Spooktacular Halloween Fun for Families Living With Diabetes

by Dr Stephen Lawrence

Halloween is here! Costumes, cobwebs, and pumpkins bring excitement to homes across the UK and families managing diabetes can still enjoy every moment. With a little planning, a dose of music, and plenty of creativity, the festivities can be all about fun, not just sweets.

Skeleton with a pumpkin head, holding a smaller pumpkin, on a dark background for Halloween.

Top Tips for a Sweet Yet Healthy Halloween

• Pre-party Power: Tuck into a balanced meal before heading out, combining carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats. This helps keep blood sugars steady while enjoying the Halloween excitement.

• Sweets With a Twist: Sweets aren’t off limits. Make an agreement—enjoy one or two favourite sweets at home after trick-or-treating, and decide together what fits your child’s diabetes plan. Saving some for later means everyone can join in and helps with hypo treatments if needed.

• Make Fun, Not Food, the Star: Hold a fancy dress party, apple bobbing, pumpkin carving, or play “Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Lantern” and musical chairs with a spooky twist. These activities keep everyone entertained and don’t centre the night around sugar.

A pile of various Tutti Frutti flavored candies, including flavored sticks, small rolls, and wrapped candies with bright packaging in blue, pink, and yellow colors.

Musical Tricks to Lift the Spirits

Music makes Halloween even more magical! Put on some spooky piano melodies or enjoy a family singalong. Try these musical activities:

• Monster Mash Dance-Off: play your favourite Halloween tunes and let kids show their best monster moves.

• Homemade Instrument Parade:make simple instruments from household bits (like shakers or drums), then parade as your own bone-rattling band.

• Halloween Karaoke: sing classic spooky songs, with a family twist!

A person dressed as a skeleton with a skull mask lying on the ground, reaching out with their skeleton hand.

Spooky Snacks for Healthy Goblins

Try these alternatives at your Halloween party:

• Devilled “Spider” Eggs (eggs and olives)

• Cheese-string “Witches’ Broomsticks” (cheese with pretzel sticks or veg batons)

• Pumpkin seed “Crunch” (roasted seeds from your jack-o’-lantern)

• Apple monsters (apple slices, nut butter, and raisins for silly eyes). (NO NUTS if your child has a nut allergy.

A Halloween-themed donut decorated to look like a mummy with white icing and small candy eyes, surrounded by small pumpkins and gourds on a black background.

At Prescribed Notes, we want every child to have a memorable, music-filled Halloween, whatever their diagnosis. Share your favourite costumes, musical moments, or party tips using #PrescribedNotes and be featured in our next blog!

Wishing you a Spooktacular and healthy Halloween from the PrescribedNotes team!

#HealthyHalloween #PrescribedNotes #SpooktacularBeats #DiabetesAwareness #MusicForHealth #Type1Diabetes #FamilyFun

Two illuminated carved Halloween pumpkins, with spooky faces, sitting on a reflective surface in a dark setting.
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