No Boo-Hoos This Halloween

Here’s how it worked:

1. Dress up in a costume--be it scary or funny.
2. Make or print out a piece of paper with a ghost on it, usually with the words “You’ve been ghosted.”
3. Prepare a goodie bag of candy, Halloween decor, or other fun treats.
4. Choose your target: a neighbor, friend, or family member.
5. Walk or drive to your target’s house with your goodies and sign.
6. As sneakily as possible, stick the sign to their door, place the goodies nearby, ring the doorbell and make a run for it, trying not to get seen by your target!
7. Whoever you ghosted must then repeat the previous steps with a new target.

The idea was to have the ghosts flow through your neighborhood like a wave until almost every door had a sign on it.

For me growing up, this led up to Halloween night, but it was almost better than the actual holiday. We were exhilarated by the secrecy, delighted by the treats we received and eager for the opportunity to extend the purpose of our costumes.

Get Ghosting!

Maybe this is the year to introduce Ghosting to your neighborhood. Organize with other families to ghost each other on Halloween day or pick a target at random and watch the fun unfold even after Halloween is over.

Kids, make sure to get permission from a parent or guardian before doing this.

As we contemplate how to have just as much fun this Halloween as we have in the past, we think about what we love most about the holiday. Connecting with our friends, building our neighborhood community, taking on a new persona, and yes, candy.