A sweet and spooky pumpkin trail will help families across the Ilkley area to celebrate Halloween.
The fun trail – similar to the rainbow trails during lockdown – involves children drawing pictures of pumpkins and sticking them in their windows for other children to see.
Families can then see how many they can spot throughout October half term, as an alternative to Trick or Treating, with the parent giving their child a treat rather than knocking on doors.
Wharfedale mum-of-two Sarah Smith, who runs local parenting website Wharfedale & Craven Mumbler, launched the trail to help children who might not be able to Trick or Treat this year.
“Halloween is my children's favourite time of year, especially the Trick or Treating. I knew they would be disappointed if they couldn't go out on the night,” said Sarah. “But this year, people might not want children knocking at their doors, and parents might not want their little ones rummaging through communal bowls of sweets either."
“We had such fun doing the rainbow trails on our daily exercise during lockdown, spotting newly added ones each day made our walks much more exciting! The pumpkin trail is a similar idea and gives everyone something fun to take part in. They could do it in fancy dress if they wanted to, and parents could even put a small treat in their child’s Trick or Treat bag for every pumpkin they spot.”
“Halloween will certainly be different this year but we can still all have lots of fun,” adds Sarah.
“There are lots of pumpkin picking events and Halloween themed classes if you want to get out somewhere too. I can’t wait to see all the different pumpkin designs children come up with!”
You can download a pumpkin template below on the Wharfedale & Craven Mumbler website, where you can also view October half term & Bonfire Night events and ideas.
Why not design your own pumpkin? You could even paint a funny face onto a real pumpkin and put it in your garden. Colour them, paint them, cover them in stickers – let the kids imaginations run wild!
Be sure to listen to Ilkley's new radio station Rombalds Radio during the half term holiday to hear about the pumpkin trails local to you.
