Our non-scary guide to a last-minute Halloween (with costumes and spooky fun)

Are you scared yet? Halloween is nearly here: your once-a-year opportunity to celebrate everything spooky, silly and just plain weird. If you've left your Halloween prep to the last minute, never fear. You can still pull off a killer holiday celebration, complete with chilling last minute Halloween costumes and clever Halloween party ideas.

Here's our (non-scary) guide to getting spooky, quickly. Including last-minute Halloween costumes that are a bit of a step up from the old 'sheet with some holes cut in it' trick. So whether you're partying with friends this year, bingeing horror movies on the couch, doling out snacks to trick or treaters, or getting dressed up for some spooky Zoom drinks, here's how to pull off some spine-chilling fun - in not much time at all.

Last-minute Halloween costumes that slay

Keep it simple and scary with easy ready-made costumes that really show your Halloween spirit. Even if you're not going out this year, it's still fun to dress up with the family, or your housemates, to get in the mood for spooky good times. And no matter what you end up doing - don't forget to take lots of photos! Share your Halloween fun times on social media, or just with grandma on email. You only get to be a creature of the night once a year, so make the most of it.

Here are some of our favourite costume ideas:

Reaper junior

Pop this easy robe over your regular clothes for immediate Halloween vibes! Great for handing out trick-or-treat snacks.

A student witch

This classic kids' costume is great for the big day, and a wonderful addition to the dress-up box, too.

The cutest pumpkin ever

Even little tots can channel the Halloween spirit, and this cute (and easy!) pumpkin costume is a lovely nod to the season.

A creepy kiddie skeleton

A spine-tingling onesie that is comfortable enough for all-day wear and mayhem.

A very gory doctor

Nothing says Halloween like a bit of blood splatter. Throw this costume on over a T-shirt and jeans for high impact scares.

Scary skeleton

The skeleton is a classic for a reason, and a very easy-to-wear pick for your last-minute Halloween costume.

Zombie high school

Equal parts cute and icky. Add in some gory effects make-up for added scares to this zombie look.

Decorate the house for Halloween - inside and out

If you've been carving pumpkins for weeks - great! If not, there's still time to bring some Halloween spirit to your home. Think skeletons, spiderwebs, bats and pumpkins in gothic shades of black, purple and orange. You could hang wreaths and bunting, and even create scary tablescapes for a special Halloween dinner. For outside, spooky lights and inflatables make an instant impact, sharing the spine-tingling fun with neighbours and passers-by.

Make it a monster movie marathon

If you're celebrating Halloween at home, you can still make it a special event. Plan a monster movie marathon for the whole gang, whether that's family-friendly viewing (Hocus Pocus, Ghostbusters, Coraline) or something a little scarier with classic slashers like Halloween or Friday the 13^th. Turn down the lights and nibble on something spooky (gummy eyes and bats). You could even create a DIY popcorn bar with mix-ins like nuts, pretzels, caramel and chocolate.

Have fun with some spooky baking

Whether you've got kids wanting to get involved, or you're baking solo, making fun stuff in the kitchen is an easy (and delicious) way to get in the Halloween holiday spirit. For last-minute treats, why not add spooky touches to your regular go-to recipes? Drop some black or green food colouring into cupcake mix, bake, then fill with edible slime before icing. Cut cookies into bone or bat shapes. Decorate jelly with chocolate frogs or lolly snakes. Anything gooey or grisly goes when baking for Halloween.

Halloween activities for scary fun

If pumpkin carving is too much, why not use black markers to draw some spooky faces on instead? (This works equally well on oranges and apples, if you can't spare a whole pumpkin.) Throw on some spooky tunes - "Monster Mash", "Thriller" - for a living room dance-off, or play some grisly parlour games like Hide and Seek or Murder in the Dark. Telling scary stories is good fun, too. Children and adults can make up their own tales, or read a scary book or poem aloud. If friends and family can't make it on the day, this is also a great Zoom activity, so nanna and grandpa can get in on the Halloween fun, too.

Spotlight is the Home of Halloween! See more spooky deals and ideas here.