Spooky season: fun ways to spend Halloween at The Arbour

The month of October means that Halloween will soon be upon us. Traditionally, Halloween marks the beginning of winter, but it is also believed to be the time of year where the boundary between this world and the next is at its thinnest, which is why it’s associated with all things ghoulish and ghostly.

For many parents living at The Arbour, this means soon being faced with the daunting task of entertaining children during autumn half term. However, this Halloween break doesn’t have to be terrifying. We’ve put together a list of five ‘spook-tacular’ ways to keep the whole family entertained in Chelmsford this spooky season:

 

Pumpkin carving –

Across folklore, the jack-o-lantern is said to scare away wandering evil spirits. A Halloween staple, pumpkin carving is a great activity for the whole family. Unleash your creative side and display your carved pumpkin inside or outside your house to keep the ghouls away this October! Remember to be careful when handling sharp objects, and supervise children at all times. For safer ways to decorate pumpkins, you could use paint or other craft items to create your hair-raising designs. Find some great inspiration here.

Scary movie marathon –

There’s nothing better than curling up on the sofa with a big bowl of popcorn as a family. Another great way to celebrate Halloween this year is by watching your favourite scary film. Our homes at The Arbour benefit from generous living spaces, providing the perfect space for you to create the ultimate home cinema set up. Take a whole evening, or even a weekend, to watch the spookiest or silliest Halloween films this October. Time Out have put together a fantastic list of family friendly films, which you can check out here. Our favourites are The Addams Family (1991) and Coraline (2009)!

Autumnal walk –

The Arbour is surrounded by lots of green spaces just waiting to be explored – an autumnal walk is the perfect way to blow away the cobwebs this half term! Get your wellies on and jump in muddy puddles or get the kids to make a collage with colourful leaves they have collected on the way. For those looking to get serious about their Halloween decorations, use twigs and leaves found on your walk to make your very own scarecrow.

Get dressed up –

Whether you’re planning to go trick-or-treating or have an invite to a Halloween party, getting dressed up in your spookiest look can be lots of fun. It’s also another fantastic opportunity to encourage little ones to get creative. Ask them what they’d like to dress up as and see if you can create their vision together with items you might already have and a few clever DIY tricks. Check out Country Living’s article for some spine-tingling creativity.

The Land of the Dead –

Just a short drive from our new homes at The Arbour, locals can attend the Land of the Dead festival, taking place at Kings Farm, Chelmsford every day from the 21st until the 29th October. A great day out for October half term, the festival will offer a fantastic range of activities for the whole family. Attendees can choose to get their face painted, ride the fairground rides, go pumpkin picking and more. Also, each night the Mexicana Courtyard will come to life, offering delicious Mexican street food, beers and cocktails.