October might be my favorite month of the entire year. Not might…it definitely is.
The weather finally starts to cool down, spooky season is officially in full swing, and suddenly I want to light every candle in the house, watch nothing but Halloween movies and find an excuse to put cinnamon in basically everything.
So, naturally, we needed an October Bucket List.
I put together 24 ideas for making the most of the month, from pumpkin patches and Halloween movie nights to cozy recipes, crafts and a few nostalgic activities that will make you feel like a kid again.
You definitely don’t need to do all 24. Pick a few favorites, make some plans and consider this your excuse to fully embrace October while it’s here. But feel free to cross them all off too, if you’re up for the challenge!
Want the savable version? You can find the full October Bucket list on Instagram here!
Things to Make in October
1. Roast Pumpkin Seeds
If you’re carving pumpkins anyway, don’t throw away the seeds! Clean them, toss them with a little oil and your favorite seasonings, and roast them until crispy.
Classic salt is always good, but you could also try cinnamon sugar, ranch, garlic parmesan or a spicy version.
2. Make Caramel or Candy Apples
I feel like this one is a must do for me every year!
Set out apples, melted caramel or candy coating and a bunch of toppings and make an afternoon of it. You can keep them classic, or make them a little more fun. I’ve previously made marshmallow cereal treat caramel apples and these jack-o-lantern caramel apples if you need some inspiration!
They don’t have to be Pinterest perfect. Half the fun is trying to figure out how you’re supposed to eat one without getting caramel on your entire face.
3. Put Together a Boo Basket
Fill a basket with a few Halloween treats and leave it on a friend’s or neighbor’s doorstep as a little October surprise.
Candy, popcorn, a seasonal candle, fuzzy socks, Halloween napkins, a bottle of wine…you can make this as simple or elaborate as you want.
And boo baskets aren’t just for kids. If you’re making one for a friend, neighbor, or hostess, turn it into a Booze Basket instead! I have a full Booze basket tutorial and free printable kit you can use to put one together.
4. Carve a Jack-o’-Lantern
Yes, this one is obvious. That’s exactly why it belongs on the list.
Pick out a pumpkin, put on a Halloween playlist, scoop out the insides and carve an actual jack-o’-lantern. Bonus points if you roast those seeds afterward and knock out two bucket-list items at once.
5. Bake Something with Pumpkin
October requires at least one pumpkin baking day.
Pumpkin bread, muffins, cookies, cake, cinnamon rolls, anything works, just pick your favorite, make the house smell incredible and eat at least one piece while it’s still warm.
6. Make a Pumpkin Flower Arrangement
Turn a pumpkin into an easy seasonal centerpiece by using it as a vase for fall flowers.
You can go traditional with mums and autumn colors or make it feel a little more modern with greenery, branches and unexpected florals. It makes a great centerpiece for an October dinner or Halloween gathering. (And also another great idea to use for a Thanksgiving centerpiece!)
Things to Do in October
7. Visit a Pumpkin Patch
This is October 101.
Find a local pumpkin patch, grab a coffee or cider on the way, wander around longer than necessary looking for the pumpkin and take approximately 400 photos while you’re there. Apple cider donuts and hay rides are a bonus!
8. Get Lost in a Corn Maze
And I mean an actual corn maze, not one you can see the exit of the entire time.
Go around sunset if you want it to feel extra October-y, and absolutely make someone else responsible for figuring out how to get you back out.
9. Make a Halloween Playlist
Not just a playlist with Monster Mash and Thriller.
Build one that actually sounds like your version of Halloween, whether that’s movie soundtracks, songs you remember from childhood, creepy ’80s tracks, nostalgic TV themes, or whatever immediately transports you to October.
Then play it while you’re decorating, carving pumpkins, handing out candy or driving around looking at Halloween decorations.
10. Drive Around and Look at Halloween Decorations
Christmas lights shouldn’t get all the glory.
Pick an evening, grab something warm to drink and drive or walk around looking for the houses that have completely committed to Halloween.
The giant skeleton houses obviously get extra credit.
11. Pair Halloween Candy with Wine
This is your excuse to raid the Halloween candy before October 31.
Grab a few different candies and wines and turn it into a casual tasting night. Chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, sour candy, just experiment and see which combinations actually work.
Scientific research, obviously.
12. Recreate a Favorite Childhood Halloween Activity
This one might be my favorite on the entire list.
Think about what Halloween looked like when you were a kid and recreate some piece of it: decorate sugar cookies, make popcorn balls, paint pumpkins, watch the Halloween special you waited all year to see, dig out an old-school craft or eat the candy you always hoped would end up in your trick-or-treat bag.
October nostalgia hits differently.
Things to Host or Attend in October
13. Host a Pumpkin-Carving Party
Put pumpkins on the table, hand everyone carving tools and let dinner be something ridiculously easy.
Add cider, wine or a seasonal cocktail, bowls for pumpkin seeds and a good Halloween playlist. The activity basically is the party, which makes this one incredibly easy to host.
14. Have a Halloween Potluck
Ask everyone to bring one Halloween-inspired dish, snack, dessert or drink.
You can go full spooky food territory or simply make everything feel autumnal. Either way, it’s an easy way to host without being responsible for an entire menu yourself.
15. Create a Pop-Up Coffee Shop at Home
Turn your kitchen, porch or dining room into a tiny seasonal coffee shop for a morning.
Make a little menu with two or three fall drinks, add a pastry or two and invite friends to stop by for coffee.
It’s completely unnecessary, which is precisely why it’s so fun.
16. Host or Attend a Costume Party
There is a very limited window in adult life when you’re socially encouraged to show up somewhere dressed as someone, or something, else. Take advantage of it.
Host something yourself, say yes to the party you were invited to, or convince a few friends to dress up and go somewhere together.
17. Have a Halloween Craft Night
Pick one project, pour drinks and make something while you hang out.
Paint taper candles, decorate pumpkins, make vintage-inspired Halloween decorations, create ghost garlands or try one of those crafts you’ve had saved for three years and still haven’t made.
Perfection absolutely not required.
18. Have an Outdoor Halloween Movie Night
A projector, blankets, popcorn and a Halloween movie outside on a crisp October night might be one of the easiest ways to make an ordinary night feel like an event.
Choose something genuinely scary or go full nostalgia with an old favorite. Add hot cider, movie candy and plenty of blankets.
Things to Watch in October
19. Have a Halloween Movie Marathon
Pick a theme and make a day (or entire weekend) of it.
Classic horror. ’80s slashers. Tim Burton. Halloween comedies. Witch movies. Universal monsters. Movies that scared you as a kid but are now objectively ridiculous.
And if you need help deciding what to watch, I have a whole Halloween movie list filled with spooky-season favorites to get you started.
Snacks are mandatory.
20. Rewatch a Childhood Halloween Favorite
Put on the Halloween movie or TV special that instantly makes you eight years old again.
It doesn’t matter if the effects are terrible or you’ve seen it 47 times. That’s part of the charm.
21. Start a Spooky Show
October is a great excuse to start the creepy series you’ve been meaning to watch.
You could go supernatural, mystery, horror or just something with enough dark-and-moody atmosphere to make you want to watch another episode after everyone else goes to bed.
Things to Read in October
22. Read Outside Your Usual Genre
If you normally avoid horror, try one.
If horror is your thing, pick up a Gothic novel, witchy fantasy, paranormal romance or supernatural mystery instead.
Your October TBR is allowed to get a little weird.
If you need something spooky to add to your October TBR, check out my list of 36 Spooky Books to Read This October, with picks for Gothic, witchy, ghostly, thriller, horror, and spooky romance readers. A little something for everyone!
23. Reread a Childhood Halloween Book
Pull out a Halloween book you loved as a kid or find a copy of one you haven’t seen in years.
Picture books absolutely count.
Actually, picture books might be preferable.
24. Read by Candlelight
Choose a spooky book, turn off the overhead lights and read by candlelight for the evening.
Preferably with a blanket, something good to drink and one of your favorite fall-scented candles burning nearby.
And maybe don’t choose the genuinely terrifying book for this particular activity. 👀
Make the Most of October
The whole point of an October bucket list isn’t to turn the month into another checklist you have to finish.
It’s really just a reminder to do the seasonal things while they’re actually in season.
Carve the pumpkin. Watch the movie you’ve seen a hundred times. Bake something. Invite people over. Go wander through a corn maze. Read something spooky. Buy the ridiculous Halloween candy.
October goes ridiculously fast, and I’d rather reach November having squeezed a little too much Halloween into the month than wondering how I somehow missed it.
Save the October Bucket List and pick a few things to do before Halloween!
And tell me in the comments: what’s one thing you absolutely have to do every October? 🎃
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