Your 3-Week Halloween Planning Guide for Busy Families"

Halloween falls on a Friday this year, which means you have the perfect opportunity to create a weekend full of family memories without the usual weeknight rush. The key to enjoying Halloween isn't spending more—it's planning ahead and focusing on what matters most: time together as a family.

This guide breaks down everything into manageable weekly tasks, so you can avoid the last-minute scramble and actually enjoy the holiday alongside your kids.

Three Weeks Before Halloween (October 10-16)

This is your planning week—the time to dream up ideas and get everyone excited without spending a dime yet.

Family Brainstorming Session

Set aside 30 minutes for a family meeting. Make it fun with hot apple cider or popcorn, and discuss:

• Costume ideas (individual or family theme?)

• Trick-or-treat plans and route

• Any special traditions you want to start or continue

• Who's responsible for what

Budget Tip: Decide on a total Halloween budget now—including costumes, candy, decorations, and any special treats. Having this number up front prevents overspending later.

Costume Planning Checklist

☐ Browse what you already have at home—old clothes, accessories, makeup
☐ Check with friends or neighbors about costume swaps
☐ Search Pinterest or YouTube for DIY costume ideas using household items
☐ Make a list of what you need to buy vs. what you can make
☐ Assign costume tasks to family members who want to help create them

Connection Moment: Making costumes together becomes its own memory. Even if you buy pieces, let kids help customize with fabric markers, glitter, or creative accessories.

Candy & Treat Planning

☐ Estimate how many trick-or-treaters you typically get
☐ Calculate candy needed (usually 2-3 pieces per child)
☐ Watch for early sales and compare prices at different stores
☐ Decide if you're doing alternative treats (stickers, glow sticks, pencils)

Budget Tip: Warehouse stores and post-sale shopping (mid-October) often have the best candy prices. Consider going in with a neighbor to split a bulk package.

Two Weeks Before Halloween (October 17-23)

This is your action week—gathering supplies and preparing without the pressure.

Costume Assembly

☐ Purchase any needed costume pieces or materials
☐ Start DIY costume projects with the family
☐ Do a trial run to ensure everything fits and works
☐ Make adjustments or plan B if needed
☐ Gather accessories, shoes, bags for trick-or-treating

Connection Moment: Turn costume creation into a weekend craft session. Put on Halloween music, spread out supplies on the kitchen table, and let everyone contribute ideas. The imperfect, homemade touches are what kids remember.

Home Preparation Checklist

☐ Test your porch light and replace bulbs if needed
☐ Clear your front walkway of tripping hazards
☐ Decide on simple decorations (if any)
☐ Create decorations together—paper bats, ghosts, window clings

Budget Tip: Skip expensive store decorations. Kids love making construction paper decorations, and they're free. Save carved pumpkins for the week of Halloween so they don't rot.

Meal Planning

☐ Plan a simple Halloween dinner that can be made ahead or quickly
☐ Consider a crockpot meal that cooks while you're out
☐ Make a grocery list for Halloween week meals
☐ Plan Saturday morning breakfast as a family celebration

One Week Before Halloween (October 24-30)

Final preparations—you're in the home stretch!

Final Costume Check

☐ Try on complete costumes one more time
☐ Make any last-minute repairs
☐ Prepare a backup layer if weather looks cold
☐ Charge camera or phone for photos

Trick-or-Treat Preparation

☐ Buy candy (if you haven't already)
☐ Prepare trick-or-treat bags or buckets
☐ Pack flashlights or glow sticks for safety
☐ Plan your route and set a time limit
☐ Discuss safety rules with kids

Thursday, October 30th Checklist

☐ Grocery shop for Halloween dinner and Saturday breakfast
☐ Prep any make-ahead dinner components
☐ Set out costumes and accessories
☐ Put fresh batteries in flashlights
☐ Set out candy bowl and serving utensils

Connection Moment: Build anticipation! The night before Halloween, gather as a family to lay out costumes, talk about the plan for tomorrow, and maybe watch a family-friendly Halloween movie together.

Halloween Day: Friday, October 31st

Morning

☐ Keep the day low-key—save energy for evening fun
☐ Let kids wear costume pieces around the house if they're excited
☐ Prep dinner in the crockpot or do any final meal prep

Afternoon

☐ Early, light dinner (4:30-5:30 PM)
☐ Get everyone in costumes
☐ Take family photos before heading out
☐ Set out candy bowl if you're handing out treats

Evening

☐ Trick-or-treat together as a family
☐ Stay present—put phones away and enjoy watching your kids' excitement
☐ Return home for hot chocolate and candy sorting
☐ Let kids choose a few pieces for tonight, discuss saving the rest

Connection Moment: The candy sorting is half the fun. Sit together, let kids spread out their haul, trade favorites with siblings, and tell stories about the best houses or funniest moments.

Saturday Morning, November 1st

After a late Friday night, Saturday morning is for sleeping in (if your kids allow it!) and enjoying a special family breakfast together. This becomes the bookend to your Halloween celebration.

☐ Sleep in or have a leisurely morning
☐ Make a special breakfast together
☐ Look at photos from the night before
☐ Let kids enjoy a few more candy pieces with breakfast

Budget-Friendly Tips Throughout

Costumes: Thrift stores, closet shopping, and DIY save hundreds compared to store-bought costumes. A $5 investment in face paint goes further than a $40 costume.

Candy: Buy in bulk, shop sales, or split large packages with neighbors. Consider the "Switch Witch" tradition—kids trade most of their candy for a small toy, and you donate the candy.

Decorations: Nature provides free décor—pinecones, leaves, pumpkins from the patch. Kids' handmade decorations cost nothing and mean everything.

Activities: The best Halloween memories are free—walking the neighborhood together, sorting candy on the living room floor, telling spooky (but not too spooky) stories by flashlight.

The Real Goal

At the end of Halloween night, what will your family remember? Not whether the costume was store-bought or homemade. Not whether you had elaborate decorations. They'll remember laughing together while creating costumes, racing from house to house as a family, and the cozy feeling of coming home to sort candy together.

By planning ahead and keeping your focus on connection rather than perfection, you create a Halloween that's memorable, meaningful, and stress-free. And that's the best treat of all.

Happy Halloween from all of us at Seasonal Wellness 4U!