5 Fun New Twists For Halloween 2020
Social distancing doesn’t have to mean that Halloween 2020 scores a big, bad, boo! The fact that October 31st falls on a Saturday this year makes it a perfect day to round up your ghosts and goblins for a Halloween day trip. You’ll be so busy having fun together; they’ll completely forget about knocking on doors for candy! Of course, if you want to stay close to home on the 31st, these trip ideas can work on other fall days too.
Trick or Treat Tradesie #1:
Jacked Up Pumpkin Carving
With time on your side, why not stretch out and savour the fun of creating your family’s Halloween Jack-O-Lantern? Rather than a rushed panic to pick up a pumpkin from the grocery store and get it carved before the sun sets, turn the activity into an all-day adventure. Start with a trip to a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. The pumpkin picking is just a fraction of the fun that awaits at Merry Farms in Hamilton. The farm also offers a corn maze, giant slides, farm animals, a spider web to climb, a tire mountain and more. Other great options for pumpkin picking include Brantwood Farms in Brantford, Murphy’s Country Produce in Binbrook and Andrews Scenic Acres in Milton.
Trick or Treat Tradesie #2:
Skip The Streets
Swap traditional trick or treating for a more fun family adventure. Get your family’s input on a new activity they’d like to try. Some kid-friendly favourites include:
- Floating on a giant raft down the Grand River
- Enjoying a family bike ride on a scenic off-road trail
- Exploring the craggy cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment
- Ziplining through the treetops at Binbrook Conservation Area
- Racing each other around the GoKart track
After your adventure, surprise everyone with a personalized goody bag stocked with all of their favourite Halloween treats to enjoy at the final stop: Pumpkins After Dark! This 2.5-km guided drive-through trail at Country Heritage Park in Milton has over 150 different pumpkin sculptures that can be enjoyed from the comfort of your car.
Trick or Treat Tradesies #3:
How’d You Like Them Apples?
While most trick or treaters are less than impressed when a piece of fruit gets dropped in their bag instead of a piece of candy, apples are WAY more fun when you get to pick them yourself. Visit Wheelbarrow Orchards, or Chudleigh’s in Milton, and in addition to picking apples, your crew can enjoy a wagon ride, meet friendly farm animals, swing on ropes while exploring the on-site nature trail, and enjoy a play area with huge slides, a tower and hay bale jumps.
Trick or Treat Tradesie #4:
Create a Dream Goodie Bag
While there’s no debating the fun of other people giving you free candy, the downside is you have no control over what ends up in your trick or treating bag. That means there’s usually a collection of not-so-popular treats left after all the good stuff has been enjoyed. This year, sell kids on the idea of getting to design their dream bag of goodies. Turn the exercise into an all-day adventure by creating a day trip itinerary built around a variety of shops where they can stock up. Great candy store options in Hamilton Halton Brant include:
- Candi Werx in Hamilton
- Across The Pond British Imports in Hamilton
- Walker’s Chocolates in Burlington
- Miss Bailey Brown Chocolate in Milton
- Chocolate Sensations in Paris and in Ancaster
- Le Chocolat du Savoie in Brantford
Trick or Treat Tradesie #5:
Plan a Furry Friends Halloween Surprise
Nothing gets kids out of a funk faster than spending time with animals. Plan an outing that introduces them to some furry new friends.
- Visit Eighth and Mud Alpacas, where you can buy a bag of food and feed the farm’s friendly alpacas.
- Mountsberg Conservation Area’s Raptor Centre Trail is open, and visitors can view the resident raptors in their outdoor enclosures.
- The Ranch, in Oakville, offers one-hour guided horseback trail rides for children over the age of 10.
