Assorted Tricks and Treats (Part 4): Rainy Days, Turnips and How to Make the Most of a Mid-Week Halloween

Every Halloween is unique. So while my family has observed a variety of traditions over the years, we rarely find that we can fit in every activity every year. This year was no different in that regard, though I will say that we had a little less luck in dodging the elements this go-round. And the fact that Halloween is falling on a Wednesday created some logistical complications as well.

But while we've had fewer opportunities to enjoy day-long outdoor expeditions this year, that's simply forced us to dig a little deeper into our bag of tricks. So if you're looking to eek out a little more Halloween fun here in the last few hours of the season, here are some ideas we've entertained.

Carve a Turnip

I'd been wanting to do this for a while, after having watched a lot of unconventional carving techniques on shows like the Food Network's Halloween Wars. The original jack o'lanterns were carved from a variety of crops including potatoes, rutabagas, gourds and turnips, and I've been intrigued by the challenge posed by these other media. I won't say my first attempt was a home run (see picture at right), but I'll definitely try this again in coming years. 

Bake Cookies
I normally associate this activity with the winter holidays, but you can make cut-out sugar cookies anytime. And if your goal is to make say a monster claw, well then I suppose you don't really need the precision of a cookie cutter, do you?

See the Sights
Lots of people really lean into Halloween decorating, and they'd love nothing more than to have you enjoy the frightening fruits of their labor. So take a walk through your neighborhood--and not just while trick-or-treating. Do it tonight. Do it during the day tomorrow. Take the long way home from work or school.

Graze Don't Binge
During those times when there isn't time to watch a movie, you can always hop across the Halloween-themed episodes of your favorite TV shows. For our part, we've been jumping around our favorite Michael Schur comedies--watching the brilliant Halloween episodes of The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Brooklyn 99.

Book It
For the first few years after my wife and I were married, we moved around a good bit and we didn't have cable TV. So our Halloween night viewing options were usually fairly limited--though I will confess to remembering some great televised stage plays on PBS during those years (i.e., Sweeney Todd, Dracula, etc.). So we spent a lot of time reading. Have you ever read "The Cask of Amontillado" or "The Tell-Tale Heart" aloud? To your kids, perhaps? If you've got even a little bit of a ham in you, you should try it.

In the end, the most important thing is to enjoy your life and the people who share it with you. So go out of your way to make the next couple days the best that they can be. And then check back here at the end of the week for some ideas on how to sprinkle more spooky goodness through the rest of your autumn.

Have some fearsome fun!