Halloween
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Ideas To Enjoy Halloween When You Can't Go Trick Or Treating

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Some people don't agree with trick or treating however we have always let the boys trick or treat at our neighbours houses on Halloween. It's something they have both looked forward to over the years but due to recent events I'm not sure whether we will get out and about this Halloween, however I will still make it lots of fun. Here are some ideas to enjoy Halloween when you can't go trick or treating. 

pumpkins


Decorate Your Home

We have always decorated our home for Halloween although I always feel like we don't get time to enjoy it as we are out most of the evening. Why not put your decorations up at the beginning of half term. Make your home more spookier than ever and it will be the perfect setting for your night of spooky fun. 

Spooky Treasure Trail

Our children may not be able to knock on neighbours doors for treats but that doesn't mean they have to miss out. Create a spooky treasure trail for them to follow collecting sweets and chocolates along the way. 

cookies


Decorate Cookies

Who can make the spookiest cookie? You can let your imagination run wild and create the most scariest looking cookies ever. Why not host a competition to see who's is the best and then you can eat them.

Play Games

I'm not talking about Monopoly or Scrabble, create some spooky games to play with the kids. How about pin the wart on the witch, or an old favourite duck apple. 

Read Spooky Stories

Turn all the lights down and give the kids some torches and read spooky stories in the dark.

deathly hallows pumpkin


Carve A Pumpkin

Most will have their pumpkins picked and carved ready for Halloween but it's a great activity to do together and when best than on the most spookiest night of the year. 

Host A Movie Night

There are so many family friendly Halloween movies to enjoy. Host a movie night. You can even make a movie ticket, give the children money to spend at the snack and drink kiosk, turn down the lights and enjoy the movie. 

Find The Pumpkins

During lockdown homes all round the country popped rainbow drawings and paintings in their windows. During our daily walks we would look for rainbows and count how many we spotted. This year communities are trying to do something similar but displaying pumpkins. It's a lovely idea and I know the kids would love it too.

No matter what you decide to do this Halloween I hope you have a very spooky time and please keep safe.
Michelle
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22 Family Friendly Halloween Movies on Disney+

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This month we will be pressing pause on what we have been watching so we can watch some family friendly spooky movies perfect for Halloween. Halloween has become one of my favourite holidays over the years and as little J gets older I know he won't want to trick or treat anymore or wear scary costumes but I'm hoping he will still enjoy sitting down to watch a family friendly Halloween movie. 

There are so many movies to choose from on Disney+ so I have been saving lots of choices to our watchlist so we can enjoy lots of family friendly Halloween movies. 

Pumpkin


Frankenweenie

When a boy's beloved dog passes away suddenly, he attempts to bring the animal back to life through a powerful science experiment.
Running Time - 1hr 28m
Suitable For - PG

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.
Running Time - 1hr 18
Suitable For - PG

Maleficent
A vengeful fairy is driven to curse an infant princess, only to discover that the child may be the one person who can restore peace to their troubled land.
Running Time - 1hr 39m
Suitable For - PG

Maleficent - Mistress Of Evil

Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies and dark new forces at play.
Running Time - 2hr 1m
Suitable For - 12+

hocus pocus


Hocus Pocus

A curious youngster moves to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century.
Running Time - 1hr 39m
Suitable For - PG


Hocus Pocus 2 

Three young women accidentally bring back the Sanderson Sisters to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking havoc on the world.
Running Time - 1hr 47m
Suitable For - 12+

Haunted Mansion 

A realtor and his wife and children are summoned to a mansion, which they soon discover is haunted, and while they attempt to escape, he learns an important lesson about the family he has neglected.
Running Time - 1hr 29m
Suitable For - PG

The Scream Team

After the death of their grandfather, Ian and Claire embark on a journey to free the souls of the ghosts that were captured by the evil misunderstood ghost.
Running Time - 1hr 28m
Suitable For - 6+

Girl Vs Monster

When she accidentally releases a monster, a teenager stumbles upon a family secret. She then sets out to eliminate the elusive monster that feeds off fear and to rescue her parents from its clutches.
Running Time - 1hr 30m
Suitable For - 9+


Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

A young boy named Jake discovers a house full of children with supernatural powers run by Miss Peregrine. Soon, he must help protect their home from terrifying enemies called Hollowgasts.
Running Time - 2h 7m
Suitable For - 12+

Cruella

Estella is a young and clever grifter who's determined to make a name for herself in the fashion world. She soon meets a pair of thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they build a life for themselves on the streets of London. However, when Estella befriends fashion legend Baroness von Hellman, she embraces her wicked side to become the raucous and revenge-bent Cruella.
Running Time - 2h 17m
Suitable For - 12+

Toy story of terror


Toy Story Of Terror

Woody and the gang are held up at a roadside motel and members of the group start to disappear from everywhere. Woody and the gang set about getting to the bottom of the mystery.
Running Time - 22m
Suitable For - PG

Halloweentown

When Grandma Aggie comes visiting, the Piper children notice her use magic. Curious, they follow her back to Halloweentown where Aggie and their mother Gwen are attacked by the dark forces.
Running Time - 1hr 24m
Suitable For - 6+

Halloweentown 2

An angry warlock has stolen a magic spell book and plans to turn everyone into whatever costume they're wearing at midnight on Halloween. It's a race against time to get the book back and save the humans from permanent horror.
Running Time - 1hr 21m
Suitable For - 6+

Halloweentown High

Marnie convinces the Halloweentown council that no harm will come to their children but it comes to them in the form of the evil Iron Dagger. Now, it is up to her to save them.
Running Time - 1hr 22m
Suitable For - 6+

Return To Halloweentown

When Marnie takes admission to the Witch University of Halloweentown, she soon finds out that the wizards and witches are not allowed to use magic in the school.
Running Time - 1hr 28m
Suitable For - 9+

twitches too poster


Twitches

Two teen witches who were separated at birth and were adopted by two different families meet on their 21st birthday and must use their powers to save the world in which they were born, where their birth mother still lives.
Running Time - 1hr 27m
Suitable For - 6+

Twitches Too

When a shadowy presence seeks to destroy the magical land of Coventry, twin witches Alexandra and Camryn combine their strengths to avert the disaster.
Running Time - 1hr 24m
Suitable For - 9+

Under Wraps
12-year-old friends, Marshall, Gilbert and Amy accidentally revive a mummy they discover in a neighbour's basement. They affectionately name the mummy Harold, and must rush to return him to his resting place before midnight on Halloween.
Running Time - 1hr 33m
Suitable For - 9+


Under Wraps 2

Amy, Gilbert and Marshall uncover a sinister threat to their mummy friend Harold and his beloved Rose while they prepare for Amy's father's Halloween-themed wedding.
Running Time - 1hr 23m
Suitable For - 9+


Don't Look Under the Bed

A teen enlists the help of an imaginary friend named Larry Houdini to deal with a prank-playing bogeyman, who's framing her for his dastardly deeds.
Running Time - 1hr 32m
Suitable For - 0+

Mom's Got A Date With A Vampire

The Hansen kids are grounded and must do something to get their mother out of the house in order to be free. They fix her up with a mysterious man, only to realise that he might be a vampire.
Running Time - 1hr 23m
Suitable For - 6+

Hopefully we will make a start on our watch list this weekend. I think we will start with my favourite Hocus Pocus, its a classic!

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Michelle

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Pumpkin Picking at Kenyon Hall Farm

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We did our first ever Pumpkin pick last year and at first we had no idea which pumpkin patch to choose as there are quite a few local to us, however we heard lots of good recommendations for Kenyon Hall Farm so we chose to visit there. We loved it and chose to go again this year too.

pumpkin in pumpkin patch
What To Expect At Kenyon Hall Farm, Warrington WA3 7ED
Kenyon Hall Farm has been growing pumpkins for over 30 years and has become one of the most popular and biggest pumpkin patches in England. 

As well as the Pumpkin Patch you can also enjoy a bite to eat or drink at the cafe, visit the shop or let the little ones explore the play area.

Boy in pumpkin patch

Boy in pumpkin patch
Pumpkin picking begins on the 1st of October and lasts right through till Halloween. (31st October).

Pumpkins can last up to 3-4 when un-carved so you can visit earlier on in the month however there is no guarantees it will last till Halloween. The only bonus about visiting early is the Pumpkin Patches will look prettier earlier on as they can become very muddy. 

pumpkin patch

pumpkin patch



pumpkins
If you don't manage to find a pumpkin in the patch you can head indoors where you will find lots of pumpkins to choose from which have already been picked and put on display.

Pre Booking your ticket is essential when visiting Kenyon Hall Farm. 

Tickets cost £2 each for adults and children. Children under 18months go free.

The play area is free to enjoy and was fully revamped in 2019. 

If you would like to visit the cafe, no booking is required. Turn up and order your food and collect from the hatch. There are picnic benches around the farm however indoor seating options will be reviewed during the colder months. 

Kenyon Hall Farm is open every day 9-5pm.

I am always so grateful for any support I receive on my blog and social channels. If you did find this post useful there are a few ways that you could say thanks and support Playdays and Runways.

Leave us a comment below and let us know what you thought. 

Like us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram


Share This Post With Friends Who May Also Find It Useful. 


Michelle
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Pumpkin Picking At Kenyon Hall Farm

No comments
We did our first ever Pumpkin pick a few years ago and at first we had no idea which pumpkin patch to choose as there are quite a few local to us, however we heard lots of good recommendations for Kenyon Hall Farm so we chose to visit there. We loved it and chose to go again this year too.

pumpkin in pumpkin patch
What To Expect At Kenyon Hall Farm, Warrington WA3 7ED
Kenyon Hall Farm has been growing pumpkins for over 30 years and has become one of the most popular and biggest pumpkin patches in England. 

As well as the Pumpkin Patch you can also enjoy a bite to eat or drink at the cafe, visit the shop or let the little ones explore the play area.

Boy in pumpkin patch

Boy in pumpkin patch
Pumpkin picking begins on the 1st of October and lasts right through till Halloween. (31st October).

Pumpkins can last up to 3-4 when un-carved so you can visit earlier on in the month however there is no guarantees it will last till Halloween. The only bonus about visiting early is the Pumpkin Patches will look prettier earlier on as they can become very muddy. 

pumpkin patch

pumpkin patch



pumpkins
If you don't manage to find a pumpkin in the patch you can head indoors where you will find lots of pumpkins to choose from which have already been picked and put on display.

Pre Booking your ticket is essential when visiting Kenyon Hall Farm. 

Tickets cost £2 each for adults and children. Children under 18months go free.

The play area is free to enjoy and was fully revamped in 2019. 

If you would like to visit the cafe, no booking is required. Turn up and order your food and collect from the hatch. There are picnic benches around the farm however indoor seating options will be reviewed during the colder months. 

Kenyon Hall Farm is open every day 9-5pm.

woman picking a pumpkin


I am always so grateful for any support I receive on my blog and social channels. If you did find this post useful there are a few ways that you could say thanks and support Playdays and Runways.

Leave us a comment below and let us know what you thought. 

Like us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram


Share This Post With Friends Who May Also Find It Useful. 


Michelle
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Our Sainsbury's Halloween Goodies

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Sainsbury's Halloween Goodies

What do you get if you pop into Sainsbury’s for bread and milk with a 4 year old? A trolley full of Halloween goodies!! Last week was the first time I have seen little J be so excited for Halloween. As we walked through the door of our local Sainsbury’s we were stopped in our tracks by a huge display of Halloween decorations. Little J instantly ran over and started pressing try me buttons on light up lanterns and dancing pumpkins. At one point he had three dancing characters on the floor watching them as they spun around. I do usually buy one or two new decorations each year to add to our collection so I had a silly idea of asking little J to choose two new items . . . he wanted everything. 

We always have a Halloween house party each year but as big J is too old now and little J wasn't old enough we haven't had one for a few years, just a little tea party for the 4 of us. However this year I am looking forward to hosting a Halloween party for some friends. 

Sainsbury's Halloween Goodies
Whilst little J was playing with the Halloween toys I popped in the trolley some partyware. I know that we will have tons in the loft as I buy lots of it every year and never end up using it all but I had to buy a new table cloth, plates, cups and napkins. There were 3 variations but I went for the ghosts design They say Woo and Boo and the tablecloth has lots of eyes on it and is wipe clean. They were priced at £2.50 each for packs of 10 for the cups and plates, napkins are a pack of 20 and the tablecloth is single and cost £3.50. I also bought Halloween crackers which are cute and cost £4 for 8.

Sainsbury's Halloween Goodies
Little J wanted to get some spiders and spider webs which I think are great fun and look so realistic. We have had some similar before and they are very creepy but the web gets everywhere. It comes in a ball with the plastic spiders attached and the idea is you pull the web and the more you pull the more it looks like spooky cobwebs. We always put it over the lights, around the fireplace and up the stairs. These were great value for money and priced at £3 including lots of web and 6 spiders,

Sticking with spiders I bought some door decorations. They hang over your door frame and have glittery webs and hanging spiders. These were priced at £6 each so I bought two as we have two main doors downstairs however now thinking about it I should have bought 4 as I am guessing they will only cover one side of the door. 

Sainsbury's Halloween Goodies
This was my favourite buy and I just fell in love with them when I saw them. Halloween Ghost Bottle String Lights, They are sound activated however there is a try me on them and once I pressed them I knew I had to buy them They play the Alton Towers music. For those that know us will know we are huge fans of Alton Towers so this was a must buy. They were priced at £12 for 10 lights. 

Last but not least little J decided to choose a dancing pumpkin which when pressed spins round and dances to The Monster Mash song. There were others to choose from, including a witch and a skeleton. It was priced at £12 and is really cute. 

So that is just a few of our new additions to our Halloween decorations this year. We still haven't been to Costco yet which we usually do every year and will normally find something to buy so watch this space. 

Have you bought any decorations for Halloween yet?

Michelle 
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Our Top Five Netflix Halloween Movies #StreamTeam

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 We love Halloween and for us Halloween is the beginning of the countdown to Christmas. We have started getting in to the Halloween spirit by browsing through Netflix for some movies to watch. I don't like being scared so adult horrors are not for me so we have chosen our top five Family Halloween Picks on Netflix.

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Halloween - Don't Get Tricked By Treats

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Halloween in almost here and just like the kids I am really excited. I love Halloween and for us it's the start of the countdown to Christmas, Halloween, then Bonfire Night and then before you know it Christmas is here. Although Halloween is lots of fun with chocolate and sweets you will have to make sure your little ones don't get tricked by treats
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Bedtime Stories Perfect For Halloween

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Disclosure - We were sent the products below for the purpose of this post. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are our unless stated. This post contains affiliate links. 

Halloween Books

Do you have a collection of seasonal books for the kids? We have lots of books and I try to keep collections together so that I can get them out depending on the season. As Autumn is here it's time to dust off our Halloween books and start reading them before bed.

We have two favourite books at the moment Boo and Ten Spooky Skeletons

boy in bed reading a halloween story

Boo is a fun novelty rhyming story all about finding out who is saying Boo. Each page has a different character on, Pumpkins, Wizards and little witches and each page says the same. for example "Spider, Spider was that you? Were you the one who shouted Boo?" Then there is a picture of the spider saying "it wasn't me" Little J loves this and as each page turns there are holes were the eyes should be so when I am just about to read out Boo I look through the holes and shout Boo. He finds it so funny. We love Little Tiger Press books and I can't wait to dig out some of big J's old books because I know we have lots similar to Boo that little J will love.

boy in bed reading a halloween story

The next bedtime story is Ten Spooky SkeletonsSimilar to Boo there are peek through holes on each page as one lonely skeleton goes on a search to find more skeleton friends. I always pop my fingers through the little holes which little J finds very amusing. A lovely story and a great way to talk about numbers and counting as each page starts with the number of Skeletons and a new skeleton is added every time. One, Two and so on. There is a lovely glow in the dark finale too.


I'm sure little J's favourites will swap and change all the time because I remember big J having a new favourite every night. I think reading to our children is so special and a lovely way to spend those last few moments of the day together before sleep time.

Do you read to your little one? What is their favourite story?

Michelle

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Spooky Ghost Cake Pops Recipe

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Disclosure - We went sent ingredients to try out this recipe. Any thoughts and opinions are our own. 

We love baking and we recently tried this fun recipe to make Spooky Ghost Cake Pops. They are perfect for Halloween or a rainy day activity to do with the kids. 

ghost pops
SPOOKY GHOST CAKE POPS

Preparation time: 2 hours plus cooling and chilling

Cooking time: 40 minutes plus 10 minutes to melt 2 lots of chocolate

Ingredients

For the cake balls
120g Cocoa Extra Dark Fine Cooks Chocolate
150g soft unsalted butter at room temp
200g Light Muscovado Sugar
3 medium free range eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp Madagascan Vanilla extract

For the cake pops:
2 X 100g bags White Chocolate Chips melted for sticking the balls onto the sticks & coating the cake pops
Teaspoon of vegetable oil

To decorate the ghosts:
1 x  pack of Dr. Oetker White Regal Ice
Icing sugar for rolling out
Dr. Oetker White Designer Icing for sticking the regal ice to the cake pops
Dr. Oetker Jet Black Gel Food Colour.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 140°C (275°F, gas mark 1). Grease and line an 18cm (7 inch) square cake tin.

To make the fudge brownie mix melt the extra dark chocolate in a microwave on medium power for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time until melted,  or in a heat proof bowl on a gentle heat over a bain marie. Leave to cool.

Beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand beater for approx. 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. If you haven’t got an electric mixer you can do this with a wooden spoon in a bowl .

TIP: if you are in a rush or the butter is quite cold, the addition of a couple of tablespoons of boiling water at this stage, beaten on slow until mixed will speed up this process.

Add your eggs on a slow speed about a third at a time, mixing until combined.

Add your cooled chocolate stirring continuously.  Add the vanilla Extract and stir. On slow speed mix in the flour until just combined. Do not over beat. Alternatively fold in by hand.

Pour the mix into your cake tin and bake for approx 40 mins. Check it with a sharp knife or metal skewer. You want this to be slightly under baked, so the knife should come out pasty, with a nice paste on the knife.

Leave to cool, then turn out into a bowl and crumble with your hands to fine fudgy crumb.

To make the cake balls, take a handful of fudge cake mix and squeeze together tightly - you are aiming for little balls about the size of a large walnut, approx. 30g each. If the mixture is dry, the addition of a little chocolate or vanilla butter cream will help the mixture stick

Once you have all of your balls ready, dip the end of your stick into the melted chocolate chips  and push the stick into each ball, about half way in. Hold the ball to stop it splitting open when the stick goes in

Once all the cake pops are ready, refrigerate them for 1-2 hours before dipping them, or pop into the freezer for 30 mins, so the balls are firm enough to hold when dipping in the coating

To coat the cake pops melt Dr. Oetker Fine Cooks White Chocolate on low power in a microwave bowl until just melted -  stirring occasionally.

Plunge each cake pop into the chocolate coating until completely covered. Tap the cake pop gently on the side of the bowl to shake off the excess. Once all are covered, dip each cake pop again

To decorate the ghosts roll out half the white regal icing into a large rectangle using plenty of icing sugar and a large plastic rolling pin. Roll fairly thinly – 2 to 3mm thick. Squeeze a little Dr. Oetker White Designer Icing onto the tops of the cake pops or brush with some melted white chocolate, to aid sticking of the sugar paste

Using a cake cutter or small bowl, cut out circles of regal icing and place on each of the pops, smoothing down with your fingers to create the white sheet effect. Allow a little wavy movement by using your fingers to create smooth.

Give them a try and we would love to see your creations. Tag us on socials @PlaydaysRunways.

I am always so grateful for any support I receive on my blog and social channels. If you did find this post useful there are a few ways that you could say thanks and support Playdays and Runways.

Leave us a comment below and let us know what you thought. 

Like us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram


Share This Post With Friends Who May Also Find It Useful. 

Michelle

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