Halloween – AgingUP – Youth Mentoring Program

Screaming Fun Mentoring Moment

agingUP — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 05:20:47 +0000

Lucas has a kindness and enthusiasm that is contagious. It was an easy decision to invite him to join our 7th Mentor Training Cohort. When he completed training successfully, we were eager to match him, knowing he would make a great mentor to a youth from foster care. During the matching process, it became clear that 16-year-old Cordell* would thrive under Lucas’s caring and energetic mentorship.

At their very first meeting, Lucas remembered being around the same age when he went to his first theme park—the thrills, the excitement in his stomach, and how unforgettable it was to share it all with someone else. He asked Cordell if he’d ever been to a theme park or ridden a roller coaster. Cordell said no, but that he would love to go someday.

When Cordell’s 17th birthday came around, Lucas had the perfect plan: a theme park adventure! He picked Cordell up early on a Saturday morning. They stocked up on road-trip snacks, then hit the highway.

From the first “warm-up” coaster to the biggest, loopiest rides in the park, they barely waited in lines and experienced nearly every attraction, thanks to Lucas’s thoughtful planning and decision to splurge on special passes.

The day was packed with laughter, screams and memories. When they finally left the park, Cordell had the biggest smile—which said it all! Happily exhausted from a day full of firsts, Cordell slept most of the drive back.

“I felt very happy knowing I got to be part of Cordell’s first theme park and roller coaster experience. It is a memory I will always carry with me, and I hope it is one he will carry too.” ~Mentor Lucas

*Name changed and photos blurred for confidentiality

9 Tips for Spooktacular Teen Halloween Fun

agingUP — Sat, 28 Oct 2023 21:20:08 +0000

Halloween is that magical time of year when pumpkins glow, the air crackles with mystery, and costumes take center stage. While it’s often associated with younger children, teenagers can still have an absolute blast during this spooky season. Here are 9 wickedly cool ways for teens to enjoy Halloween!

Epic Costume Creativity: Teens have a unique advantage when it comes to Halloween costumes. They can dive deep into pop culture, horror movies and their own imaginations to create jaw-dropping costumes. Whether it’s transforming into a beloved movie character, an iconic villain or a clever pun, teens can make Halloween an unforgettable fashion show.
Haunted House Adventures: Many places offer haunted houses or haunted attractions during the Halloween season. Grab some friends and prepare for a spine-tingling adventure. The thrill of being spooked and enjoying the mysteries of these places can make for an unforgettable night.
Scary Movie Marathon: Halloween is the perfect excuse for a scary movie marathon. Friends can gather with popcorn and cozy blankets to dive into a night of horror classics or newer spooky films. Just be sure to leave the lights off for that eerie ambiance.
Pumpkin Carving Parties: Teens can put their artistic skills to the test by organizing pumpkin carving parties. It is a fantastic way to bond with friends while creating unique and imaginative pumpkin designs.
Trick-or-Treating with a Twist: Who says trick-or-treating is just for little kids? Teens can have a blast by embarking on a more sophisticated scavenger hunt or by going door-to-door in creative, homemade costumes. Just be sure to respect your neighborhood’s rules and curfew. Make it fun!
DIY Halloween Decor: Get your creative juices flowing by crafting your own Halloween decorations. From spooky banners to candlelit jars, decorating can be as much fun as the celebrations themselves.
Outdoor Activities: Enjoy the crisp autumn air with outdoor activities like corn mazes, apple picking or nature hikes. Many farms and parks offer Halloween-themed experiences, giving you a chance to enjoy the beauty of fall.
Bake Spooky Treats: Whip up some ghoulish goodies in the kitchen. Whether it’s decorating cookies, making creepy cupcakes or dipping caramel apples, baking can be a fun and delicious way to celebrate.
Community Volunteering: Share the spirit of Halloween by lending a helping hand at local community events, like handing out candy at a local trunk-or-treat event. Giving back can make your Halloween experience even more fulfilling.

From eerie fun to giving back, Halloween offers plenty of activities for teens to enjoy a safe and spooktacular time. Whether you’re into costume creativity, heart-pounding scares or simply enjoying the atmosphere, you can help teens make the most of this spooky season. Happy Halloween!

Perspective on Teens and Halloween

agingUP — Sun, 30 Oct 2022 18:24:06 +0000

We know there is a big debate on whether teens should trick or treat. We understand there are varying opinions on this debate and strongly encourage you to check out our perspective on helping all ages enjoy a safe and happy Halloween.

Teens and Halloween Considerations:

The pandemic interrupted holidays and get-togethers. Those who are teens now were recently tweens or big kids and may have missed the fun these past 2 years.
Age or size does not equal mental development. A teen in age may be much younger developmentally as trauma and other factors affect development.
Costumes may look like everyday clothes. Perhaps they may be dressed up as a YouTuber or videogame character, or they may not have money to dress up.
Free candy! Who doesn’t love that?!

Here are other unique ideas to help teens enjoy a safe and fun Halloween:

Get crafty — no magic needed, just some DIY fun! Check out these Halloween Crafts for Teens and Tweens by Happiness is Homemade for ideas from candles to wreaths.
Ask them to hand out the candy. They can even have a little fun being creepy or giving a gentle scare as trick-or-treaters walk up.
Host a movie night, complete with treats. The film doesn’t have to be gory, there are plenty of options from silly to suspenseful. Check out this list of 97 Best Halloween Movies by Teen Vogue.
Host a pumpkin carving or painting contest. A traditional and still a favorite!
Bake festive treats. We like these 20 easy and fun ideas from Raising Teens Today.

No matter how teens engage in the holiday, we encourage them to be safe and respectful.

Pumpkin Carving meetUP and Teen Halloween Ideas

agingUP — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 23:14:40 +0000

Halloween can be a tricky holiday for teens; they often feel too old to dress up and go trick-or-treating but not old enough to celebrate in other ways. We are all about creating memorable moments for young people from foster care, especially to honor and celebrate special days and times of the year. This helps create and enhance traditions while providing normalcy experiences for our youth.

Our recent Harvest Picnic meetUP was a fun way to celebrate this season! Mentoring Matches met at a local park for lunch and pumpkin carving. It was a beautiful Sacramento fall day — chilly yet sunny, which made it a perfect outdoor event where Matches could social distance while still enjoying time together as a group.

Upon arrival, the teens selected a large pumpkin and received a small decorated bucket filled with a carving kit and a surprise goodie bag that included festive socks and candy. A hearty lunch of fresh sandwiches with chips was made complete by adorable and very tasty monster cookies, thanks to our friends at Cake4Kids.

Youth and mentors worked side-by-side to create their unique jack-o’-lanterns. Most Matches freehanded their pumpkin designs while others used patterns from their carving kits. All of the jack-o’-lanterns came out great, and it was wonderful to celebrate together!

We encourage all caring adults to help teens in your life enjoy Halloween in a way that makes them comfortable. Check out our fun suggestions*:

Let them eat candy! If you’re passing out candy, please share with teens — even if they don’t say “trick or treat” or aren’t in (elaborate) costumes.
Help them dress up. It doesn’t have to cost a lot. Dressing up can be done with minimal accessories, simple hair/makeup and everyday clothes. We also like these fun and affordable costume ideas curated by Fabulessly Frugal.
Order tasty takeout – several pizza chains offer jack-o’-lantern-shaped pizza. You can also check out tasty deals (shared by TODAY) from national restaurants, like Krispy Kreme, Wendy’s and more.
Have a movie marathon — depending on your teen’s preference, you can stream Halloween-inspired movies from a spooky, horror, vintage or comedy genre.
Bake or decorate a fun seasonal treat, like one of these easy recipes from Insanely Good.
Of course, pumpkin carving is a great activity — you can make it a contest and give a prize.

We hope these tips* encourage you to do something fun with the teens in your life. A signature part of our program is to provide positive recreation to youth from foster care. We are proud to offer these age-appropriate activities and love seeing our young people enjoy traditions with their mentors.

We hope you enjoy a safe and happy Halloween!

*This content is NOT sponsored. These are original ideas from Aging UP staff and any companies mentioned are simply noted for inspiration.

Creepy Critters and Carvings

AgingUP — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 16:06:13 +0000

On October 25th, we held a meetUP for the youth in our program, in partnership with the Sacramento Zoo. This Halloween-inspired virtual event featured a presentation from zoo staff Brooke, Mike and Lara. They taught us all about some of their spookiest critters!

We met a few different animals, including:

Charlie, a great horned owl. This type of owl lives right here in Sacramento!
Samantha, a blue-tongued skink. When she’s frightened, she gets as big as possible and scares potential predators into thinking she’s venomous with her bright mouth.
Ariel, an African albino hedgehog. She was absolutely adorable, but rolls into a tight spiky ball if threatened!
Bradshaw, a 20-lb ball python who can go days or even weeks in the wild between meals.
And finally – Ronnie, a baby American alligator. He was only a year old, and a tiny fraction of the size he’ll be as an adult!

The zoo staff were enthusiastic, informative and answered all of our questions about each animal. It was a fun opportunity to see these animals up close and personal, and to be able to learn interesting facts about each one.

The week before this event, Aging UP staff, board members and volunteers delivered pumpkins and goodie bags filled with a carving kit, electric candle, and candy to our program youth. This was funded in partnership with Raley’s, who donated a $100 gift card to purchase the pumpkins and some of the carving kits. We made sure to get these supplies delivered in advance, so our pumpkin carvers could get their carved creations ready. After the Sacramento Zoo’s presentation at our event, mentors & mentees were able to show off the pumpkin carvings they made. For one youth, this was the first pumpkin he’s ever carved, and it turned out fantastic!

A huge thank you to Raley’s, the Sacramento Zoo, our board members and volunteers that came together to make this a special Halloween event for our youth!