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An Arrrrtistic Dad Built a 50-Foot Pirate Ship for His Daughter

By Yael Meshulam
Dad builds 50-foot pirate ship for daughter on Halloween
(Instagram/megamariohalloween)

Finding ways to make Halloween special this year was no easy feat. Kids spend months looking forward to the sugar-fueled holiday, planning costumes and trick-or-treat routes to get the most impressive and brag-worthy candy haul. This year, trick-or-treating was iffy and Halloween traditions were interrupted – but that didn’t stop parents from creating new traditions to make the day stand out. Some parents channeled their creativity into making impressive costumes or fun Halloween activities, others were busy building things for their community.

But one New York dad poured his effort into making his daughter’s Caribbean dream come true.

Caribbean, as in “Pirates of the” – and it all started a few years ago with a simple request. Tony DeMatteo’s daughter loved the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and a few years ago, she requested a Pirates-themed Halloween. Last year, DeMatteo came through with an enormously impressive display, but he was far from finished fulfilling his daughter’s request.

“I’m a big fan of Halloween,” DeMatteo told FOX. “It’s been growing bigger and bigger each year. I always try to out-do myself.”

DeMatteo is far from alone in creating his over-the-top Halloween display. Part of the fun is getting his kids involved as well, making both the process and the end result a cherished family memory.

“They help me build it. They play on it, and they like the attention they get too,” DeMatteo said. “I really don’t have a background in this. I just do it for fun.”

DeMatteo has no background in carpentry or pirate affairs (that we know of), yet this year’s Halloween display looked like it was straight out of Disneyland. The 50-foot pirate ship was equipped with lights, fog machines, fake cannons, and it was sturdy enough to be the coolest temporary playground his kids will likely ever have the privilege of using (that is, until next Halloween).

“It might look expensive, but it really was inexpensive,” DeMatteo explained, citing that he received all of the wood for free over the year and many of the items he accumulated over time. “It takes a lot of time, but it’s not so much work, when you’re having fun.”

For those who attended the light and music-filled show, DeMatteo only asked that people bring donations for a local food pantry. The enormous turnout combined with the fact that people were likely itching for something to shake up the monotony of the past few months meant that DeMatteo’s garage was filled to the brim with canned goods to donate.

 

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THIS IS AMAZING! The 30-min custom sound track I made for the ship is mixed with the best music from all 4 POTC movies and peppered with all kinds of sound effects too. Here is a sample of what you – might – see. 🤞😉 The show plays outdoors Wed-Sun dusk until 830ish Heavy rain or high winds will cancel the show. Some effects can’t be used in rain & the sails will be rolled up to prevent wind damage. 15 Ambush Lane churchville 14428 Please drive slowly and please be respectful of the neighborhood 👍 Street parking only. Stay Covid-Safe. Show Music should also be playing on 88.7 FM. More detailed pictures on Instagram @megamariohalloween **The music in this video is from the POTC soundtrack by Hans Zimmer “Mermaids” This is free, for the kids, and benefits the Open Door Mission of Rochester, NY. Food donations are appreciated. Let’s overwhelm them with donations to help those in need! Visit opendoormission.com for a list of urgent needs. ❤ They will be on site with Captain Jack Oct 30th 5-8pm. Thank you for the nice comments! They really mean a lot to me! #halloween #halloweendecor #halloweenprops #pirateship #pirates #halloweenprep #halloweencountdown #decor #decorate #halloweendecorations #halloweenvibes #halloween🎃 #overthetop #chili @Disney @waltdisneyworld @disneyparksblog

A post shared by Tony DeMatteo (@megamariohalloween) on

This crafty family is already thinking about next year’s Halloween display. If DeMatteo is truly set on outdoing himself once again, we fully expect this crafty dad to somehow Halloween-ize his entire neighborhood. Honestly, we can’t wait.

Horror Classic “Halloween” Is Becoming a Children’s Book

By Mike Julianelle
Legend of Halloween Children's Book
(legendofhalloween.com)

Growing up, I saw my fair share of inappropriate movies. I don’t just mean stuff like Basic Instinct and 9 1/2 Weeks – it was a different time! – but also horror movies. Not only did my parents bring me to the theater to see Aliens and The Lost Boys when I was 9 and 10 years old respectively, but I also grew up sneaking horror movies on cable and at sleepovers.

I loved Poltergeist and Child’s Play and the Nightmare on Elm Street series and more. My oldest is now 10 himself, and while I’ve shown him Poltergeist, slasher movies don’t seem like a good idea.

But what about slasher children’s books?

If you think I’m joking, then you haven’t learned about the new children’s book based on Halloween. No, not the holiday we’re celebrating this weekend, but the classic John Carpenter movie that invented the slasher genre and launched multiple sequels and reboots.

David Gordon Green, the director of the last version, which was both a sequel and something of a reboot combined, has released an illustrated children’s book adaptation of the movie, called The Legend of Halloween, and it looks bloody adorable!

“Joining this iconic franchise has been one of the most fulfilling artistic endeavours of my career,” David Gordon Green told Bloody Disgusting. “With this new chapter, we hope to share our own love for Halloween with a new generation of horror fanatics.”

Apparently, they’re coming for our kids! And for adults who are obsessed with the horror classic and just want a collectible. And something to read to their kids!

“I saw the original Halloween when I was about nine years old and it scared the wits out of me. I’ve seen it about fifty times since then and it continues to be my favorite horror film. The mask, the music, the indelible characters, the monologues of pure evil – to me it’s cinematic perfection,” said Onur Tukel, who illustrated the book “Collaborating with David on a children’s book adaptation of Halloween has been demented and surreal, kind of like being simultaneously possessed by Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein and the demon Pazuza.”

Sounds like the perfect bedtime story!

The book will be released in mid-November, and you can pre-order it now at LegendofHalloween.com

Reese’s Built a Robotic Candy-Dispensing Door for Safer Trick-or-Treating

By Yael Meshulam
Reese's Candy-Dispensing Door
(Instagram/Reeses)

In a world where the kid holiday of all kid holidays has taken a serious hit due to COVID, parents have worked tirelessly to find safe ways for their kids to still be able to enjoy the spirit of the season. Many neighborhoods have canceled trick-or-treating altogether, but as everyone knows, it’s not Halloween without a boatload of candy. Some creative folks have come up with excellent workarounds to dispense candy in fun and interesting ways, but the candy geniuses at Reese’s took it to a whole new level.

It’s no secret that Reese’s are a high-value candy. Any kid who’s ever participated in the yearly Halloween Night Trade knows that one Reese’s is worth at least two of any other candy (three if it’s an Almond Joy). And that’s just for the fun-sized cups! This year, Reese’s is safely bringing king-sized versions of their beloved candy to trick-or-treaters – and they’re also bringing the door.

If you’re a true Halloween fan, you can plead your case on Instagram. Some very lucky Halloweenheads will get a very special delivery this year in the form of a robotic door built by the candy brand, a door that can be controlled from up to 5,000 feet away. If you spot this 9-foot-tall door in your neighborhood (it’s hard to miss, with the lights and smoke and Halloween-y music), make sure to say “trick or treat!”

When the robotic door hears those three magic words, a king-sized Reese’s will appear in the mail slot for the lucky Halloween lover to devour, or trade if that’s your MO. Whatever you do with your enormous peanut butter chocolate treat, the delivery method will be one you’ll never forget.

Allen Dark, Reese’s senior brand manager explained, “This Halloween is unlike any other, so we’ve upped the ante on creativity as a result. A robotic Reese’s dispensing door is just what the world needs right now.”

Undoubtedly, a lot of things in the world would be greatly improved by treat-dispensing robots. The robotic door is a safe and convenient way to deliver treats to Reese’s fans, but it also provides some much-needed levity during a stressful time. Honestly, if this is what the robot uprising looked like, I’d be all for it. Candy-Dispensing Robot 2020.

Ghostbusters Sneakers Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts

By Mike Julianelle
Ghostbusters Shoes by Reebok
(Reebox)

I’m no sneakerhead. I’ve never owned a pair of Air Jordans, I never even owned any Reebok pumps. The one pair of sneakers I own are generic dad New Balance running shoes, and they’ve been stuck at my office gym locker since March when my office closed down.

But I am a movie fan, and a Halloween fan, and a Ghostbusters fan. So when I heard that Reebok was releasing not one but two special Ghostbusters-themed sneakers just in time for All Hallow’s Eve, my ears perked up.

And then I saw them. And my ears perked down a little bit. But hey, they’re collector’s items.

First up are the Ghost Smashers, described by Reebok thusly:

“Show ghosts who is boss. These men’s Ghost Smashers shoes have a fearless design inspired by the Ghostbusters movie from the ’80s. The leather upper has a worn, weathered look as if you’ve gone into battle. Signature details from the film give them a legit look.”

They are… interesting. There’s some weird proton-pack deal on the back, complete with neon-looking tubes. These aren’t your Daddy’s sneakers unless your daddy is Ray Parker Jr.! And if he is, I hope he didn’t give all his money to Huey Lewis, because these kicks will cost him $150.

Ghostbusters Shoes Proton Pack
(Reebok)

The second pair, also being released on Halloween Day (that’s October 31st, FYI), are “Ghostbusters Classic Leather Shoes,” selling for $100. They are a bit more normal looking.

The official description: “Strap on your proton pack. Or, you know, just lace up these Ghostbusters shoes. It’s time to celebrate Sony’s original Ghostbusters movie. The design includes several tributes to the series, from the logo on the tongue to the slime graphic on the outsole. The shoes are made of smooth leather, with a durable rubber outsole.”

Ghostbusters Tan Suit Shoes
(Reebok)

Both sneakers have the awesome Ghostbusters logo on the tongue, which, frankly, is all I really need.

Who ya gonna call to get these sneakers? Reebok’s Website.

Creative Dad Wins Halloween With Epic “Zoom Meeting” Costume for His Daughter

By Yael Meshulam
Dad makes Zoom meeting costume for his daughter
(YouTube/Greg Dietzenbach)

The leaves are changing color, the aisles of grocery stores are lined with last-minute costumes that seem intent on making your child look like one of the Village People. Bags of candy, both name-brand and generic, sit side-by-side reminding us what it truly means to live in harmony. Undeniably, Halloween is going to look a little different this year. Some towns have canceled trick-or-treating altogether, while some parents scramble to find bizarre and safe ways to deliver candy to their tiny costumed visitors. One crafty dad from Marion, Iowa was undeterred by this year’s unconventional Halloween, continuing his tradition of making the world’s most epic costumes for his kids.

Greg Dietzenbach is no stranger to creativity, especially when it comes to Halloween. He explains, “My kids challenge me every year to make a unique costume. Building a transforming sock robot for my son almost broke my brain so this year I wanted to make it a lot simpler. Due to Covid we didn’t even know if our town would have trick-or-treating this year.”

Before we move on, we need to give credit where credit’s due. To understand the full scope of this dad’s talent, take a look at the brain-busting sock robot costume Dietzenbach built for his son.

Understandably, Dietzenbach decided to simplify his kids’ costumes this year. The same amount of impressive creativity, just fewer moving parts. This year, Zoom has gone from virtually unknown (to most of us, at least) to the star of school days, work meetings, and even weddings. As a nod to Zoom’s increasing popularity and the very screen his kids see all day as they attend school remotely, Dietzenbach decided to costume-ize it.

Dietzenbach, who works for a company that builds museums and corporate environments, got busy with his office’s large-format printer. He recreated the Zoom interface, but with some Halloween-themed Easter eggs (Halloween eggs?). “Instead of ‘Share Screen’ it’s ‘Share Scream,’” Dietzenbach explained. “’End Meeting for All’ changed to ‘End Life.’”

The meeting had 666 participants, and each participant on the call was a photo of his 12-year-old daughter Ada transformed into a monster using Procreate, an iPad drawing app. As if it needed any more incredible touches, the costume has a camera that adds the candy-giver to a square of the world’s first in-person Zoom call. The end result was nothing short of extraordinary.

“I’ve created several unique costumes through the years,” Dietzenbach explained.

If you’re itching to catch up (it’s well worth a scroll), all of this artistic dad’s past costumes are on his website.

“They’re all a labor of love. I make them for my daughter and son every year. I’ve become known for my homemade costumes with family and friends and people tell me they look forward to seeing them every year but I really do it for my kids.”

Though Dietzenbach goes above and beyond on his kids’ Halloween costumes, he stresses that it doesn’t take a huge gesture to show your kids how much you love them. Dietzenbach told The Dad, “I keep seeing comments on this costume where people say ‘Dad of the year award!’ and ‘Greatest Dad EVER!’. They make me feel good and put a smile on my face but it’s not a competition.”

He continued, “You don’t have to do these big crazy things to be thought of as ‘Greatest Dad EVER’ by your kid(s). It’s all the little moments I share with my kids that make them (and me) feel special. It’s just being there for them and giving them all of your love. That’s what I’m most proud of.”

New Trailer for Unsolved Mysteries Showcases Spooky Stories

By Mike Julianelle
Unsolved Mysteries Trailer 2
(Netflix)

One of the few bright spots of 2020’s deluge of horror has been some of the streaming content we’ve gotten. From Tiger King to the Jordan doc, and from Hamilton to Mulan, there has been a lot of great content for us to consume during the pandemic.

Among the most popular content has been true crime documentaries, and Netflix has been at the front of the line in terms of providing us with titillating stories of the worst aspects of human nature. Over the summer, the streaming service even revived the old classic Unsolved Mysteries with a new collection of stories featuring murders, disappearances, and UFOs.

There was no Robert Stack and no voice-over, but the show was a hit, and now it’s coming back for round two.

Netflix released a trailer teasing the next collection of stories, which includes a White House aide who may have been a spy, a couple of NYC kids who went missing from a park, and even a ghost story in the aftermath of Japan’s deadly earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Check it out below. The new season drops on October 19th!

No Body Can Replace This Toddler’s Pet Skeleton

By Mike Julianelle
Toddler and Skeleton
(TikTok/abigailkbrady)

My 4-year-old loves stuffed animals. Stufties, as we call them, little the floor of his bedroom, not to mention the floor of our bedroom, and our living room, and the kitchen. He refuses to leave the house without whichever stuffy has his favor that day, and somehow we keep adding more.

It can be a hassle – especially if he drops one somewhere and we lose it – but it could be worse. Or much much better.

Abigail Brady’s son Theo also can’t leave the house with his precious companion, which just so happens to be a huge plastic skeleton. Thankfully, it’s not stuffed.

Abigail’s Tik Tok videos of her son toting his Halloween decoration around have gone viral, and they are a strange combination of adorable and alarming. Thankfully, Abigail has a sense of humor about it, because otherwise, she’d be screaming about the fact that she’s raising Norman Bates.

Check out this incredible video she made of their day at the local reservoir together, to which Mom added a soundtracked by the White Stripes because PERFECT.

@abigailkbradyMotherhood is fun ##GetTheLook ##halloweenvibes ##skeletondance♬ original sound – Eli Wingert

That video has 2 million views! There is a whole series of them, showing Theo reading Benny – Did I mention he named the skeleton Benny? I couldn’t be LESS INTERESTED in knowing why he chose that name! – a bedtime story

Just look at that kid all buckled into his car seat next to a Benny. SO PRECIOUS!

In one video, Abigail responds to viewer requests and finally explains the origin story of Theo and Benny’s friendship. Obviously, a basement is involved.

@abigailkbradyHow Benny came to be apart of the family ##HelloFall ##toddler ##skeleton♬ original sound – Abby

Other videos show the happy pair grocery shopping and dressing up for Halloween together, which seems a bit redundant for Benny, but whatever.

You do you, Theo! And kudos to his mom for not having a bone to pick with his unique relationship. It is Spooktober, after all!

Man Creates Candy-Delivering Robot to Save Neighborhood’s Halloween

By Mark Chalifoux
Candy Robot
(Courtesy Luke Keyes)

Halloween will be different this year, but it doesn’t have to mean canceling trick-or-treating. It just means trying a little harder sometimes, or being a little more creative. Exhibit A, a man in Austin who has perfected a way to hand out candy and maintain social distance, with the help of his robot.

Halloween is a great holiday for kids, and dads usually go hard to make it special (and take their cut of the candy).

Luke Keyes, a software engineer, said he and his wife really love Halloween. Every year they run a “Haunted Science Lab” in their garage, which has become a neighborhood hit. So much so that kids had already been asking the couple about the 2020 version. But then COVID, so Luke got creative.

“We were torn because we knew someone who died of COVID early on, and I have allergy-induced asthma,” he told The Dad, “but we love Halloween and love seeing how our haunted garage helps bring the neighborhood together.” He said he came up with a “candy cannon” that shot out candy like confetti but didn’t think that would be a practical solution to the holiday (although he did use it as his wedding and to entertain neighborhood kids at other community events).

Then he arrived at a solution. Enter Artie, his robot. Keyes has been working on his robot for several years (as an 80s kid, he said he was inspired by the many robots in movies), and takes him to STEM events around town, so he’s seen how kids will interact with it. He figured out he could adjust his height, make him look friendly, and drive him around to kids’ houses in the neighborhood to deliver candy. The neighborhood is even talking about possibly having a Halloween parade, with Artie as the grand marshall and other neighbors following to throw candy out to kids at their driveways.

Ultimately, Keyes said he hopes people can find creative ways to celebrate in their own community, even if they don’t have an Artie at the ready.

“I just want to make this year memorable for all the kids in a good way, and I’m glad I can use Artie to do that,” he said. “To me, Halloween is even better than Christmas. With Christmas, you give gifts to friends and family. With Halloween, you give gifts to everyone.”

And don’t worry, when it comes to candy, Keyes and Artie are giving out the good stuff.

21 Epic Halloween Costumes To Wow the Whole ‘Hood

By The Dad
epic halloween costumes
(Getty/Choreograph)

Remember before you had kids or a partner and Halloween was easy? Dudes get by with all-black and a Scream mask or something simple like a priest’s robes. Once a partner or kids are involved, everything becomes more complicated. A “cute” couple’s costume? A family costume? Last year, you were sucked into being one of those idiot dogs from Paw Patrol. But, not this year, buddy! If you’re going to do a family costume, it needs to be epic.

But, what constitutes “epic?” Some might argue that just getting your entire family to decide on and go through with a group costume is an epic feat in itself. Others, though, will tell you that it’s only epic if it’s truly scary or unique or unseen or required a year of planning. Maybe you’re part of a dad crew dressing up as the Marvel characters? For the sake of our sanity, we’ve defined “epic” as “memorable.” What you’ll find here is a mix of costumes (mostly for the entire family) that are, without a doubt, worth remembering. Some are all store-bought and the epic part is getting all 4 to 6 humans to agree to wear them. Others took skill or imagination. In all instances, though, these costumes and the people that are wearing them are clearly really flippin’ rad.

Family Costumes

1. Eight Family Members, One Theme

If you imagined a Harry Potter-themed family costume, where would your mind go? Chances are that you wouldn’t consider Hedwig or Professor Trelawney. This family, though, not only went the extra mile to pick some more unique characters (at least for the adults), they also did a fantastic job of going easy on the kids. You know nothing too elaborate ever works on a five-year-old.

2. Guardians Of The Good & Plenty

Dad’s costume looks fairly easy — all you really need to invest in is the mask and a maroon coat. That Groot costume took work, though. And we’re guessing mom had a little help going green.

3. Mother Of Dragons (and Dad)

Fancy yourself a Khal Drogo? (No judgment here, man.) Think your lady is the ultimate Daenerys? Got a few loud kids who love to “rawr?” This Game of Thrones costume is probably right up your alley. And you know your kids will be cool being dragons. So, no arguments!

4. Viking Family

First and foremost, if you can grow a beard, you can do better. This might be the equivalent of the “sexy pumpkin” costume. But, you get the idea. Rock the beard, get a little grungy, and throw some fur on your shoulders. Suddenly you and your shieldmaiden will be the hottest couple on the block. (And anyone who has seen Vikings will be wondering what it’s like in your bedroom.)

5. Catch ‘Em All

Alright, Nerd Boy. This costume is for you. Dress your munchkin as a Pikachu. If your partner has a baby bump, turn that thing into a Pokeball. You are, of course, the trainer. Easy? Yes. We guarantee people will talk about it, though.

6. Embrace Your Inner Freak

Not, like Korn’s “Freak on a Leash” kind of freak. More like the “bearded lady” and “world’s strongest man” kind of freak. The key to making this costume work as a family is staying within the same color scheme.

7. Jurassic Park

Another easy but memorable option is a Jurassic Park costume. Wear your best safari clothes and turn that baby into a dinosaur. Bonus points if you turn their wagon or stroller into a shipping crate.

8. Mighty Morphin Power Couple

If you don’t have much time for making costumes but want to kick things up a bit from last year’s Paw Patrol fiasco, we suggest Power Rangers. No one will forget a boldly colored family walking around their neighborhood and everyone will appreciate the effort put into getting the entire family on board. Believe it or not: It’s actually surprisingly easy to find Power Ranger costumes in all sizes. (So, yeah. Your mom lied to you when you were a kid.)

9. Not Your Circus, Probably Your Monkeys

The key to this costume is all about decorating your kids’ wagon… and getting them to agree to be circus animals. These baby elephants are super cute, but monkey costumes would make this infinitely funnier. When it comes to family costumes, though, you take what you can get.

10. Creepy Kids

What could be harder to pull off than getting your family to recreate multiple characters from a movie or show? Try getting your entire family on-board for all dressing the exact same. The IT clown and Joker are truly terrifying. Our guess, though, is that these kiddos probably haven’t seen the films. As long as you’re excited, Pops, your kids will be, too.

11. You’re Batman… or Riddler

Just like the circus cage wagon, the key to this epic costume is the work done on the stroller. Baby Batman is adorable, but his Batmobile is downright awesome. Riddler and Cat Woman work. However, there are so many characters from the Batman series that your options are nearly limitless.

A Couple Extra Epic Costume Ideas

Want to take control of Halloween this year but know a family costume won’t fly? We love these options, too.

12. Baby Golden Girl

Bonus points if your baby’s name is actually Sofia.

13. Epic Alien

You’ve seen this, right? You’re going to need to learn to crochet, though…

14. World’s Cutest Mummy

Start early.

15. Ghostbusters Mobile

This requires a Jeep… and commitment. Asking your partner to marry you? Hard to do. Deciding to (possibly permanently) deck out your Jeep into a ghostbusting vehicle? Easy choice. Just do it.

16. Epic Notorious RBG

What’s more epic than a toddler dressed as the Notorious RBG yelling “I dissent” up and down the neighborhood? Yeah, nothing. Try these out for babies and older kids.

17. The Tiger King Cast

Hey, all you cool cats and kittens! If you’re looking for family Halloween costumes you can customize pretty much any way you want, well, you found ’em. The kookier, the better.

18. Wreck-It Ralph and Friends

Someone in the family gets to run around all night yelling, “I’m gonna wreck it!” Better go ahead and call a family meeting now to fight over who gets the honor.

19. The Wet Bandits vs. the McCallister Kids

Is there an award for random internet family with the best Halloween costumes? Because we’d be tempted to give it to these guys. The attention to detail here — The iron burn! The Pepsi can! — is killer.

20. Inspired By the New Mulan

Your kids have probably made you watch Disney’s new live-action Mulan at least five times by now, so you’re familiar with the characters, right? Here’s what’s even better: Not only do these costumes actually look really comfortable, but you’ll also get to carry a sword. So, #winning.

21. Wakandians

Not only is this a nod to one of the most popular superhero movies ever (Black Panther, obviously), but it’s also a great tribute to a truly epic actor: Chadwick Boseman.

Disney Creates New Line of Adaptive Halloween Costumes

By Mark Chalifoux
Disney Adaptive Costumes
(ShopDisney.com)

Disney continues to make Halloween a brighter, more inclusive holiday for all kids by introducing the brand’s first line of adaptive costumes for kids with disabilities. ShopDisney.com now has a trio of new costumes, along with special accessories for kids to fully embrace the holiday.

This continues a positive trend of making holidays more accessible to kids with different needs. Last winter, we saw malls around the nation opening early so kids with autism could visit Santa in a calmer setting. We also saw American Girl release their first doll with a hearing impairment.

The first costumes released by Disney were an Incredibles 2 suit, a Buzz Lightyear Costume, and a Cinderella dress. Disney also released wheelchair cover sets to go with the Cinderella dress (the cover is an awesome looking coach) and with the Incredibles costumes (the wheelchair cover is the Incredimobile).

The costumes incorporate stretchier fabric and they open in the back to make it easier for kids to put on. The length is also a little longer (to make them more wheelchair friendly) and come with a flap on the front to accommodate tube access. The wheelchair cover sets fit most wheelchairs and have plastic support pieces included for stability.

Who knows what Halloween will look like this year? The pandemic has ruined much else in 2020, but one thing is certain, Halloweens going forward, whether it’s this year or those in the future, will be a little more inclusive of ALL kids.

Sweet Dad Hands out Candy on Flight so Daughter Can Trick-or-Treat

By Jordan Stratton
Little Girl Trick or Treats on Plane
(Twitter/stephaniekahan)

Sometimes, being a parent means doing whatever it takes to make the best out of a rough situation.

On Halloween, an anonymous dad had to do just that while on an evening flight with his 3-year-old daughter, Molly.

Despite looking forward to a night full of costumes and candy, Molly was devastated to learn that she would be on a flight from Boston to San Francisco instead of trick-or-treating.

“When I got on the plane I heard her [Molly] talking about how she couldn’t wait to trick-or-treat,” said Stephanie Kahan.

“I felt sad for her because I was thinking it would be so late once we landed that she wouldn’t be able to go trick-or-treating.”

Thankfully, Molly’s dad was a man with a plan – a plan requiring candy and minor word processing skills.

“I was confused when I saw the dad handing things to passengers,” said Kahan. “But once I read the note I thought it was the sweetest thing in the world.”

Unbeknownst to Molly’s dad, he ended up spreading a little sweetness to everyone aboard his flight, too, in addition to his daughter.

(Twitter/stephaniekahan)

“I spoke to the dad when the plane landed and he said that people were pretty confused at first but once they read the note everyone was excited to participate,” said Kahan.

Kahan’s tweet, which included pictures of the note and dad’s “little donut,” has since reached over 130k retweets and nearly 300k likes. She said she had a hunch that it was going to be big soon after posting it.

(Twitter/stephaniekahan)

“Once I noticed that my tweet had 5k likes, I knew that this was big so I wanted to let him [the dad] know what was going on,” said Kahan. “Since I had tweeted a photo of the daughter, I just wanted to be sure he didn’t want me to delete it or anything.”

Molly’s dad was taken aback by such an overwhelming response, having no idea his little Halloween plan would garner such attention.

“He was really surprised that the Tweet had so much engagement and definitely humbled knowing that his gesture was receiving such positive response,” said Kahan.

Clearly, a selfless idea this sweet is too good not to share.

And speaking of selfless check out this boy who refilled an empty Halloween candy bowl.

Selfless Trick-or-Treater Refills Candy Bowl With His Own Bounty

By Mark Chalifoux
Boy Refills Empty Candy Bowl
(Leslie Hodges)

Halloween is full of special moments for kids and parents alike. It’s so different from every other holiday (which feature grandmas house, a problematic uncle getting drunk, way too many cakes, rinse/repeat) and ends with a communal sharing of candy. And for all the funny videos Halloween brought, one of the best moments of the holiday came from something different.

It started with the classic “help yourself” bowl of candy, a Halloween staple from families that aren’t manning the front door. It’s a gesture built on faith that it won’t be completely emptied by the first 12-year-old to walk by, but more often than not, it works out.

That wasn’t the case for one 8-year-old Maryland boy. Video of the boy, captured on a neighbor’s doorbell camera, showed the boy walking up to an empty candy bowl. He quickly gasps, and yells out “There ain’t no more candy.”

Then he melts everyone’s hearts by reaching into his own bag and filling the bowl back up with fistfuls from his own stash. A selfless trick to make sure the kids who follow have some treats.

“Caught this on our Nest camera,” the homeowner, who shared it on social media, wrote. “This has got to give hope to everyone that there are still amazing people in this world. What a selfless act from this little guy. Kudos to his parents!!!.”

The kind act even caught the attention of Captain America himself, as actor Chris Evans tweeted out praise for the child.

Props to Jackson, for this small gesture, and for restoring mankind’s hope in tiny vampires everywhere.

Knockoff Halloween Costumes Are so Funny It’s Spooky

By Mike Julianelle
Knockoff Halloween Costumes
(Twitter/acidpanther/dannygberg)

One of the best parts of Halloween is the people-watching.

After all the preparation and planning and fretting over costumes is over, it’s time to trick or treat, or to go to a costume party, and regardless of how much you like your own outfit, you can have a blast scoping out all the stuff everyone else is wearing, and trying to guess what they are.

Of course, not all of them are obvious, especially if they’ve been bought at a pop-up store or Party City, where the costumes come in bags are often cheap imitations of famous characters, pop culture icons, or recent fads. Users on Twitter shared some of the best knock-offs they’ve seen this Halloween season, and part of the fun is not only guessing who or what that costume is meant to be, but what the off-brand version is called.

Twitter user @DanaSchwartzzz started a thread asking people to tweet the funniest ones they found, and it’s downright hilarious.

Dana kicked it off with a character from that classic 90s comedy “Notionless,” starting Alicia Goldrock:

Up next is the stylishly outfitted Cyber Man, from the Keanu Reeves blockbuster “The Maytrix?”

Whatever you do, don’t say “Juice Demon” three times!

Look, it’s the adorable young girl from the Netflix hit “Unusual Events!” I assume her name is Twelve?

Laugh if you want, but I respect Fantasy Land’s commitment to gender neutrality:

I may be wrong but didn’t Adam Sandler sing a song about the cafeteria lady at Chogborts, who served Hermanies and Grinders?

I barely even have words for this one. Thankfully they added a few extra:

Every guy dreams of a Supportive Hamburger Wife, including Bob from Bob’s Burgers. P.S. How is this not Velma from Scooby-Doo? Or maybe it’s both?

Sorry, but if you’re an adult who wants to dress like a minion for Halloween, you deserve what you get. As Eminem said, you’re like Despicable Me, the generic version:

We think you’ll FIND this one amusing:

Enjoy a glass of this orange juice every day if you want a little but of ultra-violence in your diet.

Louis and Marvin are the Sidekick Bros:

Cowabanga dude!

Go check out the whole thread here.