The amazing and spooky month of October is back and I couldn’t be more excited! Time to start pulling out those spooky decorations, carve a jack-o-lantern, and prepare for some cute trick-or-treaters. To ensure you don’t miss out on any of the spooky fun this year, I have created an awesome October Bucket List to follow. It is filled with some great October activities to fill up your weekends with adventure. Let’s dive right in!
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Why Should You Create an October Bucket List
Really quick… let’s talk about why you should create your very own October bucket list! As I hinted at before, creating an October bucket list will help ensure you don’t miss out on any of the fun this spooky season. Plus, it is completely easy and free to do! All you need is a pencil and a piece of paper. If you want to get really fancy, you can check out my ultimate seasonal bucket list bundle HERE. Bucket lists are also a great way for memory keeping, adventure inspiration, and so much more!
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The Ultimate October Bucket List
Alright, may I present to you: my October Bucket List! Let’s jump right in…
Visit the Pumpkin Patch
First, visiting the pumpkin patch is definitely a top priority in October! This is such a fun and easy activity. Plus, you can start stocking up on your pumpkins and get some great deals while you’re at it.
Pick out the Perfect Pumpkin
While at the pumpkin patch, be sure to snag yourself a great looking pumpkin! We always love finding unique shapes that inspire our carving later on. What type of pumpkins do you like?
Host or Attend a Costume Party
Another October Bucket List must is attending a costume party! Be sure to come armed with a fun, spooky dish, like monster cookies.
Carve Pumpkins
Sketch out a cool face and carve yourself a jack-o-lantern to light on your porch on Halloween.
Bake Pumpkin Seeds
Save your pumpkin seeds, rinse them off, and toss them in the oven with your favorite seasoning for an October-themed snack.
Drink a Pumpkin Flavored Drink
Warm up with a wonderful pumpkin latte, warm pumpkin juice, or pumpkin hot cocoa.
Try a New Pumpkin Recipe
Still need more pumpkin in your life? Try out a new recipe that features pumpkin! Here is an awesome cookbook that includes some great ideas such as: pumpkin seed baked chicken, pumpkin bars, pumpkin pie pudding, and roasted pumpkin and brussels sprouts.
Have a Spooky Movie Marathon
Grab your favorite scary movies and have a spooky movie marathon! In need of some ideas? Check these movies out!
Create a Spooky Playlist
If you’ve read my other bucket lists, you’ll know I love creating a new playlist each season with my Amazon Music account. For October, I fill it with songs like: Thriller, Monster Mash, Who’s Watching Me, Ghostbusters, I Put a Spell on You, The Time Warp, and Black Magic Woman.
Related: The Ultimate Autumn Bucket List
Read a Thriller Novel
Grab yourself a thriller or horror book and dive in during your off time this month. Some of my current October favorites include:
- The Institute by Stephen King
- The Shining by Stephen King
- It by Stephen King
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Decorate Your Home for Halloween
Next, spend an afternoon decorating your home. My favorite Halloween decorations include: black lace spider webs, full-body skeletons, burlap house flags, vintage throw pillows, and candelabras.
Change Desktop and Phone Backgrounds for Halloween
Another one of my favorite traditions is to switch out my desktop and phone backgrounds for Halloween themed images. I usually use my personal photos from other October activities I’ve completed already, they make great backgrounds!
Hang a Spooky Wreath
Take an afternoon to craft a really cool Halloween-themed wreath. If you don’t have time, you could easily purchase one as well! This one is really cool, and so is this one! I can’t decide which is better!
Drive through Your Local Neighborhoods to See the Decorations
As it gets closer to the end of the month, take a quick afternoon to drive around and enjoy all of the local spooky decorations! We have a few neighborhoods near my home that do great decoration competitions and are always featured on the news. Google your local area to see if you can find some near you!
Create and Wear a Fun New Costume
Look up some inspiring ideas online and create your very own, unique costume this October!
Host or Attend a Murder Mystery Dinner
Murder mystery parties are SO MUCH FUN!! One of the easiest ways to do this is to grab yourself a pre-made game and follow the instructions. Pretty straight forward! You just need a group of your friends and off you go! (Here is another game that looks pretty good, and here is a much more extravagant one that will probably be AMAZING!)
Eat Candy Corn
I know, I know. You either love or hate candy corn. But, you’ve got to have at least one every October…
Visit a Haunted Theme Park
Did you know that many theme parks put on awesome nighttime haunted events? Of course, the classic hall of fame park for this is Knott’s Berry (Scary) Farm (totally on my bucket list) but many local amusement parks do as well!
Cook a Meal Featuring Pumpkin
Push yourself to cook a dinner that features pumpkin as the main dish. There are a ton of recipes out there such as: pumpkin soup, pumpkin alfredo, pumpkin lasagna, and pumpkin pancakes. This is my favorite fall recipe book, check it out for more great pumpkin ideas!
Make Carmel Apples
Carmel apples are, hands down, my favorite treat to make in October! Plus, they are SUPER easy!
Host or Attend a Masquerade Event
Need a great party idea for October? Masquerades are such a fun and unique event! Plus, it is a little different than the normal costume party.
Visit a Nearby Ghost Town
You might be surprised to see just how many ghost towns you can find around the world. Check to see if there is one near you that you can visit!
Bake Pumpkin Bread
Need another great treat idea for October? Pumpkin bread is the way to go!
Eat a Nice Dinner by Candlelight
Shut off your lights for an evening and eat dinner only by candlelight, just to switch things up.
Watch Your Favorite Halloween Movies
Immerse yourself in Halloween by watching a fun film! You can check out my Ultimate Halloween Movie Bucket List here, but some of my favorites include:
- The Addams Family
- Hotel Transylvania
- Hocus Pocus
- Coco
- What We Do in the Shadows
- Halloweentown
- Practical Magic
- Ghostbusters I
- Ghostbusters II
- Ghostbusters III
- The Craft
- Edward Scissorhands
- Bettlejuice
- Casper
- The Haunted Mansion
- Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Goosebumps
- Tower of Terror
Many of these movies and so many others are available free with your Prime Membership!
Related: Top Halloween Movies to Watch this October
Go on a Haunted Tour
Haunted tours are such a fun way to spend an evening. These are spooky tours through places like pubs, graveyards, tunnels, downtown areas, and more that are hosted by tour guides that give ghost stories along the way. These are also great ways to learn the history behind the area!
Visit a Haunted House
Looking for a fright? Grab some friends and check out a nearby haunted house.
Go on a Hay Ride
Relax of an easy-going hay ride. You can usually find these at pumpkin patches or petting zoos.
Visit a Haunted Corn Maze
Many corn mazes will host awesome haunted events in the evenings, they can be so much fun (but also so scary)!
Roast Marshmallows
Roasting marshmallows is such a cozy way to spend an evening! Don’t let the cool weather get in your way, you can easily roast marshmallows indoors with this awesome contraption.
Create a Halloween Village Scene
Have you noticed all of the cute little village scenes at craft stores during the different holidays? Well I sure have, which is why I have started a little collection of cute holiday themed villages, including one for Halloween! They are so much fun to make! Here are some great ideas to get you started (I’m obsessed…)
Boo! Your Neighbors
This is a cute little tradition I’ve recently heard about, so it had to be added to my October bucket list. The act of “Boo!ing” your neighbor involved creating a cute little note and some treats and hang them on a neighbors door handle anonymously. How fun is that?
Learn the Dance to ‘Thriller’
Ugh, the Thriller dance is just a classic! Teach it to yourself so you’ll be prepared the next time the song comes on at a party. Plus, dancing is a great workout!
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Go Bobbing for Apples
Most October parties have a bobbing-for-apple tub. It is actually harder than it looks!
Make a New DIY Halloween Decoration
If you make one new Halloween decoration each year, you house will be filled with awesomeness in no time!
Go to an Octoberfest Event
Is it even October without Octoberfest? I think NOT!
Read a Book by Candlelight
Turn off the lights, light a candle, and read a spooky book.
Wear a Couple or Group Costume
Group costumes usually make the BEST costumes ever. Especially when they are super clever like this one!
Watch a Rocky Horror Picture Show Performance
Going to a live version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show is SO MUCH BETTER than watching it at home. If you haven’t done this before, you’re totally missing out. Be sure to grab an easy how-to guide/script before you go!
Put Together a Fun Halloween Puzzle
Spend an afternoon relaxing with a Halloween-themed puzzle (this one is seriously too cool!)!
Handout Candy to Trick-or-Treaters
Be sure to hand out some candy to trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood. You’ll get to see some awesome costumes and meet your neighbors!
Paint a Pumpkin
In addition to carving a pumpkin, painting a pumpkin can be so much fun! You can also grab craft pumpkins and paint them so they can be used for years to come.
Wear Orange and Black for a Day
As it gets closer to Halloween, theme your wardrobe for the spooky holiday at work/school.
Decorate Your Porch for Trick-or-Treaters
Prepare for your trick-or-treaters by decorating your porch. Or, you can go all out and create an awesome haunted maze they have to go through before they get to your porch.
Attend a Spooky Graveyard Tour
Spend some time visiting a cemetery near you this month and bring your loved ones flowers.
Bake Halloween Cookies
Whip up some Halloween-themed cookies to bring to any of the cool parties you attend this month!
Hike a Haunted Trail
Need to get outside? Check All Trails to see if they have any haunted or spooky trails near you.
Celebrate Halloween
Do something special on October 31st to celebrate this spooky holiday event.
Celebrate Day of the Dead
After Halloween, celebrate the Day of the Dead. Even if it just involves educating yourself about this great holiday.
Take Advantage of After-Halloween Sales
Finally, starting the day after Halloween, you’ll be able to find some amazing deals in stores and online for Candy, Halloween decorations, and costumes.
Check out some great Amazon sales here!
Further Reading:
Did you enjoy this awesome October Bucket List? Well, then these blog posts might interest you:
- Top Halloween Movies to Watch this October
- How to Create the Ultimate Life Bucket List
- The Ultimate List of Date Ideas (279 Ideas!)
- The Ultimate Winter Bucket List
- 50 Spring Activities to Keep You Busy All Season Long!
- The Best Summer Bucket List – 50 Fun Activities
- Top 50 Autumn Activities to Add to Your Fall Bucket List
- 50 Magical Holiday Activities to Ensure You Cherish The Season
There you have it. My Ultimate October Bucket List. I really hope you have found some great activities to add to your very own October Bucket List to help you enjoy this month just that much more. Have fun and happy travels!
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