Halloween with kids is a total blast, but it can also be a one-way ticket to Sugarcane-Overload-City if you’re not careful. Between the school parades and the door-to-door candy haul, you’ve got a lot of excited little humans with energy to burn.
So, what do you do with all that anticipation? You channel it! I’ve gathered a list of 20 fun Halloween activities for kids that go way beyond just handing out candy. These are the things we actually do in my house to keep the chaos creative, the spooky vibes just right, and the sugar rush somewhat managed. Grab a pumpkin spice latte (or a stiff drink, no judgment here :)) and let’s get started.
Crafty Chaos: DIY Decorations & Art
I love a good craft, mostly because it’s a great way to keep little hands busy while I pretend I’m not hiding the good chocolate from them. These crafts are simple, use stuff you probably already have, and best of all, they double as decorations!
1. Toilet Paper Roll Monsters
Ever wondered what to do with all those empty toilet paper rolls? I know, a glamorous start to our list. But seriously, don’t throw them away! Grab some paint, googly eyes (because everything is better with googly eyes), and pipe cleaners.
Let your kids go to town. They can make mummies with white streamers, vampires with tiny capes, or just a colorful “monster” with ten eyes. IMO, the wonkier they look, the more character they have. My son once made one he called “The Grump,” and it’s been on our mantle for three years.
2. Spooky Window Clings
Forget the store-bought ones. You can make your own with just glue, food coloring, and a little bit of patience. Mix some white school glue with a few drops of food coloring (black and orange work great). Draw spooky shapes—ghosts, bats, pumpkins—onto a piece of wax paper or inside a plastic zip-top bag.
Let them dry overnight, and then peel them off. They stick right onto your windows! No sticky residue, no fuss. And the light shining through them? Chef’s kiss.
3. Paper Plate Jack-O’-Lanterns
This is a classic for a reason. Grab some paper plates, orange paint, and black construction paper. Paint the plate orange. Once it’s dry, let the kids cut out triangle eyes, a nose, and a silly or scary mouth. Glue them on, and boom—instant pumpkin patch.
Pro-Tip: Don’t use the expensive construction paper for this. The cheap stuff works just fine, and you won’t cry when it gets crumpled up ten minutes later. 🙂
4. Ghost Leaf Garland
Take a nature walk and collect a bunch of fallen leaves. When you get home, paint them white. Once the paint dries, use a black marker to draw little ghost faces on them. Then, string them up with some twine or yarn.
It’s a fun way to get them outside, and the end result is honestly so cute. It gives off major “fall vibes” without being too in-your-face spooky.
Kitchen Witchin’: Spooky Snacks & Treats
Cooking with kids is always an adventure. It’s messy, it’s loud, and I usually end up with flour in my hair. But these Halloween treats are so easy and fun that the mess is totally worth it.
5. Mummy Hot Dogs
This is our go-to Halloween lunch. You just need crescent roll dough and some hot dogs (or veggie dogs, if that’s your thing). Cut the dough into thin strips, wrap them around the hot dog like a mummy, leaving a small space for the “face.” Bake according to the dough package instructions. Once they’re golden brown, add two tiny dots of mustard or ketchup for the eyes.
They look adorable, and my kids actually eat them. Win-win.
6. “Witches’ Brew” Popcorn
Instead of handing out another candy bar, make a batch of this salty-sweet mix. Pop a big bowl of popcorn. In a separate pan, melt some white chocolate or almond bark and stir in some orange food coloring. Drizzle it over the popcorn and add a handful of pretzels and candy corn.
The name alone sells it. Tell the kids they’re helping a witch mix her potion, and they’ll be stirring that popcorn like it’s their job.
7. Clementine Pumpkins
Okay, this one is less of a recipe and more of a “peel and pray.” Give each kid a clementine and a piece of celery. Peel the clementine carefully (this is the tricky part for little fingers). Then, snap a small piece of celery and stick it in the top where the stem would be.
It’s healthy, it’s cute, and it’s the perfect snack to have on hand while they’re waiting for the real candy to roll in.
8. Spider Donuts
Grab a box of plain donut holes or mini donuts. Push two pretzel sticks into each side for the spider legs (you’ll need eight total, so four on each side). Use a little icing to stick on two candy eyes.
They take about two minutes to assemble and they look like a million bucks. Perfect for a classroom party or a quick after-school treat.
Get Moving: Active & Outdoor Fun
If your house is anything like mine, the weeks leading up to Halloween are filled with boundless energy. You need activities that tire them out. Here’s how we burn off that excitement.
9. Pumpkin Bowling
You’ll need a few small pumpkins (the kind you can easily lift) and a set of empty 2-liter bottles. Decorate the bottles like ghosts or monsters with some markers or paper. Set them up in a triangle in the yard or driveway, and let the kids roll the pumpkins to knock them down.
It’s like regular bowling, but way more hilarious when the “ball” is lumpy and misshapen.
10. Spider Web Yarn Maze
This one is best for a rainy day. Find a hallway or a doorway. Use painter’s tape to secure one end of a ball of white yarn. Then, string it back and forth across the space, weaving it like a giant spider web. Make sure to crisscross it at different heights.
The game is for the kids to get from one side to the other without touching the yarn. It’s like a laser maze from an action movie, but Halloween style. They will be occupied for a surprisingly long time.
11. Halloween Scavenger Hunt
Make a list of spooky items for the kids to find around the neighborhood or backyard. Think: a black cat, a witch decoration, a house with a pumpkin, a skeleton, someone wearing a Halloween shirt. Give them a clipboard and a crayon to check them off.
This turns a simple walk around the block into a full-blown quest. It’s also a great way to admire all the decorations without the kids asking to buy every single one. 😉
12. Mummy Wrap Race
Pair the kids up (you can be a partner if needed). Give each pair a roll of toilet paper. One person stands still while the other wraps them up like a mummy. The first team to use their whole roll or make a complete “mummy” wins.
Fair warning: you will be finding little bits of toilet paper in your yard for weeks. But the giggles are absolutely worth it.
Spooky Stories & Quiet Time
After all that running around and sugaring up, you need a way to bring the energy level back down to earth. These quiet activities are perfect for the evening or a lazy weekend afternoon.
13. Flashlight Shadow Puppets
Turn off the lights, grab a flashlight, and point it at a blank wall. Show your kids how to make bats, wolves, and ghosts with just their hands. There are tons of tutorials online if you’ve forgotten how.
It’s free, it’s easy, and it teaches them that “spooky” can just be a trick of the light.
14. Halloween Story Time
Head to the library or your bookshelf and stock up on Halloween books. We have a basket full of them that only comes out in October. It builds so much anticipation.
My personal favorites are: Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds. They’re fun, not too scary, and have great rhythm for reading aloud.
15. Build a Haunted House (Out of a Box)
Got an old cardboard box? Great! You’ve got a haunted house. Cut out doors and windows, and let the kids decorate it with markers, paint, and scraps of fabric. They can draw ghosts on the walls or hang toilet paper “cobwebs.”
It becomes a fort, a reading nook, or a place to “hide” from the Halloween monsters. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
16. Halloween Bingo
You can print free Halloween Bingo cards online. Use candy corn, pennies, or small toys as markers. It’s a classic game that gets everyone involved, from the toddler to the teenager (who will pretend they’re too cool but will secretly play).
Fun & Games: Classic Party Ideas
These are the activities you pull out for the actual Halloween party or the big day itself when the cousins come over.
17. “Don’t Eat Frank” Game
Remember the “Don’t Eat Pete” game? It’s the same concept, but with a Halloween twist. Print out a picture of Frankenstein (or a pumpkin) with a grid of different Halloween candies on it. Put a piece of the actual candy on each square.
One person leaves the room, and the others choose one square to be “Frank.” The person comes back and starts eating candy, one piece at a time. When they go to eat the piece on the “Frank” square, everyone yells, “DON’T EAT FRANK!” Cue the screaming and giggling.
18. Pin the Tail on the Black Cat
A spooky twist on a classic party game. Draw a big black cat on a poster board. Give each kid a yarn “tail” with tape on the back. Blindfold them, spin them around, and see who can get the tail closest to the right spot.
FYI, watching a dizzy 5-year-old try to walk in a straight line is pure comedy gold.
19. Halloween Memory Game
You don’t even need to buy this. Just print out two copies of some Halloween-themed clipart (ghosts, bats, candy corn, etc.) on cardstock. Cut them out and mix them up. Lay them face down and take turns flipping two at a time to find a match.
It’s simple, quiet, and surprisingly competitive in my house. My youngest has a memory like a steel trap, so I have to be on my A-game.
20. The “Feel Box” Game
This is the ultimate test of bravery. Find a few shoe boxes and cut a hole in the lid—big enough for a hand, but small enough so they can’t see inside. Put different “spooky” items in each box.
- Peeled grapes = eyeballs
- Cooked spaghetti = worms
- A cold, peeled tomato = a heart
- Silly string = spider webs
- A dried apricot = an ear
Have the kids reach in and feel the “body parts” of the monster. The screams of terror and delight are music to a parent’s ears. 😀
Wrapping It Up (Without the Candy Wrappers)
So, there you have it. Twenty ways to keep the little goblins entertained without relying solely on the sugar rush. From crafting monster families to bowling with pumpkins, the goal is to make memories that last longer than a piece of bubble gum.
My advice? Don’t try to do all twenty. Pick two or three that sound fun to you and run with them. The best part of Halloween isn’t the candy haul (okay, maybe it’s a small part), but the look on their faces when they’re wrapped up in toilet paper or biting into a mummy dog. Now go forth and have a spooky, silly, spectacular Halloween!
