Written by: Allison Bunyan | Emerson Fellow
Fall has finally arrived and Halloween is almost here! Have you and your family already decorated the house and pick out your costumes? This is the time to start watching spooky films, and more! We have some fun recipes and activities that you and your family can do to get into the Halloween spirit. We’ve provided some suggestions for you that align with our values of positive lifelong nutrition and wellbeing.
It’s Pumpkin Season!
Carving Pumpkins is a staple when it comes to celebrating Halloween. But, don’t let the fun stop there. Turn the classic activity of carving pumpkins into a chance to snack as well! To supplement sugary trick-or-treating goodies, try out some of our healthy pumpkin-themed recipes with the whole family. Pair recipe-making with a family excursion to a local pumpkin patch! You can make picking up pumpkins a day of fun. Snack on these before you head out for trick-or-treating, during a spooky movie marathon, or while you’re decorating the house!
Our Pumpkin Hummus combines chickpeas with pumpkin puree, garlic, tahini, and other delicious ingredients to make the perfect Halloween snack. Just blend your ingredients, add some garnishes on top, and you’re done!
Fun Fact: Due to its orange color, pumpkins contain a powerful antioxidant called beta-carotene that provides us with an abundant source of vitamin A!
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds are a versatile food that is easy to make. You can get creative by adding all sorts of sweet or savory spices to make a tasty treat! Pumpkin seeds are also packed full of nutrients like magnesium, zinc, and fiber.
Fun Fact: Pumpkins are actually a fruit! Many people think they’re a vegetable because of their taste, but any produce with seeds are fruit.
Our Pumpkin Pie Bites offer a tasty and healthy substitute for candy. They are a blend of dates, oats, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree rolled into small, bite-sized balls.
Fun Fact: Pumpkins range in size from less than a pound to over 1,000 pounds. The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds!
Get your fruit ready for Halloween with our Pumpkin Tangerines. Make tangerines look like pumpkins by peeling a tangerine and sticking a celery stalk to the top! It’s an easy way to snack on fruits and veggies at the same time.
Get festive on Halloween morning with our Pumpkin Pie Smoothie recipe. You’ll love this healthy and delicious combo of vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, oats, milk, bananas, and pumpkin puree. It’s one more way to incorporate pumpkins into the Halloween season!
Fun Fact: Pumpkins have more fiber than kale, more potassium than bananas, and are full of heart-healthy magnesium and iron!
Halloween Activity Ideas
Halloween Movie Trivia or Charades
Has your family seen a few classic Halloween movies? If so, you may want to play Halloween Movie Trivia to test everyone’s spooky movie knowledge. Come up with simple or more tricky trivia questions to ask your kids! If you want a more general Halloween theme, try Halloween Charades! You and your kids can come up with fun words and phrases like Dracula, ghost, trick-or-treating, and more.
Halloween Sensory Bin
Put items with different textures, sizes, and shapes into a bin for kids to explore with their hands. Make it a bit spooky by adding toy spiders or anything around the house that might feel gooey or squishy. Add a blindfold for extra anticipation and fun!
Halloween Scavenger Hunt
Get your kids moving this month with a treasure hunt! Leave clues around the house and/or in the backyard for your kids to find. Pair each clue with a treat or perhaps have them lead to one big surprise! You can find free printable template options online, or feel free to download our template.
Have a Happy Halloween and we hope you enjoy some of these delicious recipes and spooky activity ideas!
