The Bare Bones: A Last-Minute Halloween Survival Guide

Halloween is Thursday (yes, this Thursday). If you’re not ready yet, you’re officially in “last-minute” territory. As a parent, the horrors of a haunted house are nothing compared to the thought of going into Halloween unprepared. Your home may not be decked out with decorations and your still yet-to-exist costume might stink, and that’s okay! Just take care of these 7 essentials for a terror-ific Halloween. 

Nothing puts a parent in panic mode like a costume crisis on Halloween morning. At the soonest possible moment, have your kid try on her costume, including every bell and whistle. If her facepaint causes an allergic reaction or her dress is too long for a trek around town, it’s good to have a day or two to fix the problem. If the costume choice is still up in the air, check out our guide to last-minute costumes.

Comfortable footwear is an absolute must for pain-free trick-or-treating, no matter how silly your kid’s filthy tennis shoes look with her pretty princess gown. Also, be sure to check the weather, so you can make sure your kid will be warm during her quest for candy. While she's deciding on a costume, remind her it may be cold when the costume really counts.

With an eleventh-hour approach, you may worry your little one will feel shortchanged on Halloween spirit. Make up for the time crunch with a light-hearted, age-appropriate prank on Halloween morning. Switch out the bathroom lightbulb with an eerie green one. Change the wallpaper on her phone to something spooky. Put on a crazy wig or mask for breakfast and stash some plastic Dracula teeth in the cereal box. The little touches will make the day special.

In the rush of a hectic Halloween, don't forget to serve a filling, healthy dinner before going trick-or-treating. It will pay off on the final legs of your journey when candy-crazed kids begin to crash and burn, and your child will be less likely to binge on her sugary loot when she returns home. For festive feast ideas, check out our recipes for Mummy Pizza Bites and Halloween Pasta.

This might be a last-minute Halloween, but it’s still Halloween, and that means that pumpkins are required. But if you’re in a pinch, skip the messy, time-consuming tradition of carving pumpkins this year. Draw on them instead! Just pick up a few pumpkins and pull out a permanent marker. For some artistic inspiration, check out our printables with classic jack-o-lantern patterns.

You don't have to turn your house into Halloween-town or spend weeks on a first-place costume to make Halloween thrilling and memorable for your child. Taking care of a few details will have you on track for a boo-tiful night of trick-or-treating and sweet fun!

Want ideas for a deliciously spooky Halloween dinner? Here are 16 recipes any little ghoul will gobble up.