First Halloween away from home? Lucky you! It's never too late to establish new traditions with your chosen family at university.
Here are 5 ways you can celebrate Halloween from your student accommodation!
1. Decorations!
There are plenty of decoration options that won't cut into your accommodation deposit! Stick paper "snowflake" spiderwebs or origami bats to your windows.
If you're sneaky enough, pop some googly eyes around the kitchen. Milk bottles, eggs, fruits and appliances can come to life with wide-eyed faces to give your flatmates a giggle.
The classic, of course, is pumpkin carving. A little messy, but a lovely group activity and worth the goofy results. Remember to line up your finished creations next to a window, and pop a flameless LED tealight in each.
2. Baking!
If one of your flatmates loves to bake, why not help them decorate? Give your gingerbread cookies pumpkin faces and your cupcakes matchmakers spider legs. These treats can be shared with the whole flat!
While you all chip in on decorating, make sure to prepare hot chocolates for the gang! Draw ghost faces on white marshmallows with black icing to set the mood, and add a shot of Baileys to trick or treat yourself.
3. Movie Night!
A classic group activity for those colder, listless nights. Grab all those treats you made in step #2 and pop on a film!
Too many white walls in your student accommodation? Count it as a blessing. If you feel a laptop screen just doesn't cut it, consider investing in a small projector. You'll be having cinema experiences all winter without even needing to step outside!
4. Werewolf!
Also well known as Mafia, Werewolf is one of our all-time favourite party games. There is no upwards limit to the number of players, making it a perfect social and liaison experience. Plus, this game requires absolutely no specialized boards or cards – all you need is a pen and paper!
The aim of the game is to kill the hiding werewolf before it's too late...
How to play
SET UP!
- Assign the role of 'Narrator' to one of the players.
- Count the number of remaining players. If, for example, there are 6 remaining players, take 6 pieces of paper. Write 'WEREWOLF' on 1 piece*, and 'VILLAGER' on the remaining 5. Fold these and place then in a bowl or glass.
- The Narrator will ask each player to draw a piece of paper and look at their role, without showing the other players, before discarding or hiding their paper.
- *If there are 8+ players, you may wish to include 2 werewolves in the game instead. In this case, all werewolves must be killed in order for the villagers to win the game.
PLAY!
Night:
- All players will sit in a circle. The Narrator will ask all players to 'go to sleep', and all players will shut their eyes.
- The Narrator will say: "Werewolf, wake up." The werewolf will open their eyes.
- The Narrator will ask the werewolf who they would like to kill. The werewolf will silently point at another player.
- The Narrator will ask the werewolf to go back to sleep, and will then ask all the players to wake up.
Day:
- The Narrator will announce which player has been killed. All players, other than the Narrator and dead player(s), will discuss who they believe is the werewolf.
- At the end of the debate, all players will vote on who they believe is the werewolf. The player who receives the most votes will be killed by the villagers.
- If the players kill the werewolf successfully, they win the game! If they are unsuccessful, the game turns back to night, and all players are asked to go back to sleep. The game repeats.
- If the werewolf survives until only one villager is left, the werewolf wins the game!
5. Plan a night out!
Just want a night out in town? Have a peak at your local pubs and clubs' social media! Student-friendly nightlife is often swarming with Halloween events and dress-up nights for you to take advantage of.
After dinner, baking, and maybe a movie, get yourself geared up and ready to head out! Borrow your mate's black eyeliner and lipstick if you're struggling for a costume. You could even organize a group costume for you and the flatmates to compete on!
Holidays at university are what you make them. Have an incredible first celebration at your new home away from home!
And remember to stick googly eyes on your flatmates' rogue vegetables.
