By Christa Protano
My family loves Halloween—so much so that we celebrate the holiday more than once. I’m not talking about multiple fall events (though we do those too). I’m referring to the summertime scaries. And it turns out, we’re not the only ones breaking out the costumes a little early. In addition to October, Summerween has become the unofficial start of the season thanks to—you guessed it—TikTok. First made popular by the Disney cartoon Gravity Falls, Summerween has grown in popularity over recent years, starting in late June and lasting through August. If you look on your Insta feeds right now, you may even scroll by a “jack-o-melon” or two (more details on that below). Wondering how to celebrate Summerween? Think of it as a less stressful version of the main event and follow these fun tips and tricks.
Carve a Jack-O-Melon
During Summerween, watermelon takes the place of pumpkins for everything from jack-o-lanterns to scarecrow heads. In season and easy to carve, the ruby red fruit inside lends itself to cool summer snacks, like watermelon popsicles, watermelon pizza, fruit skewers and more. If you need help carving, pumpkin templates from Pinterest work just fine.
Bring home this new Halloween classic today!
Tell Ghost Stories
Sitting around the campfire telling spooky stories is practically a requirement of this superficial summer holiday. Now is the time to stock up on kid-friendly Halloween stories for all ages. Out this July, Silver Dolphin Books has four new releases perfect for babies and toddlers, including the Little Shaped Board Book series, Touch and Trace Nursery Rhymes: Five Little Pumpkins, and Boo the Library Ghost.
Click here for more popular Halloween read-alouds!
Watch a Halloween Movie Outdoors
Summertime is the perfect time to host a backyard movie night, and there are plenty of kid-friendly flicks to choose from. Take your pick from Monsters Inc., Hotel Transylvania, and Hocus Pocus, just to name a few. Get some inflatable kiddie pools and swap out the water for cozy blankets and pillows to create comfortable lounge seating. String purple and orange lights overhead and serve up popcorn in these monster treat boxes.
Don’t Forget to Trick-or-Treat
If you’re looking for an excuse to wear costumes, consider planning a trunk-or-treat at a local park or other outdoor area. Our summer campground does this every August and it’s a great way to get us thinking about our October costumes and trunks. It’s also nice that the kids don’t have to layer up underneath their otherwise flimsy costumes since the weather is hotter. But be forewarned: the one drawback of summer trick-or-treating is all the melted chocolate. Instead, consider handing out lollipops or chewy candies, non-edible party favors, or bring along a cooler filled with ice pops. Fellow moms and dads will be forever grateful.