie, or making a tasty Halloween treat.
Or you can go crazy and include things like decorating the entire front yard as a graveyard, visiting a Haunted House, or even making that brain meatloaf!
Making the Most of Your Family Halloween Traditions
Whatever Family Halloween Traditions you decide to do, always remember that the process is sometimes the part that your kids will remember most.
I can’t tell you exactly what my jack-o-lanterns looked like from my childhood, but I do remember the process of picking out a pumpkin, cutting it open, and watching my Mom cut out those triangle eyes.
So enjoy the Halloween Holiday and enjoy the little parts too. Those might be exactly what your child remembers about their Halloween fun.
With all the chaos that Back to School time can bring, finding free printable First Day of School Signs you like is a win-win!
Before Productive Pete was more than a dream, I would spend hours searching or trying to create my own first-day signs. It was a time-consuming task during a very busy time.
Hopefully, you enjoy all the First Day of School Signs. They range in age from preschool up to twelfth grade.
Yes, I’m still hoping my boys will hold up their signs for me one day when they are seniors in high school.
Fingers crossed.
This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on something and purchase it, at no extra cost to you, I will earn a commission.Read more about this in our Disclosure Policy.
How to use the printable First Day of School Signs
After you print your sign you have two easy options for using it.
First, you can use it as is. If you love the simple design of the white background and black letters, then you are all set.
However, if you want to include your child in the process of creating the sign and add a little color, then grab those crayons or markers.
The FIRST at the top of the sign is perfect for adding some color to your sign.
Of course, they could color any part of the sign! Their personality can shine when you let them unleash their creativity.
Now you have a colorful personalized First Day of School Sign that your kids had a part in designing, and therefore will be more likely to hold for you! Hopefully.
How to make your sign sturdier
First, printing the sign on a thicker card stock paper will help it be sturdier and less likely to flop around during your photo session.
If you don’t have card stock to print out your sign, it’s going to be a little flimsy. But no worries, here are a few suggestions for making sure those First Day of School pictures go smoothly.
An easy option is to tape the sign to a heavier piece of construction paper. Be careful that the tape doesn’t show through on the sign.
If you go the glue route, I’d suggest using a very little bit from a glue stick. They are less likely to make a mess of your sign than bottle glue.
A few more ways to make your sign stronger
Another idea is to use a clipboard to make holding the sign easier.
If you go this route, use a small piece of tape on the non-clip end of the clipboard so that the bottom of the sign doesn’t slide.
Finally, you can also use a picture frame you have around your home.
If you go this route, I suggest you take out the glass of the frame.
It will help with glare when you take your pictures.
Plus it will be safer and take away the chance you’re cleaning up the glass before school.
How to Print Your Signs
These signs are available as a PDF. This means you will need to have a program like Adobe to download and use them. Most cell phones can automatically open the downloads – so mobile users should be all set!
After you click on the link, double-check the setting on your print menu to make sure that none of the letters have been cut off.
Hit print and your sign should be good to go!
NOTE – These signs are designed for families and teachers. No commercial use is allowed.
Even More Back-to-School Fun
Before you print out your sign, check out some of our other Back to School posts made for busy Moms.
Children can draw themselves in the circle to document what their first day of school looked like. With another historic school year – aka more virtual learning & masks & so on, I’m curious to see what my boys draw this year.
I just got the best request for a sign this morning! Someone requested a First Day of School Sign for foreign exchange students! Hope the sign works out for you all & wish your students a great school year experience!
Am I missing any? Feel free to drop me an email or comment below if there’s a specific age you need and it’s not above. I’ll do my best to try & make it!
Thanks so much for visiting us here at Productive Pete. Before you go, give us a share on Pinterest and help other Moms find our printable First Day of School signs!
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