<body><div><p><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2wRk7b_0w2KcCFc00" style="display:none" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2wRk7b_0w2KcCFc00" width="1600" height="1067" ></p><h3> We are wishing all of our East Texas friends a happy and safe&nbsp;spooky season! </h3><p> Look, I get it. Some people love scaring themselves to almost death by watching the scariest horror films available and subjecting themselves to a tour of the most shocking haunted houses, for some, that’s a bit *much.* </p><p> Here’s the thing:&nbsp;I like a good scary movie and I enjoy an element of mystery this time of year, but <strong> you’re not going to catch me sitting down to a <em> Saw </em> marathon while eating cookies made to look like human fingers </strong> . No thanks. </p><p> If you count yourself among the group of <strong> folks who like things to feel a bit spooky but not terrifying </strong> , or if you have kids and don’t want to traumatize them, there are still many ways you can enjoy the season in a bit more subdued way. Here are <strong><em> a few ideas: </em></strong></p><a href="//knue.com/app/" rel="nofollow"><h3> Download the KNUE Mobile App Now </h3></a><h3><strong> Have a movie night with spooky, but not horrific, movies. </strong></h3><p> Yes, there are some out there. Some of my favorite movies to watch at this time of year are Practical Magic, Casper, Ghostbusters, Harry Potter movies, and&nbsp;even “scary movies” from decades past. Somehow watching a black and white film about a ghost is more charming than frightening to our de-sensitized modern eyes. 😉 </p><h3><strong> Make fun snacks with your friends and family that don’t resemble human body parts. </strong></h3><p> Hey, we decorate cookies at Christmas, so why not during Halloween? Instead of gilding your sugar cookies into snowmen and Santas, why not create your little cookie monsters? </p><p> I also love popping popcorn and doing different fun flavors. Create a “topping bar” and let everyone fix up their bowl before sitting down to watch the aforementioned spooky, but not scary movie. </p><h3><strong> Set the musical mood. </strong></h3><p> I adore listening to Danny Elfman’s music this time of year. He’s the guy who wrote the music for movies like <em> Edward Scissorhands </em> and <em> Nightmare Before Christmas </em> . (Also great movies to add to the movie list.) Something about his style evokes feelings of whimsical spookiness that are so much fun. </p><h3><strong> Teach your kids a “magic trick.” </strong></h3><p> This could be as simple as a card trick or you could go all out and buy one of those how-to books and see what you can come up with together. </p><h3><strong> Take a nature hike </strong> . </h3><p> This is a delightful time of year to tromp about outside. If it’s been a while, go to a pumpkin patch and pick out a few. If you’d rather not carve a foreboding glare into the face of your pumpkin, make it happier. Or if you’d rather not involve knives at all, you can also paint them. </p><p><strong> Any other ideas you could add to the list? Let us know in the comments below! </strong></p><a href="//knue.com/family-friendly-halloween/" rel="nofollow"> Click here to view photo gallery </a><p></p><a href="//knue.com/family-friendly-halloween/" rel="nofollow"> Click here to view photo gallery </a><a href="//knue.com/family-friendly-halloween/" rel="nofollow"> Click here to view photo gallery </a><p></p></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Fun and Spooky, But Family-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Halloween

Although some absolutely love scaring themselves to almost death by watching the scariest horror films available and subjecting themselves to a tour of the most shocking haunted houses, for some, that's a bit *much.*