At Halloween use these smart device tips to make your home spooky for trick-or-treaters!
Andy B.
last updated on October 8, 2018
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6 smart devices you can use to make your home spooky for Halloween
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Change the lights, play spooky music, and talk to trick-or-treaters through a pumpkin
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Cheap and easy ideas that you can also use for Christmas too!
When the calendar hits October, it’s time to start planning for Halloween! In addition to a fun costume, and some tasty candy, let us show you how to use smart devices to make your home extra spooky for Halloween!
Set the mood with a smart bulb
If you have carriage lights at your front door, you can pick up a smart light bulb that lets you adjust the colors to fit your mood. At Halloween, might we suggest pumpkin orange or witch green! If you really want to amp up the mood, why not place a Philips Hue Go bulb inside your carved pumpkin? The rechargeable battery will last up to 3 hours and you can control it with Alexa or your smart phone or tablet!
Our pick: Philips Hue Go
Hang a Bluetooth speaker at your door
Place your Echo on the inside of your home, close to your front door, and hang your speaker at the door.
It’s fun to create a Spotify, Google or Amazon music playlist of your favorite Halloween songs and soundtracks. However, don’t feel like you have to place an expensive smart speaker on your doorstep in order to stream your music outside on October 31st! Simply buy a cheap bluetooth equipped portable speaker and pair it with your phone or an Amazon Echo. Place your Echo on the inside of your home, close to your front door, and hang your speaker at the door. The bluetooth signal will easily reach and set the spooky mood for trick-or-treaters!
Our pick: AmazonBasics Mini Bluetooth Speaker
Watch and chat to trick-or-treaters with a smart camera
Place a smart camera with 2-way audio inside a pumpkin and pretend the Halloween Jack-O-Lantern is alive!
OK, now this is where things get fun and interactive. Run an extension cord from inside the home and attach it to a small, cheap smart camera that you place inside your carved pumpkin. Obviously, carve the mouth a little larger than normal and position the camera where it can see who’s coming to your front door. If you use a smart camera with 2-way audio, you’ll be able to chat with them and pretend the Halloween Jack-O-Lantern is alive!
The power cord will make it harder for them to walk off with the camera–which they won’t likely do anyway, seeing as they are being recorded.
Our pick: Wyze Cam mini smart camera
Get a spooky smart doorbell chime
If you own the Ring smart video doorbell, then you’re going to love what they offer for Halloween! Place your indoor Chime near the front door and then change the doorbell chime in your Ring app settings. You’ll see lots of Halloween-themed chimes to add to your spooky ambiance. You can also buy some extra chimes and perhaps place one in an outdoor outlet–assuming it doesn’t rain on October 31st!
Our pick: Ring Chime
Place a smart motion sensor for visitor alerts
Place a motion sensor near your pathway so you know when trick-or-treaters have arrived.
There are many smart motion sensors available. Make sure you buy one that is compatible with any smart hub you use as most smart sensors require one. We also recommend you buy one that can run off batteries so you can place it anywhere you wish during Halloween. Place it near your pathway so you know when trick-or-treaters have arrived. That will be your early sign that it’s time to turn on your fog machine or get ready to talk through your smart video camera.
Our pick: GE Z-Wave Plus Wireless Smart Sensor
Use a smart outdoor outlet to start a fog machine
When you’re done with Halloween, don’t pack it away! You can also use it for your upcoming outdoor Christmas lights!
Speaking of fog machines, why not hide one in your pathway shrubs and connect it to an outdoor smart outlet? And if you buy one that accommodates more than one plug, you could also plug in a scary yard animatronic you picked up at a local hardware store! When you’re done with Halloween, don’t pack it away! You can also use it for your upcoming outdoor Christmas lights! 😉
Our pick: Maxico Outdoor Smart Plug
Connect them altogether…automagically!
Lastly, with this many smart devices set out for Halloween, you may find yourself working hard to switch them all on at just the right time. Instead, why not use IFTTT to set up recipes that trigger each smart device based on certain events. For example, when your smart sensor detects someone approaching your home, turn on your fog machine, start you spooky playlist, and flash your smart bulbs!
Our pick: IFTTT Halloween Recipes
There are lots of smart devices you can use for Halloween. Let us know in the comments if you have a favorite smart gadget you like to use.
