Halloween is fun for young and old!

If you have a group of seniors getting together, what could be more fun than doing a baking project, craft project, or just getting together to read some mysteries. Maybe you’ll be putting together bags of candy to give to the grandchildren, or making a game. Whatever it is, have fun!

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Make Pumpkin Bean Bags

Pumpkin bean bags can be used for bean bag toss games or can be used as a pin cushion.

Here’s what you’ll need to make pumpkin bean bags

orange material
needle and thread
green or brown button
dry pinto beans
stuffing

Directions:

1. Cut orange material into a 8-9 inch diameter circle. (or larger if you wish).
2. Using a needle and thread start a running stitch around the entire perimeter of the circle. Make sure your thread is long enough in the beginning to run it through the entire edge of the circle.
3. Pull on the thread to gather the material so that the edges of the circle come together. This forms a bag.
4. Before securing the thread, add dry pinto beans to fill the bag. Leave a small space at the top and fill the rest with stuffing to make the top soft.
5. Once filled, pull the thread tight and knot it. If the circle did not close tightly, run your thread through the top to pull it together so no stuffing or beans escape.
6. Sew or glue a green or brown button at the top for the pumpkin stem.
7. Throw your bean bags into buckets, use in modified corn hole games, or toss around. Have fun!
8. This can also be used as a pin cushion.

Make Day of the Dead Cookies

Here are some fun and unusual cookie cutters to stamp a sugar skull into your cookies. Just cut and stamp, then bake and decorate them. Eat them, share them with friends, or save them for a party! These will surely start up a conversation! Read about the history of Day of the dead and the tradition of the sugar skull. This is usually celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, but can be fun doing it around Halloween time.

Make Jack O Lantern Stamped Cookies

Make pumpkin cookies with a jack o lantern rolling pin that you can decorate! Share these with a group of visiting children.

Make Yo Yo Pumpkin Pins

Make these yo yo pumpkin pins and have fun decorating each face.

Here’s what you’ll need to make pumpkin yo yo pins:

• orange material (I used orange felt)
• needle and thread
• cotton balls
• green chenille stems
• yo yo maker that you may purchase here (or you may find it at a local craft store) Or you may make your own yo yo
• fine point black sharpie or fabric marker for drawing on faces
• pin backs

Directions:

1. Use the yo yo maker to make the yo yo, (follow directions that come with the yo yo maker). See this post on how to make yo yo pins.
2. Before gathering the top and securing the thread with a knot, stuff it with a cotton ball or two.
3. Secure the thread and glue a short chenille stem to the top for a pumpkin stem. Curl the chenille stem around a pencil.
4. Draw a face on the pumpkin with a fine point sharpie or fabric marker.
5. Glue a pin back to the back of the pumpkin. Let dry.

Read Short Mystery Books

These short mystery books will have your group trying to sort out the clues and figure out the mystery. I have used 5 minute mystery books in my groups during Halloween which was quite fun! There are many types of these available, but the shorter the better.

Make Halloween Candy Bags

Have everyone bring a different bag of candy and get together to make Halloween candy bags. You can get candy bags here. Tie them up and give them to visiting children or grandchildren.