How to Spread Halloween Spirit Using Books and Boo Printables

Halloween is a time of tricks and treats, with houses decorating for the occasion and passing out yummy sweets and treats.

Boo'ing your neighbors is a growing tricky trend in many neighborhoods and communities. And unlike other seasonal pranks like TP'ing or egging, your neighbors won't mind if they wake up to find themselves boo'ed. Etsy is full of Boo'ed printables, but you can also find free copies on plenty of craft websites for the price of an email. Or it's easy to create your own using any art software.

Why Do Neighbors Like Getting Boo'ed?

Boo sheets are a newer trend, starting as a way to combat the isolation of Covid. It's a fun way to share a friendly note and a yummy treat with your neighbor and spread the holiday spirit. And it's fun for kids of all ages. Best of all, it can fulfill kids' desire to be sneaky, without leaving behind a criminal record, damaging others' property, or a mess for homeowners to clean up. Unlike less savory Halloween activities that leave us with a big disaster and often a hefty monetary loss, boo'ing neighbors will spread cheer and the Halloween spirit.

How Do Boo Sheets Work?

The premise of boo sheets is simple. You can use your home printer to print off two different templates. You leave both pages for your neighbor in a prominent place that's easily viewable. One sheet gives your neighbor the rules of getting boo'ed and the other is a badge of pride that the house has been boo'ed. Along with the boo printables, you leave behind a treat. You can use a bucket filled with candy, make some yummy Halloween desserts like cupcakes or brownies, or deliver caramel candy apples.

I love delivering boo baskets and leaving behind spooky books with my boo messages. What better thing to do with books you have already read than pass them on to new readers? Because I do book-themed boo'ing around my neighborhood, I create my own boo sheets with custom instructions to follow my lead and pass on their own used books to a neighbor they want to boo, along with their own copies of the boo sheets.

I always provide a QR code and a link to my custom boo sheets on Canva that gives free access to the printables. Or you can provide extra copies for your neighbor to use.

You can decorate and present your boo basket however you want and kids can decide on whatever delivery method they want to use, as long as it's not inappropriate. Just make sure they don't get caught boo'ing the neighbors. The entire fun of the game is trying to guess who did the boo'ing. Boo'ing the neighbors is great to do during the daytime and to avoid getting identified by cameras or neighborhood watch, kids can wear their costumes during their boo-in-progress.

Make sure to only boo neighbors who won't mind mystery visitors. And it's more fun if you pick neighbors you know will keep the boo'ing going.

So, bookaholics, what book would you add to your boo'ing basket? And what message will you write on your printable to spread spooky cheer and encourage your neighbors to do their own boo'ing?