Spooky season is upon us! Last year, we covered the cozy side of autumn last year (if you haven’t already, check it out here). This year we’re leaning all the way into Halloween. Below are fresh, all-new ideas for getting every age group into the spirit!
For Kids
Keep it fun, not frightening, with activities built for your little ghosts and goblins:
- Not-So-Scary Flashlight Storytime – Dim the lights, hand out flashlights, and read gently spooky picture books in a circle. The novelty of the flashlights does most of the heavy lifting for you.
- Trick-or-Treat Book Swap – Kids bring a book wrapped like a piece of candy and “trade” it for a surprise wrapped book from the swap table.
- Storybook Character Costume Parade – Instead of a generic costume contest, invite kids to dress as their favorite book characters and parade through the stacks. Be sure to have your staff and patrons cheer them on!
For Teens
Give teens something with a little more edge and a lot more voice:
- Ghost Story Slam – Host an open-mic night where teens tell (not read) short original ghost stories, campfire-style, with prizes for scariest, funniest, and most creative.
- Blackout Poetry: Horror Edition – Provide retired horror paperbacks and markers so teens can black out text to create their own eerie found poems.
- Choose-Your-Fate Game Night – Run a choice-based horror adventure (tabletop or app-based) where the group’s decisions determine how the story ends.
For Adults
Lean into the atmosphere with programming built for grown-up horror fans:
- Page-to-Screen Horror Night – Pick a classic that’s been adapted to film (Dracula, Frankenstein, The Haunting of Hill House) and discuss the book alongside a screening or clip reel.
- Mocktail & Murder Mystery – Host a low-key murder mystery game night with a spooky mocktail bar; guests solve the case together in character.
- Spellbook Journal Workshop – A hands-on craft night where adults alter an old book or journal into a “spellbook,” complete with pressed leaves, wax seals, and vintage-style pages.
For the Whole Family
Bring everyone together for something communal:
- Library Boo Bash – Partner with local businesses or community groups for a trunk-or-treat-style event in the library parking lot or community room, with book-themed treat stations.
- Haunted Library Hunt – Turn the whole building into the setting for a brand-new scavenger hunt built just for this season. [Click here to download the new Haunted Library Hunt.]
- Costume Book Cover Contest – Patrons submit photos of themselves dressed as a book cover (not just a character) for the community to vote on.
A Behind-the-Scenes Tip While you’re planning your Halloween programming, don’t forget your catalog can get into the spirit too. If you use Surpass Cloud, be sure to build a featured “Spooky Reads” list! Also consider putting a seasonal staff-picks display on your OPAC for an easy, no-cost way to drive circulation on horror, mystery, and Halloween-themed titles all month long.
About Surpass
Surpass Cloud is the easy-to-use, cloud-based library management system for libraries of all types and sizes. Whether you’re a school, church, museum, business, or any other organization with resources to lend, Surpass is likely a good fit for you. We pride ourselves on being affordable and flexible, with an expert support team ready to help you at a moment’s notice.
