11 Activities to Get Your Teen in the Halloween Spirit

What teenager doesn't have a flair for the dramatic? A murder mystery game will allow guests to try out new personas for the night (including wearing cool costumes based on their characters) and let them figure out who killed the victim, how, and why. It's basically like a real-life version of Clue! And if you're really creative, make up a mystery of your own — if not, buy a version at a gaming store or online. There are even free murder mystery scripts you can find online.

Stock up on popcorn, and scare yourself silly with a Halloween movie marathon. Give some love to old-school flicks like Halloween, Psycho, and The Exorcist (there's nothing scarier). Or, if you're not about getting totally freaked out, try classics like Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Young Frankenstein.

Children of the Corn isn't just the name of a scary Halloween movie — it's also what your teens and their friends can call themselves when they hit up your local corn maze. Corn mazes have that Fall harvest feel that encapsulates the season. Also, there's some variety — some are haunted, some are not!

OK, maybe on the surface it doesn't sound like the most exciting activity for Halloween, but there are a lot of benefits to staying home and serving trick-or-treaters. First and foremost, you're clearly allowed first dibs on the leftovers. Second of all, you get to see some adorable kiddos dressed in their favorite costumes. And lastly, the designated candy giver can also come up with fun ways to spook people that dare to come to the door.

Is your teen obsessed with Game of Thrones? What about Stranger Things? Whatever your teen and their friends are into, make it the theme of a Halloween costume party so they'll actually be so excited to get into it. It will give everyone some direction so they aren't stressed about coming up with the perfect costume — plus it will give the group some Instagrammable group shots.

If the reaction videos online are any indication, there's no scarier Halloween activity than a haunted house. It's the perfect activity for a group of friends who like to see familiar faces after they scare themselves silly.

Some of the best Halloween scares — and laughs — come courtesy of the small screen. Let your teen play TV programmer for a day, and research some of the best Halloween-themed TV episodes available on Netflix and Hulu. Some of the most-cited classics include episodes from Friends, The Office, Freaks and Geeks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dawson's Creek, and How I Met Your Mother.

Is there a more perfect time than the spooky season to bust out the Ouija board? Teens will love — or maybe hate — calling on the spirits of the dead. Set the atmosphere by turning off all the lights, lighting candles, and setting pillows on the floor to sit on. You never know who you'll end up contacting.

Sure, we've all carved pumpkins, and we know how fun it is (minus the pumpkin guts). But for a less messy change of pace that will please Pinterest-inspired teens, try painting pumpkins instead. Get together with family or friends to see what can result from an abundance of creative juices and a bunch of paint options. Have everyone vote on their favorite, and award a prize to the winner!