This year we’ve decided to change up our Halloween Gift Gide which we shared in our announcement post here on Greatful Moments creating a Interactive Halloween Gift Guide, then you already know that we’re doing Halloween a little differently this year.

We’re not just going to tell you what to buy. We’re going to give your family things to do, make, eat, read, explore and enjoy together. And starting Tuesday, August 25, we’re officially getting started! Before Tuesday arrives, though, there are a few things I want you to have ready.

We’re Creating a Halloween Challenge Calendar because our interactive challenges will generally happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with an occasional bonus challenge when we have something especially fun to share.

That means you won’t have to do something every single day. I know families are busy. I know school is back in session. I know homeschool families have their own schedules, and I know parents have work, errands, appointments, sports and everything else that fills a calendar.

This is supposed to be fun, not another obligation. So our calendar will give you a place to keep track of the challenge days and mark the ones your family participates in. Make sure you print the printables out.

Maybe your child completes every challenge. Maybe they only choose a few. Maybe one challenge becomes a family favorite that you repeat. That’s perfectly fine. There are no grades and no wrong answers. We’re just giving families opportunities to make some Halloween memories.

When your child completes the challenge, and they earn a Greatful Moments Halloween Ticket that can be printed out at home allowing your children to keep them somewhere special.

Maybe they have a Halloween envelope. Maybe they have a little jar. Maybe they decorate a box for their tickets. Maybe you make a special ticket holder together as one of the activities. The tickets are part of the fun. And eventually, those tickets can be turned in for rewards.

But remember, those rewards don’t have to be expensive. A child might earn enough tickets to choose the family movie. They might earn one-on-one time with Mom or Dad. They might earn a cookie-making afternoon.

They might choose the family puzzle. They might get to create the snack menu for movie night. They might choose the book everyone reads together. The reward is the experience and spending time together without breaking the bank.

Before you go shopping for anything, we’re asking you to shop your own house. Look through your craft supplies. Check your school-supply drawer. Look at those stickers you bought and forgot about.

See whether you have unused pencils, erasers, crayons, bookmarks or other small supplies. You can even ask your family and neighbors if they have things their children no longer need.

And if you’re already shopping, back-to-school season gives you a perfect opportunity to look for inexpensive items. Walk through the school-supply section. Check the clearance areas.

Look at the stickers. Look at the erasers. Look for things your children will actually use. And please don’t feel like everything needs to have a pumpkin, ghost or witch on it. If your child loves blue, a package of blue erasers can be a wonderful prize.

If they love dinosaurs, dinosaur stickers are fine. If they love purple pencils, those can become part of the prize collection. The Halloween fun comes from what we’re doing with them. The supplies can be useful all year long.

This is one of the most important parts of our new challenge. I don’t want parents to feel like they have to spend $50, $100 or more to participate. You shouldn’t have to buy a bunch of Halloween merchandise just to have fun.

Some activities won’t require supplies at all. Some will use things you already have. Some will use inexpensive school supplies. Some may use food you already have in your kitchen. And some rewards won’t cost anything.

Because one-on-one time with Mom doesn’t come from a store. Neither does family movie night. Neither does reading a book together. Neither does going outside and playing for 30 minutes. Neither does sitting around the table and putting a Halloween puzzle together.

So here’s what you need to know: Our first Interactive Halloween Challenge begins Tuesday morning, August 25. Between now and then, print your calendar, find a place to keep your tickets and take a look around your house for things you might be able to use.

And then watch Greatful Moments. We’re going to build this Halloween adventure together, one challenge at a time. There will be food. There will be movement. There will be crafts. There will be reading.

There will be #homeschool-friendly ideas. There will be family activities. There will be Dallas-Fort Worth Halloween fun. And there will be plenty of opportunities to simply enjoy being together.

At the bottom of this post, you’ll find three free HTML printables to help your family get started. The first is your Interactive Halloween Challenge Calendar, where you can keep track of challenge days.

The second is your Halloween Ticket, which your child can earn as they complete challenges. The third is your Halloween Supply & Prize Hunt, which helps you prepare without spending a fortune.

Print them. Put them somewhere you’ll see them. Let the children help decorate them. Make this part of the fun. Because this year, the Greatful Moments Halloween Gift Guide isn’t just something you read. It’s something you participate in. And we’re starting Tuesday. Are you ready?

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

REE HTML PRINTABLE #1 Interactive Halloween Challenge Calendar