Halloween is one of the most perfect times for your family to bond and have some fun. Here are some great ideas to kick it up a notch this Halloween:

Get haunted

This is great, especially for older kids. Make a haunted house for your neighborhood. Put the kids in charge of some of the specifics. Set rules about how gory things can get. Then, send out flyers to your neighbors to let them know that your ohana is getting thrills and chills on for Halloween!

For the younger ghoul

Hold a story-time Halloween party. Invite little friends to join you dressed in their costumes. Serve fun foods and drinks while the little ones listen to the moms and dads read Halloween or Fall stories. Have a little ‘shake-it-out’ time in between each story by doing a “boogie-monster” dance.

Make it a theme

In the days leading up to the holiday, throw a Halloween party and give it a theme. Try to choose a theme that won’t be too difficult for guests to create a costume for. Fun theme ideas include: Disco, Pirate or Superheroes. Once you’ve chosen your theme, make food, decorations and games to go with it.

Make it a family affair.

Start a tradition where your whole family dresses in the same theme. Themes like Superheroes, Finding Nemo or Star Wars are always big hits.

Get back to basics.

Instead of ordering that costume online, or finding it at the big box stores, make it a tradition for the family to make their costumes every year. You can find some great ideas on sites such as Pinterest, and you don’t have to be a super sewer to do this. Keep it simple, and get the kids involved to make it extra fun and special.