Smartphones & Halloween: Tricks to Make The Night A Treat

Your little ballerina twists and twirls in her pink tutu and your son-turned-ninja is ready with his toy sword. The lights are dimming – it’s time to trick-or-treat. So, you zip up your kids in their jackets (despite their concerns that it covers up their costumes), grab some pillowcases and head out into the Halloween night. Add your smartphone into the scenario and your night just got better.

Many parents may not think to turn to technology to make the traditional day extra special, but incorporating your smartphones and tablets into the festivities has awesome benefits, specifically when it comes to organization and entertainment for your family. From helping to create a reliable safety plan to finding new ways to capitalize on family fun, your devices can help to make Halloween more thrilling and stress-free. Have we caught your interest yet? Keep reading this post to find out which tech tricks can enhance your celebrations.

Smart tips

Making the most of your Halloween is easier when you have a couple of accessible “shortcuts” programmed in your phone. Find out which of the below tips and tricks can be carved into your holiday:

• Flashlight: The flashlight function on your smartphone can be an essential tool for safely navigating the neighbourhood (and those spooky haunted houses!) as it gets dark. Arguably even more important, the bright lights can also help your kids effectively dig through their pillowcases full of goodies. After all, how is one to make an educated “trade” if they can’t see exactly which candies they have on hand?

• Voice Notes: Will your significant other be on candy duty at home while you take the kids out to trick-or-treat? The speech-to-text functionality on many devices lets you transform your thoughts into “written” notes and send it off via text messaging. So you can keep your eyes on your kids instead of on the keyboard, all while providing instant updates throughout the night. Now, if you ask me: being in the know is the best way to eliminate FOMO (the fear of missing out). 

• Camera: If you’re a Pinterest-parent, then this tip is certainly for you! Snap photos of some of the cutest and most creative costumes (with permission of course) as well as the best DIY decorations. These photos will make for memorable tuck-in conversations with your kids as well as inspiration for next year’s Halloween. After all, you’d be amazed at the talent that your fellow neighbourhood parents have to offer.

• Maps: If your kids are known to collect candy in marathon-speed, you may want to have your smartphone’s pre-programmed map on standby to help you decide where to go next. This can be especially handy if some of your older kids like to split-up at times throughout the night and you want to select a location to meet up with them later. 

• Weather Widget: If you’ve been on parental Halloween duty before, then you know first-hand just how important staying “in character” can be for your kids. Create or alter their costumes in real-time based on the weather forecast to ensure that your kids feel their best (with a little finessing, Superman can still look superior with a coat on!).

Want more helpful smart tips? You can find them here: http://bell.ca/smarttips

The Bottom Line

From making your little firemen and bunny rabbits feel special to ensuring that your family is safe, being a parent on October 31^st can be exhausting. While your kids start stretching for their race from house to house, we encourage you to turn to your smartphones to help make planning and participating in the big day as relaxing and exciting as can be.

How do you use your smartphone to make Halloween extra special? Share your thoughts!

Want to know which Halloween apps we recommend downloading? Check out our Halloween app recommendations in our Top Halloween Apps Post.