12 Alternative Ways to Celebrate Halloween: Waldorf-Inspired Ideas

1. Create a Treasure or Scavenger Hunt

This idea involves hiding clues for the children to find a special treat bag (not filled with candy!) that they can discover through play. You can even incorporate Spanish words into the clues to make it educational.

Some Spanish words are:

La Calabaza - Pumpkin

El Murciélago - Bat

La Araña - Spider

El Hada - Fairy

El Duende - Elf

La Bruja Buena - Good Witch

El Granero - Barn

La Manzana - Apple

El Maiz - Corn

La Fogata - Bonfire

La Flor - Flower

La Carroza - Carriage

La Magia - Magic

El Panadero - Baker

La Costurera - Taylor

La Carpintera - Carpenter

El Jardinero - The Gardener

La Princesa- the Princess

El Príncipe - The Prince

El Rey - The king

La Reina - The Queen

Download Here a Free Scavenger Hunt!

2. Pumpkin Carving (Non-scary Themes)

Who says pumpkins need to be scary?

Try carving or decorating pumpkins with nature-inspired designs. You can also practice Spanish vocabulary like "calabaza" (pumpkin) while you carve or paint together.

You can follow this tutorial from Bella Luna Toys to make a Fairy Pumpkin House (La Casa de las hadas) that is totally adorable!

3. Painted Pumpkins

A fun alternative to carving is painting pumpkins! One year, I coordinated a children's program at an animal shelter, and we painted pumpkins to look like animals. This could also be a great opportunity to teach children Spanish animal names like "perro" (dog) or "gato" (cat).

This simple tutorial will get your creative juices running!

4. Cook Together

Why not have a Halloween cooking adventure? One family shared their tradition of making "chili and cornbread by the bonfire," while another suggested baking a gingerbread loaf or making pumpkin soup. You could also try making a “sorcerer’s broth” together while learning the names of ingredients in Spanish, such as "calabaza" (pumpkin) or "pan" (bread).

Try to make these healthy Halloween treats!

5. Create Sensory Bins

Sensory bins can be a magical way for children to explore textures and learn new words in Spanish. Fill a bin with nature items like leaves, acorns, or corn kernels, and teach words like "hoja" (leaf) or "semilla" (seed) as they explore.

Here you can make it with beans!! Super fun! Just be aware for little ones that they will not eat the hard beans!

And you can always substitute the beans for acorns or other materials and sneak in some spiders or bats!

6. Enchanted Forest Night

One of my favorite suggestions was an “Enchanted Forest” evening or night. Imagine a path lined with carved pumpkins, learning about animals along the way (which could be a great time to learn Spanish animal names), and finishing with warm pretzels and cider. It’s a magical, non-scary experience.

7. Non-Scary Costume Party with Friends

Host a costume party with family and friends where children dress as professionals or characters from their favorite storybooks. This ties in beautifully with Waldorf’s love for storytelling and can also be an opportunity to introduce Spanish phrases related to their costumes, like "Yo soy bombero" (I am a firefighter).

8. Recreate the Stone Soup Story

Since we just enjoyed the Puppet Shows of the Stone Soup story in our Circle Time, why not recreate it at home? Ask each child to bring a vegetable and cook the soup together! You can even act out the story, with each child playing a character, while incorporating Spanish words like "sopa" (soup) or "zanahoria" (carrot).

Join our Waldorf-Inspired Circle Time here and enjoy The Puppetshows in our October Circle Time!

You can register anytime and start learning Spanish!

9. Fairy Tale Party

Organize a fairy tale party where their children are dressed up as characters from beloved storybooks. Why not take this opportunity to learn Spanish words for those characters, like "princesa" (princess) or "Rey" (king)?

Here you can find some cool ideas about how to do it and get the best food ever!!

10. Go for a Nature Hike

A peaceful and grounding activity that connects children with nature. Use this time to talk about what you see in both English and Spanish, such as "árbol" (tree) or "flor" (flower).

11. Trade Candy for Toys or Books

If you're concerned about the overload of candy, why not let your child trade their candy for a toy or book of their choosing? You can even find Spanish books to further their language learning.

12. Learn a Spanish Song about Professions! This October Circle Time has 4 of them! All so sweet!

    Keep reading! A Special Gift is Coming up!

Special Gift: A Song to Celebrate Professions in Spanish

To help bring these ideas to life and encourage your child’s Spanish learning, I’ve included a tutorial for one of our favorite Spanish songs about professions: "El Panadero" (The Baker). This song was a big hit in October’s Circle Time, and it’s the perfect way to introduce your child to Spanish through music.

Check my other Halloween post HERE and learn a beautiful song with me!

I hope these ideas inspire you to celebrate Halloween in a new and meaningful way, while also giving your children the chance to learn and explore Spanish in the process.

Happy Halloween!