19/10/2026
Some ideas are worth bringing back every autumn.
This time last year we shared our favourite Halloween activities for care services, and it went down well. With the pumpkins back in the shops, here it is again for anyone who missed it or wants a reminder.
Halloween doesn't have to mean plastic spiders and sugar. It can be a bowl of warming pumpkin soup shared around the table, a painted pumpkin on the windowsill and an afternoon that brings residents, families and staff together.
Inside the blog:
A warming pumpkin soup recipe to cook and share, with ginger and turmeric for a seasonal boost.
Four pumpkin crafts that work well for people living with dementia: painting pumpkin seeds, turning hollowed pumpkins into tea-light holders or planters, painting rather than carving, and making bird feeders.
Why it matters: moments like these are person-centred care in action, and the kind of everyday evidence of wellbeing that CQC wants to see.
There is also a free "Pumpkin Fun for Body and Mind" recipe and craft poster to download and pin up in your service.
Read the blog and download the poster: https://insequa.co.uk/halloween-activities-in-social-care/
If you tried any of these last year, we would love to see the photos in the comments.