Halloween fun at Grandhome
Halloween is going to be slightly different to usual this year, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t have fun at home.
To help you celebrate, we’ve created a guide to Halloween fun at home for all the family. Let us know what you get up to and remember to share your photos on the Grandhome Facebook page.
Pumpkin Carving
An age-old tradition, pumpkin carving is fun no matter your age – and some people really go all out with their designs.
Although many of the local pumpkin patches like Udny Pumpkins and Westerton Farmers are now fully booked (keep an eye out for next year as they are popular), you can pick up a pumpkin from your local vegetable shop to carve.
Top tips for pumpkin carving – plan your design and draw onto the pumpkin before carving.
If you and your family carve pumpkins this year – place them in your window and on your doorstep to take part in a pumpkin-spotting trail – a safer alternative to trick or treating this year.
Save the insides of your pumpkins and create some pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie or pumpkin seed brownies.
Make sure that you don’t discard leftover pumpkins after Halloween – either put in your food waste bin, use as compost or break your pumpkins in half and use as a bird feeder. They also make great habitats for small wildlife in your garden or in the wild.
Halloween Treats
Why not create a little Halloween feast? See below for a roundup of our tried and tested favourites.
If you would like to support local and buy some Halloween treats, there are many businesses across the city offering something different this Halloween. Local businesses Miso Hungry and BAKED by Martha have partnered to create a spooky Halloween-themed sushi and brownie set for you to enjoy from your own home this Halloween weekend, while Bake n Butty is offering Halloween themed cupcake and sweetie boxes.
Local food blogger Foodie Quine has some exciting Halloween recipes on her blog, including no-bake peanut butter ghosts, spooky Halloween fudge and Pumpkin Quesadillas.
Spooky Eyeball Pops – combine madeira cake, Oreo cookies and melted chocolate before rolling into small eyeball-shaped balls. Allow to chill for two hours before decorating. Add some cake pops to the eyeballs and push into a pumpkin for an extra Halloween display before they’re all eaten.
Add some vegetables to the feast with some mushroom skulls. Simply carve the skull shape into some button mushrooms, bake for 15 minutes and then drizzle with balsamic vinegar. For the adults, why not get in the spirit with a Halloween-themed cocktail? Local bars in Aberdeen have come together with some cocktail recipes that you can make from the comfort of your own home.
Halloween Fun
Now you have the treats, there are lots of fun activities to enjoy while celebrating Halloween at home.
What better way to get in the Halloween spirit than with a spooky quiz to raise money for a local children’s charity? Befriend a Child is hosting a family-friendly quiz via Facebook Live on Wednesday 28 October, with all proceeds going to help children in the North-East.
If you still have plastic eggs left over from Easter Egg hunts, repurpose them with some fun Halloween stickers, hide sweets in them and get the whole family involved in a DIY Halloween egg hunt.
Arts and crafts are great fun at Halloween, and there are many ideas that can be done at home with very little materials needed. Recycle old plastic milk bottles, draw some eyes on it, put a glow stick inside and wait until dark to watch it light up.