It may seem funny to be talking about #Halloween in September when I’m always stressing one #Holiday at a time but before we know it it will be here. I wanted to do a fun countdown with you and your children.

Buttercup… if you have been following along with our GreatfulMoments.com gift guides, you already know I don’t always think a gift guide has to mean, “Here are 25 things you need to buy.”

Sometimes the best gift is an afternoon together. Sometimes it is getting outside. Sometimes it is laughing at something completely ridiculous. And sometimes it is discovering something you never would have noticed if you hadn’t slowed down for a few minutes.

That is exactly what I want to do with our Interactive Halloween Gift Guide. We’re going on a Halloween Scavenger Hunt! And before anybody says, “But Glenda, we don’t celebrate Halloween,” hang on. I hear you.

I know Halloween isn’t something every family participates in, and I respect that. That’s one reason we’re doing Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas activities instead of putting everything into one holiday.

If Halloween isn’t your family’s thing, simply skip this one and check out our other seasonal gift guides and scavenger hunts. There will be plenty here for you, too. But for those who do enjoy a little Halloween fun, grab your family, grab your shoes, your friends, family and pets and let’s go for a Spooky Walk

This is similar to our Fall scavenger hunt, but we’re changing what we’re looking for. Instead of simply searching for pretty fall decorations, we’re going to look for things that make us think about Halloween.

Maybe it’s something creepy. Maybe it’s something weird. Maybe it’s something that makes you stop and say, “What in the world is THAT?” And here’s the best part: You don’t have to bring everything home.

In fact, some of the best discoveries should probably stay exactly where you found them. See a creepy spider? Take a picture. See an amazing spiderweb? Take a picture. Then turn those pictures into part of your Halloween decorations.

If you find a strange-looking leaf? Maybe that one can come home with you. See something you aren’t sure about? Leave it alone. We are having fun, not trying to win the Darwin Award. If something can bite, sting, scratch, poke, poison, or otherwise hurt you, admire it from a safe distance and keep walking or if your me run and don’t look back.

Here are some things to look for on your spooky walk. You can find them, photograph them, draw them, or simply check them off when you spot them.

Can You Find…

• 👻 Something that looks spooky
• 🕷️ A spider or a spiderweb
• 🐛 A creepy-looking bug
• 🍂 A strange or unusual leaf
• 🌳 A branch or stick that looks like a creature
• 🎃 Something orange
• 🖤 Something black
• 🌙 A shadow that looks interesting or spooky
• 😱 Something that looks like a face
• 🧙 Something that makes you think of a witch, ghost, monster, or other Halloween character
• 🦇 Something that reminds you of a bat
• ✨ Something that looks magical
• 📸 The strangest thing you can safely photograph

You don’t have to find everything. This isn’t a test. It’s an excuse to slow down and look around. While creating new memories and traditions with those we love and that includes our pet.

One of my favorite parts of this idea is that you can turn your scavenger hunt into a little photography adventure. You don’t need a fancy camera. Use whatever camera you have available.

Take a picture of the strangest tree. Photograph a spiderweb. Look for shadows. Take a close-up picture of an interesting leaf. Find something that looks like a monster without actually being a monster.

Then when you get home, sit around the table and look at your pictures together. You might be surprised by what everybody noticed. Mom may see a leaf. Dad may see a creepy face. One child may see a dragon. And another person may look at the exact same thing and say, “I don’t see it.” That’s okay. That’s part of the fun.

Now we’re going to connect this Halloween adventure to something else we’ve already started here at GreatfulMoments.com: The 10-Minute Reading Challenge. Remember, you don’t have to sit down with a giant chapter book.

Read a book. Read a comic. Read a magazine. Read a recipe. Read the directions to a game. Read the cereal box. Read something you’ve been meaning to finish. Just read for 10 minutes.

For our seasonal gift-guide ticket challenge:

Reading for 10 Minutes = 2 Tickets- That’s right. The scavenger hunt earns you a ticket, but reading for 10 minutes of reading earns you two more tickets. And if you’re doing this with children, adults can participate, too. Actually, I think adults should participate. Why should the kids have all the fun?

Here’s where the scavenger hunt becomes part of our bigger family challenge. Each seasonal scavenger hunt gives you an opportunity to earn a ticket. Complete the Halloween scavenger hunt? 1 ticket.

Read for 10 minutes? 2 tickets. And remember, we’re doing this with our Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas activities. So if your family decides to do all four scavenger hunts and completes the 10-minute reading challenge for all four, you can earn: 4 scavenger-hunt tickets + 8 reading tickets = 12 tickets.

And because I think families who go all-in deserve a little something extra, there’s a surprise. You get 2 bonus tickets. That means a family that completes everything can end up with; 14 TICKETS! Now that’s a scavenger hunt! Remember you don’t have to do everything it’s up to you what your children or you choose to do as long as your having fun.

A challenge wouldn’t be fun without a prize. I know you want to know what’s the Prize? Well, Buttercup, that’s where Mom and Dad come in. GreatfulMoments.com isn’t furnishing the prize.

The parents decide what the prize will be. Maybe it’s a small toy. Maybe it’s a special treat. Maybe it’s choosing the movie for family movie night. Maybe it’s a trip for ice cream. Maybe it’s something completely different.

The whole point is that your family gets to decide what makes it special. You can even let the children know ahead of time what they’re working toward, or keep it a surprise. For Charlie I will make it a surprise.

If you’re homeschooling, don’t look at this as “just a Halloween scavenger hunt.” You can turn it into a fun little lesson without making everybody sit at a desk. Because this is meant to be done outside.

You could talk about: Science: What kind of insect did you find? Where does it live? What does it eat?

Nature: Why are leaves changing? What trees are around your neighborhood?

Writing: Write three sentences about the strangest thing you found.

Art: Draw the creepiest thing you saw.

Photography: Take a picture that tells a Halloween story without using any Halloween decorations.

Math: Count your discoveries and keep track of your tickets.

Reading: Complete the 10-minute reading challenge.

And if you’re not homeschooling? Do it anyway! Learning doesn’t stop just because the school day is over. Adults can learn as well so put the phone down mom and dad and let’s get to hunting.

If you want to make your walk a little sillier? Give everybody a character. Or wear a #Halloween costume. Then let one person can be the official Spooky Photographer. Someone else can be the Bug Detective.

Someone can be the Leaf Investigator. Someone can be the Official Ticket Keeper. And somebody can be the person who keeps saying, “I don’t think we should touch that.” Honestly, that last person may be the most important one.

Here’s another thing I love about this.

You can turn your scavenger hunt into a gift-guide activity by putting together a little family adventure basket.

You could include things like:

• A small basket or reusable bag for safe finds
• A magnifying glass
• A notebook
• Pencils or crayons
• A kid-friendly flashlight
• A small camera or instant camera
• Nature or insect identification books
• Craft supplies for turning safe discoveries into decorations

You don’t have to buy everything. Use what you already have. Then if your missing something on the list ask your friends and family and check out Free groups on Facebook. That’s the whole GreatfulMoments way of doing this.

When You Get Home… Don’t just throw everything in a bag and forget about it. Sit down together. Look at the photographs. Talk about what everybody found. Draw something. Write something. Make a little Halloween decoration from a safe natural item.

Or simply have a snack and laugh about who got scared by the tiniest bug. Because honestly? That’s the gift. The time together. The story you’ll remember. The picture somebody took.

The weird stick that absolutely looked like a monster. And maybe the child—or grown-up—who suddenly discovers that they really enjoy being outside and looking at the world differently.

One More Thing Before You Go…

If your family doesn’t celebrate Halloween, that’s okay. You don’t have to participate in this scavenger hunt. We’ve got Fall, Thanksgiving, and Christmas activities coming, too, and those may be a better fit for your family.

GreatfulMoments.com is about making memories, learning something new, spending time together, reading, laughing, and finding those little moments that remind us how grateful, thankful, and blessed we really are.

So whether your family is out looking for spooky shadows or simply enjoying a beautiful fall afternoon, I hope you’ll find a reason to slow down and enjoy the people you’re with. Now grab that printable, lace up those shoes, and let’s see what creepy, funny, strange, wonderful things we can find.

And remember… Don’t pick up the creepy bug. Take its picture instead. Trust me on this one, Buttercup.

Happy Boo Day to you!!

Grateful, Thankful, Blessed.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates