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By Rachel Bowie
•
Published Aug 19, 2023
Additional reporting by
Stephanie Sengwe
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Trick-or-treating time is almost upon us—and in your efforts to make this year’s celebration the most epic one yet, don’t stop at ringing doorbells for candy. There are plenty of other ways to commemorate All Hallows’ Eve, from visitingpumpkin patchestoapple pickingand of course, going tohaunted houses.
For families who’d rather keep things low-key, there’s plenty to do too—including getting all gussied up for the spooky occasion. You can get crafty by creating your own family costumes (hey, we love a good Insta opp) or making a ghost garland. If you want a more active night, try a game of Halloween charades, mummy racing or playing in a Halloween-themed obstacle course of your own making. (Psst: We’ve got all the Halloween games you need here.) Whatever you’re in the mood for and however old your children are, check out this list of 50 Halloween activities for kids for all your spooky season inspiration.
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Nitat Termee/Getty Images
1. Pop Some Crafted Pumpkins
Order a bag of orange balloons online, then fill each one with a Halloween-themed surprise (think candy or a silly trinket like a spider ring). From there, take construction paper and craft green leaves that you can attach to the spot where you tie the balloon. Then, game on: All your kids have to do is stomp the balloons to collect their prize. (Read the full tutorial over at Delia Creates.)
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2. Race to Build Your Candy Bags
Let each kid choose their favorite candy to include in individual goody bags (Ziploc works well here), then race to see who can assemble the most bags in the shortest amount of time. Suddenly, the chore becomes a game…and you’re not up all night on the 30th assembling treats for Jake’s class party the next morning.
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3. Let Your Kids Design Their Costumes
There’s nothing wrong with a store-bought costume, but if you want to make figuring out what everyone will be more of an event, challenge your fam to find one item at home and build a costume from there (perhaps supplementing with items bought at a store or crafted). Grab some sheets and dress up as a ghost—classic. Or raid the depths of your closet and get a little more creative. (Some ideas here.) It’s a way everyone can get a little more creative—and potentially save some money in the process.
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4. Swap Scary Stories
That one story that your brother used to creep you out with when you were younger will come in handy for this activity. You can also opt to make one up on the fly, pull another one from your childhood or recite one of these tried-and-true kid-friendly Halloween tales.
Kenneth Brown / EyeEm/Getty Images
5. Visit a Haunted House
Is it even Halloween without a trip to a haunted house or haunted town? Get that adrenaline pumping with a jaunt to a place rumored to be occupied by the undead (or, you know, neighbors in costumes).
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6. Put That Candy Corn to Use
Candy corn is no one’s first pick, but that doesn’t mean we can’t put it to use. You can totally create your own version of ‘Minute to Win It’. Here’s how to play: Each kid will need a stack of candy corn, a bowl and a pair of chopsticks. You’ll need a timer set to 60 seconds. The goal of the game is to see who can transfer the most candy corn to the bowl using only chopsticks.
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7. Play Candy Corn Bingo
Speaking of candy corn, Bingo is a crowd-pleaser—no matter the age. But here’s where it gets Halloween-y: First, you need a Bingo card featuring Halloween-themed objects like this one from Studio DIY. Next, swap traditional chips with candy corn as markers. (Just don’t be surprised if your kids eat all the game pieces.)
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8. Give an Old Fave a Frightful Twist
Your kids will love the spooky, special edition of this family favorite. To pull it off, simply cover the game boards you already own with faux cobwebs and use DIY spider-painted bean bags instead of the usual ones you toss.
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9. Create a Halloween Scavenger Hunt
Deck the halls with spooky decor, then send your kids on a scavenger hunt to track down all the on-theme items they see. (You can also walk around the neighborhood scouting as a family.) Up the stakes by downloading a free printable (like this one from Over the Big Moon) outlining what they should be on the lookout for.
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10. Have Fun with Halloween Musical Chairs
You know the drill: Gather the family to go ‘round and ‘round a group of chairs in costume while playing the spookiest music you can find. But when the music stops, it’s every kid for themselves as they grab a seat. Remove one chair every round.
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11. Make a DIY Mummy Bowling Set
For this Halloween activity, all you need is a set of plastic pins (like this one) and a couple of rolls of toilet paper. From there, wrap the pins with TP, add googly eyes and voila: They’ve been mummified. Bonus points? Wrap the bowling balls, too. (A full tutorial is available on Giggles Galore.)
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12. Make Your Own Mummies
You’ll need more toilet paper for this game. Split up into teams and pick one person to be the mummy. Then, it’s up to the rest of the group to wrap them in TP until they, well, actually look like a mummy. The group that mummifies the fastest wins!
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13. Have a Mummy Race
Keep the fun going by (carefully) racing to a designated spot after the mummifying. Losing team has to eat candy corn!
A Girl and a Glue Gun
14. Get Creative with Pumpkin Golf
Calling all expert pumpkin carvers: This game requires you to create a jack o’-lantern with a mouth large enough to putt golf balls into. From there, you’ll need a toy golf set (like this one) and a red felt runway that doubles a putting green. Think of it as mini-golf with a theme. (Full tutorial can be found over at A Girl and a Glue Gun.)
Twenty20
15. Host a ‘Glow in the Dark’ Party
The prerequisite for this Halloween event? As much glow-in-the-dark décor as possible. Think:stars,balloons,glow sticksand more. Turn out the lights and let the Spooktacular evening begin. (Visit a Pumpkin and a Princess for inspo.)
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16. Try Bobbing for Donuts
This germ-free Halloween activity requires two things: string and donuts. From there, all you have to do is hang donuts from tree branches and invite your kids to eat theirs hands-free. (Yep, their hands should be tied behind their back the whole time.)
No Time for Flashcards
17. Get Into a Spider Web Maze…
You’ll need painter’s tape and a bunch of those plastic spiders you can typically find come Halloween at the dollar store. Next, use the tape to lay out a spider web. Create a “start” and “finish” line, then instruct kids to walk the web without straying from the lines. The catch? They have to pick up the plastic spiders you’ve scattered about without losing their footing. Muahaha. (More details can be found over at No Time for Flashcards.)
Still Playing School
18. …or Spider Race
About those plastic spiders you got at the dollar store? You’ll love this tutorial from Still Playing School. Grab a couple of straws and set up a start and finish line on the kitchen table. The goal? To blow through the straws and race. The first kid to cross the finish line with their eight-legged bug wins.
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19. Make a Candy Wreath
The best way to entice the kiddos to your front door to trick or treat? A wreath made of candy, of course. Let your kids help you build it by choosing the candy selection you place on the cardboard platform. Hot glue gun required.
Twenty20
20. Think Outside the Box with Squash Ring Toss
You’ll need to hit up the local farmers’ market for the squash, but once you’ve got that, all you need are plastic rings. Bonus points if you decorate the squash with spooky faces before you play.
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21. Go Apple Picking
This Halloween activity is a favorite for a reason. Pick what you can eat, then make a plan to treat yourself to warm cider—which is almost always served on-site—when you’re done.
Elva Etienne/Getty Images
22. Bob for Apples
So maybe you got over-excited and picked way too many apples. You’ve already eaten some and baked all the pies you can. Before the rest go bad, have them as the main attraction in a classic game of Bob for Apples. Simply fill a wide-mouth bucket (or bowl) with enough water so the apples can float. Then, with the kiddos’ hands behind their backs, have them attempt to retrieve the apples with just their mouths. Whoever is able to get the most apples within a minute wins.
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23. Embark on a Pumpkin Patch Excursion
It’s loads of family fun, plus you can make a night of it by carving them when you get home.
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24. Turn Pumpkin Washing Into a Family Activity
This should take place before you carve, but here’s the idea: After you’ve picked your pumpkin, supply your kids with a soapy bucket of water and sponges. Then, let them do the dirty work to scrub their pumpkins clean. Kids love a good washing station and it saves you a step before you cut into ‘em.
25. Create Origami O’Lanterns
This requires some expert folding work, but the finished result is beautiful—and something you’ll want to save for years. (Get the directions over at Pink Stripey Socks.)
Smashed Peas and Carrots
26. Play Halloween Tic Tac Toe
For this to feel Halloween-y, the devil is in the details. In other words, the game pieces are what make it on-theme. You can use Washi Tape to map out the board, but then get creative, like painting rocks to look like ghosts, Frankenstein or candy corn. Then, get your game on. (Read all about it on Smashed Peas and Carrots.)
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27. Read Some Halloween Books
It’s the perfect way to build up excitement ahead of trick or treating. Choose a selection of titles—whether that’s Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton or Harry Potter—and read them aloud.
Elena Vafina/Getty Images
28. Fashion a Ghost Garland
To start, you’ll need to send the kids outside to gather leaves in your backyard. Next, paint the leaves white, then take a Sharpie and add two eyes. To turn it into a garland, all you’ll need is a hole punch (although you can probably puncture each leaf carefully with a pin) and some string.
Lovevery
29. Entertain Your Tots with a Laundry Basket Spider Web
Great for the toddler set, all you need is a shallow laundry basket, some string and some spooky trinkets. (Cue those plastic spiders again.) Next, weave the string in and out to make a web and put all the spiders at the bottom. The challenge? They have to fish out all the spiders while reaching around the string. (Here’s an example of this game from Lovevery.)
Elva Etienne/Getty Images
30. Build a Life-size Spider Web
This party game takes a bit of effort, but it works like this: You’ve got a ball of yarn with a prize attached to the end of it. (Candy, perhaps?) Now, use the string to create a room-size web and weave the yarn all around the playroom, following the string to find your prize. But here’s the catch: There’s one strand per kid, so it’s pretty complex to untangle. (More details available at Party Game Ideas.)
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31. Invest in Some Pumpkin Slime
At first sight, it seems gross, but your kids will want to play with it for hours. A Halloween gift! (Recipe available at I Heart Arts & Crafts.)
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32. Bake Some Spooktacular Cookies
The more inventive the better. Check out our Halloween cookie roundup featuring a sweet for everyone in your coven, whether you’re looking for something spooky-chic or covered in googly eyes.
See Vanessa Craft
33. Decorate with Ghost Handprints
Trace your child’s hand, then paint it white. After that, you flip it upside down (so the palm is the ghost’s head), then add googly eyes. String them up around the house for décor that doubles as a memento for when those little hands get a lot bigger. (Full tutorial is available at See Vanessa Craft.)
Happily Ever Mom
34. Make a DIY Sticker Match
You’ll need a booklet of Halloween stickers to start. Next, trace the outlines of each one—say, the pumpkin or the ghost—onto a piece of paper. Task your kids with matching the stickers to the spot you’ve outlined for them. The more you trace, the longer it holds their interest. (More details at Happily Ever Mom.)
Oh Happy Day
35. Embellish with Some DIY Ghost Piñatas
This tutorial from Oh Happy Day results in a piñata so adorable you won’t want to break it apart. You’ve been warned.
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36. Surprise Your Neighbors with a Candy Drop-off
The goal is to spread a little spirit by delivering a bag of Halloween goodies to your neighbor’s (or loved one’s) doorstep as a surprise. How do they know it was you? Leave a note that says: “You’ve been spooked!” (Download a free printable over at Tater Tots and Jello.)
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37. Have a Halloween Movie Marathon
Hocus Pocus! Ghostbusters! The Nightmare Before Christmas! Cook up a bucket of popcorn and watch a classic with your kids.
My Home Based Life
38. Make Your Own Pom Pom Spiders
More decor for your Halloween-themed mantle! All you need is a package of pom-poms, popsicle sticks and some googly eyes. (The full tutorial can be found at My Home Based Life.)
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39. Make Your Own Halloween Masks
Coloring projects can be the best way to spark creativity in your kiddos. Instead of buying Halloween masks at the store this year, challenge your children to make their own. (The good news is that there are loads of free printables—like these from It’s Always Autumn—online.)
Ella Claire Inspired
40. Pin the Spider on the Web
This pivot on Pin the Tail on the Donkey is just as fun. Plus, there are free printables (like this one from Ella Claire Inspired) that make it a cinch to pull off.
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41. Construct a Halloween Obstacle Course
It sounds harder than it is—one idea is to lay out pumpkins in a zigzag configuration in the hallway. At the end of the tunnel, place a few ghost balloons with strings hanging down. The goal? Your kids have to leap to “catch” a ghost after zigging and zagging through the “pumpkin patch.” It’s silly and fun, but it’s also guaranteed to tucker them out. (More details at Laly Mom.)
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42. Pull a Prank…
…On someone who would appreciate the cleverness, of course. Maybe help them TP their dad’s car or ding-dong dash at the grandparents’ house. Minor pranks to bring the “trick” in trick-or-treat.
Nitat Termmee/Getty Images
43. Play Halloween Charades
If you have been slowly indoctrinating your now-teenagers into liking Halloween movies since they were wee tots (*ahem* same), those years of Halloween movie marathons and extravagant costume design will seriously pay off in this game. Gather the family and play this wild guessing game featuring classic titles, from The Birds to Hocus Pocus, as well as renowned characters such as Morticia Adams and Freddie Krueger.
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44. Play Halloween Movie Trivia
Here’s another way to incorporate your love for spooky flicks into All Hallows’ Eve. After screening their favorite Halloween movie, come up with trivia questions to ask your kids. You can make them as simple or tricky as you want. Winner gets half of everyone’s candy…?
Studio DIY
45. Craft a Blacklight Halloween Candy Hunt
You’ll need some white cardstock, a marker and a blacklight (or your phone) to pull off this super fun game. After you’ve crafted your spooky ghosts and attached them to the candy, sprinkle them around your yard or inside your home. Once it’s dark out, hand over the black light and let the kiddos get to hunting.
Kids Craft Room
46. Make Paper Bag Pumpkins
Those who find pumpkin picking and carving a bit tasking (and messy) can opt for a lower-lift DIY option. All you need are orange paper bags, newspaper, cardstock, pipe cleaners and tons of glue and you can create a craft even your littlest tots can get in on.
Elva Etienne/Getty Images
47. Try Your Hand at All Hallows’ Eve-inspired Makeup
Halloween unleashes a lot of things, and a key one of them is creativity. Instead of buying a mask with your kid’s Halloween costume, try experimenting with Halloween makeup at home. If you’re feeling brave, you can totally allow them to paint each other’s faces, otherwise, you may want to stick around and draw all the butterflies, spider webs and ghost faces on yourself. Here is a tutorial of four simple Halloween makeup looks you can replicate in a pinch.
Keith Getter/Getty Images
48. Play Pumpkin Tic-tac-toe
Not sure what else to do with those carved-out pumpkins? Well, the ones on the smaller side can be used to put a Halloween spin on this classic pastime. Instead of inputting your regular X’s and O’s, use the pumpkins to make your move.
Museum of Illusions
49. Pay a Visit to the Museum of Illusions
Kids too young to handle a haunted house? No problem—just lean into the magical aspect of Halloween with a visit to the Museum of Illusions, a privately-held museum chain with over 24 locations across the country, and you’ll be treated to a host of mind-boggling surprises that disarm and enthrall, but never scare. (Bonus: Historically, the franchise is quite keen on Halloween, so you can expect the exhibits to feature an oh-so festive makeover, too.)
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50. Learn Some Magic Tricks
If there’s no Museum of Illusion near you, make some magic of your own by learning a few simple tricks with your kid that are sure to wow a crowd. There are excellent virtual magic classes to be found and a whole host of magic sets on the market that include all the materials and instructions you need to master the art of homegrown hocus pocus.
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Rachel Bowie
Royal family expert, a cappella alum, mom
Rachel Bowie is Senior Director of Special Projects & Royals at PureWow, where she covers parenting, fashion, wellness and money in addition to overseeing initiatives within...
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Stephanie Sengwe
Resident Hufflepuff, Beyonce historian, self-proclaimed tea sommelier
Steph is a native of Zimbabwe who is both enamored and genuinely baffled by the concept of silent letters. From 2020 to 2022, she served as Associate Editor at PureWow covering...
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