As spooky season creeps in and your desire to do anything but wear your favorite muumuu and doom scroll fades to black, loading up the car for a night out starts to feel like a horror story of its own. Who wants to brave the chilly weather, scrape the windshield, or put on real pants when you could be curled up on the couch, rotting in peace, and soaking up all the spooky-season vibes instead? Luckily, you don’t have to venture far (or change out of your comfiest clothes) to conjure up an evening of entertainment everyone will enjoy! DeKalb Public Library has plenty of options to help you transform your usual after-work doom-scrolling session into a creepy, cozy night in, complete with eerie entertainment, festive activities, and plenty of budget-friendly fun.
Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered! Explore the curated lists below for inspiration for your next night in, featuring library materials and ready-to-follow itineraries created to help you bring your spookiest, coziest night-in fantasies to life.
Creepy Camp-In with the Kids
Enjoy a memorable family night filled with creativity, connection, and fun! Spend time together preparing delicious treats, working on a hands-on craft, enjoying music, and settling in for a family movie. When it’s time to wind down, transform the living room into a cozy camp-in with blankets, pillows, and bedtime stories. With a little imagination, you can turn an ordinary evening at home into a special opportunity to make lasting family memories!
- Start your night off strong in the kitchen! Cook your way through The Official Harry Potter Cookbook! This gorgeous book is packed with over 40 Harry Potter-inspired recipes including snacks, desserts, drinks, and meals fit for a Hogwarts feast! Whip up some Owl Post savory crepes, Hagrid’s hearty soup, Draco Malfoy blondies, Sir Cadogan’s sword kebabs, a troll bogey smoothie, and more! Your kids will love spending time with you crafting delicious food, and you’ll save tons of moolah by avoiding your usual Door Dash bill!
- After filling everyone’s bellies, it’s time to settle into a craft! Check out Oh my gourd!: How to Carve a Pumpkin Plus 29 Other Fun Halloween Activities, your go-to guide for all things gourd-geous! Packed with step-by-step pumpkin-carving instructions, creative recipes and uses for pumpkins and gourds, and handy carving stencils, this book is bursting with inspiration for your next fall project. Your little monsters will love browsing the pages for ideas to bring their spooky masterpieces to life, while you’ll discover plenty of creative ways to decorate your home, put your pumpkins to good use, and give back to the environment.
- While you spend time in the kitchen whipping up wizard-y treats and carving your perfect jack-o-lanterns, enjoy the joyful sounds of Kidz Bop Halloween Party!— the perfect soundtrack for a Halloween-themed evening featuring the biggest spooky pop hits sung by kids, for kids! These pop-y tunes sure beat whatever’s usually droning away in the background on the television when you spend time with the fam!
- Once your festive pumpkins are displayed on the porch and you’ve performed your ceremonial applause from the street, it’s time to snuggle into your favorite spot in the family room and enjoy a spooky film! This list features timeless, not-so-scary favorites that span decades, from the magical adventure of The Last Unicorn to the quirky and edgy humor of Beetlejuice, the eerie mystery of Coraline, and the heartwarming supernatural adventure of ParaNorman— we’re willing to bet your family will find a new favorite.
- Film Recommendations: The Last Unicorn (1982), Beetlejuice (1988), Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012)
- Finally, when everyone’s eyes begin to droop and it’s time to wind down, transform the family room into a cozy “camp-in” with sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, lanterns, and faux candles. Gather everyone together to conclude the evening with spooky bedtime stories, choosing Creepy Carrots! for younger children who enjoy a playful scare, 5-Minute Halloween Stories for quick, festive, Disney-themed tales, or selections from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark for older kids and brave family members. End the night with giggles, gentle shivers, and sweet memories to dream about!
- Bedtime Story Recommendations: 5-Minute Halloween Stories, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Creepy Carrots!
Romantic Evening with Your “Boo”
When was the last time you and your pumpkin spent an intentional, screen-free night-in together? While a classic “Netflix and chill” sesh certainly has a time and place, spending planned and purposeful time together can send a different kind of chill down your spine! Give this itinerary a try to show your lovebug that the spark is still alive and well!
- While jazz might be a departure from your usual listening habits, its ability to set the mood is undeniable! Sultry melodies from talented musicians create a sophisticated, romantic atmosphere without drowning out meaningful conversation. The right jazz soundtrack can turn an ordinary evening into something special, so we recommend giving it a listen as you enjoy this thoughtfully curated itinerary!
- Our recommendations: Ballads, Getz/Gilberto, Sketches of Spain, and Turn up the Quiet
- Ready to turn up the heat? Grab one of the library’s many cookbooks, pick a tempting recipe, and get cooking together! From sneaking tastes to sharing the cleanup, making a meal can be a fun, flirty way to reconnect. Light some candles, pop open a bottle of wine (or craft your favorite mocktail), and let the kitchen work its magic!
- We recommend: The Rom-Com Cookbook, Elvira’s Cookbook from Hell, The Couple’s Cookbook, and Fifty Shades of Kale
- It never hurts to add a little extra witch-y magic to your relationship! Spend the next portion of your evening exploring books about witchcraft, love spells, and the history of magical practices over dinner, then try whipping up a love potion or practicing a spell together! Learning about the rituals and traditions associated with love can be a unique way to connect, spark conversation, and bring a little mystery into your time together. After all, trying something new with your boo is a great way to keep the spark alive!
- If you have social media, you’ve seen the trend where couples paint each other, then reveal their paintings (to the delight or dismay) of their partner. Now it’s your turn! Break out the watercolor paints and take time lovingly lovingly observing and painting your honey! If you’re not completely confident in your artistic abilities, we have tons of books that can help you amp up your portrait and make it something frame-worthy.
- We recommend: Creative Portraits in Watercolor, Watercolors for Beginners, and Painting Watercolor Portraits
- Finally, after all the fun, it’s time to wind down– and perhaps face the spookiest part of the night: vulnerability. Have you and your partner ever read aloud to each other? Sharing a story can be an intimate, meaningful way to connect that many couples haven’t tried. Short stories are a great place to start, no matter which genre you choose; their shorter length makes them less intimidating than a typical novel and easy to fit into your evening. Put on your favorite comfies, cuddle up to your boo, and choose a short story to share as your night comes to a close.
- We recommend: Small Horrors (horror), Pianos and Flowers (romance), and A Different Kind of Tension (genre-defying)
The Ultimate Ghouls Night
There’s something nostalgic about gathering your favorite ghouls for a night of spooky décor, delicious snacks, and a little old-school haunted-house magic! Show your friends some love through the art of party planning, creating a cozy, creepy atmosphere with homemade decorations, a showstopping charcuterie spread, and a mad-scientist-inspired potion bar serving up wickedly good cocktails and mocktails. Add eerie sound effects to set the scene, and let the nostalgia, thoughtful details, and shared laughs remind everyone that sometimes the best way to show you care is to create a little magic together.
- Before planning the perfect night for your besties, read Having People Over: A Modern Guide to Planning, Throwing, and Attending Every Type of Party and consider how your space, budget, and sanity level can best support the spooky soirée of your dreams! In a world that can often feel disconnected and transactional, opening your home and welcoming others around your table is a meaningful way to build connection. In this accessible, inviting guide to hosting and entertaining, Chelsea Fagan shares how to create thoughtful, memorable moments that make your guests feel at home.
- Everyone loves a good board– and every good spooky spread has a little something for every ghoul! Browse these charcuterie cookbooks for inspiration to create an Instagram-worthy board, platter, or grazing table worthy of your gathering. From ghostly cheeses and wickedly delicious dips to creepy-cute arrangements and devilish bites, these frightfully fun spreads are sure to have your besties raving long after the last treat disappears!
- Amp up your space on a budget with recycled and handmade projects from crafting books in DKPL’s collection! Your homemade horrors are sure to charm your guests and make them feel like they’ve stepped straight into an old-school haunted house where spooky décor, cozy nostalgia, and room-mom magic create an atmosphere they’ll want to linger in just a little longer!
- We recommend: How to Make Frightening Halloween Decorations, Handmade Horrors, and Witchy Stitching.
- Set up a fantastical “potion” mixing station with your favorite spirits, mixers, and garnishes displayed in recycled jars, test tubes, and beakers for a mad-scientist twist! Complete the drink station with cocktail and mocktail books like Zero Proof Cocktails, Drink Lightly, In Session and Hauntingly Good Spirits to inspire your ghouls to experiment with eerie concoctions and brew up something wickedly delicious.
- While you and your besties soak up the spooky atmosphere you’ve so lovingly created, set the mood with these eerie soundscapes– the perfect finishing touch to your haunted hideaway and just creepy enough to keep everyone glancing over their shoulders: Halloween Monster Mix, Sounds of Halloween, Halloween Sound Effects.
Clear Your Brain’s Cobwebs
The scariest thing about your night shouldn’t be your screen time! This screen-free itinerary invites you to unplug and unwind with an evening of birdwatching, puzzle-solving, spooky audiobooks, and a late-night snack. With a little help from DKPL’s Library of Things, puzzle exchange, and cookbook collection, you can trade scrolling for fresh air, hands-on fun, and a truly delightful night in.
- Before the shadows grow long and darkness creeps in, give yourself the gift of time outside with the 12 x 42 HD binoculars from DKPL’s Library of Things and some of our books on bird watching! As Susan Albers, PsyD, psychologist at Cleveland Clinic explains, bird watching can be very calming. Albers says that “The number one benefit of birding is that it gets you out into nature. Studies have shown that just 15 minutes out in nature can reduce your cortisol, the stress hormone, reduce your heart rate and your blood pressure, in addition to releasing a relaxation response. So, getting out into nature can be a great investment in your mental health.”
- We recommend: Sibley’s Birding Basics, Birding Illinois, and Birding Basics in combination with the binoculars
- As the sun sets and the birds settle into their nests, set the tone for the rest of your evening indoors by honing your focus with a jigsaw puzzle! Did you know DKPL has a free puzzle exchange in the Adult Services Department? Featuring puzzles of all sizes and difficulties, it’s the perfect place to drop off puzzles you’ve already completed and discover new-to-you puzzles waiting to find their forever home. No puzzle to trade? No problem! The puzzle exchange is open to everyone– no checkout necessary. Whether you’re piecing together a haunted house, a creepy-cute Halloween scene, or something delightfully mysterious, puzzles are a fang-tastic way to spend a few focused, screen-free hours.
- While you piece together your puzzle, let your imagination wander with one of DKPL’s many horror audiobooks on CD! Trade the creaks of your chair and the tapping of the leafless tree on the window for spine-tingling tales of witches, monsters, and haunted houses as you search for that elusive next piece.
- We recommend: Aurora, Cruelty Free, Never Flinch, The Sofa and What Grows in the Dark
- When your puzzle has you feeling like a scramble-brained zombie, it’s time to end the night with a quick, delicious midnight snack! Browse a cookbook packed with recipes you can whip up in 30 minutes or less, because even the undead need a little brain food sometimes.
- We recommend: 15 Minute Indian, Piecemeal, What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking, 4 Ingredients, and Damn Delicious.
DeKalb Public Library is here to help you stay informed and engaged in your community. We invite you to come create, collaborate, and grow with us! If you have questions about our building, services, materials, or any suggestions, please reach out to us at [email protected] or 815-756-9568 ext. 2150, or stop by and see us during our open hours. Happy reading!