Knock, knock. Scroll down my haunted house and open every window.

Step 1 of 10

Start the music.

Every haunted house needs a spooky soundtrack. Pick a song, and the player above the house keeps the music going while you explore.

• 1In the Hall of the Mountain King
• 2Toccata in D minor
• 3Skeleton Waltz

Next: get the skeleton key

Step 2 of 10

Get the skeleton key.

Every window and door in this house is locked. Tell me where to send the skeleton key, and the whole house opens for you, starting with the attic.

Step 3 of 10 · The attic window

Welcome in, and grab a crayon.

You found the attic, so the first treat is yours: a coloring page of this very house, ready to print. Give every window a color, then make up who lives behind each one.

Print the coloring page

Next: the lamp window

Step 4 of 10 · The lamp window

Send a Halloween card.

A lamp is on in this window, and tonight it holds a card for you to pass along. Save the picture and text it to a friend, or print it and tuck it in a lunch box.

Save the card to send

Print the card

Next: the upstairs window

Step 5 of 10 · The upstairs window

Cut out a mask.

Two masks are hiding up here: a black cat and a bat. Print them, color them, cut along the lines, and tie on a ribbon through the little holes at the sides.

Print the masks

Let a grown-up help with the eye holes.

Next: the parlor window

Step 6 of 10 · The parlor window

Fold a paper bat.

Print the bat, cut it out, and fold the wings back and forth along the dashed lines like a paper fan. Fold the little tab at the top, and your bat can hang from a doorframe, a lamp, or the rim of your coffee mug.

Print the bat

Next: the pumpkin

Step 7 of 10 · The pumpkin

Carve a keyhole pumpkin.

You made it all the way down to the porch, so here is a treat for your pumpkin: a stencil that gives it keyhole eyes and a crooked grin. Print it, tape it to your pumpkin, and poke along the lines with a pin before you carve.

Print the stencil

Let a grown-up handle the knife.

Next: the kitchen window

Step 8 of 10 · The kitchen window

The house that would not stop saying hello

The Hendersons moved out in June, but the doorbell kept ringing.

At two in the morning, the porch light switched on by itself. The thermostat crept up to eighty. One night the kitchen speaker said, very politely, “Adding marshmallows to your list.”

The new family called a ghost hunter, then an electrician, and finally their nephew who works in IT.

He took one look and laughed. “Your house is not haunted,” he said. “Mr. Henderson is still signed in.”

He removed the old account from every app and changed every code. The house went quiet. Somewhere across town, Mr. Henderson still wonders why his marshmallows never came.

The moral: when you move, sign out of the house you leave and change every code in the house you get.

Print the ghost story to read later

Next: the front door

Step 9 of 10 · The front door

Knock, knock. Who’s there?

Real monsters don’t knock. They text. Here are three that land on phones every day:

• “Your toll balance is overdue. Pay now to avoid a late fee.”
• “We couldn’t deliver your package. Update your address here.”
• “Unusual sign-in detected. Reply YES if this was you.”

The trick that beats all three: don’t tap the link, and don’t reply. Open the app or website you already use, or call the number on the back of your card. If the problem is real, you will see it there.

Curious how safe your own digital life is? My free Digital Life Quiz tells you in a few minutes. It opens in a new window, so the house waits right here for you.

Take the Digital Life Quiz (opens in a new window)

Next: the mailbox

Step 10 of 10 · The mailbox

You have mail.

Thank you for knocking. Whether you found this house on my porch or a friend sent you the link, I left the light on for you.

I made this haunted house just for you, so you could have a little fun this Halloween. I hope you found a treat or two worth keeping.

I’m Ashley Karr. I make complex systems work for everyday people, and I believe help is a good gift. Happy Halloween.

Ashley

There is one more letter in the box. It holds your next free treat: my Thanksgiving gratitude tree, with twelve fall leaves that hold questions for your table, cards to send, and printables.

Open the gratitude tree