40 Fun Halloween Activities For Kids
October is an exciting month for kids and families who love celebrating spooky season. From visits to the pumpkin patch to delicious holiday treats, there is plenty of fun to be had all month long. If you or your little one are especially big fans of Halloween, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve compiled forty of our favorite Halloween activities for kids all in one place. Ready to make the most of fall?
Table of Contents
- Halloween crafts for toddlers
- Outdoor Halloween activities for toddlers
- Easy Halloween baking ideas for kids
- Halloween party activities for kids
Halloween crafts for toddlers
- Pumpkin carving. If you’re looking for Halloween craft ideas for kids this classic activity is a must-do.
- Pumpkin painting. This is one of our favorite Halloween activities for toddlers because it’s a lot safer and way less messy than pumpkin carving.
- Halloween sensory bin. Sensory bins with a spooky twist (think cobwebs and spiders) are a fun way to celebrate the season.
- Paper plate pumpkins. This is a quick and easy craft, making it one of our favorite Halloween activities for toddlers.
- Spooky spider craft. Black pom-poms, a few decorations and pipe cleaners are all you need for this spider craft.
- DIY Halloween costumes. Get your kids involved in creating their costumes.
- Halloween fizzing cauldron. A little vinegar, some baking soda, and food coloring are all you need to make your witches brew.
- Animal headband. This is one of our favorite Halloween craft ideas for kids because it can double as costume prep! Pop some ears made out of paper or craft pipe cleaners on a headband and voila you have an animal headband.
- Candy bag prep. We love Halloween activities for kids that pull double duty. Keep your little ones busy and prep for trick-or-treaters with a candy bag activity.
- Ghost garland. A string, a few tissues, some cotton balls and a black marker are all you need to create a ghost garland decoration to celebrate spooky season.
- Decorate your trick-or-treat baskets. Give your children’s trick-or-treat baskets or pillowcases, add festive flair with some fun decorations.
Outdoor Halloween activities for toddlers
- Pumpkin patch visit. Nothing says fall like a trip to the pumpkin patch. Be sure to bring some cozy layers along for your outdoor adventure.
- Haunted hayride. A festive hayride that’s not too spooky is one of our favorite Halloween activities for toddlers.
- Scavenger hunt. Set up a scavenger hunt in your backyard with a few fall items or spooky treats.
- Trick or treating. We couldn’t make a list of Halloween activities for toddlers without mentioning trick or treating. This quintessential Halloween activity is a must.
- Costume parade. If your child isn’t too interested in trick-or-treating, a costume parade is a great option. These are perfect for younger kids and a great way to meet other families in your neighborhood.
- Decorate your front yard. Get ready for trick-or-treaters together by decorating your front yard for the season.
- Go apple picking. If the pumpkin patch isn’t your thing, search for a local apple orchard to visit. Find a recipe you can try out when you get home to use up some of your harvest haul.
- Halloween obstacle course. Get creative with a spooky obstacle course. We love active Halloween activities for toddlers.
- Bonfire night. Enjoy the great outdoors beside the warmth of a bonfire. Roast some marshmallows and tell a few scary stories.
- Visit a farmer’s market. A visit to the farmer’s market is another one of our favorite Halloween activities for toddlers because it’s a great way to start to teach them about the fall harvest season.
- Stage a spooky photoshoot. Make some memories with a spooky photoshoot. Get your little ones involved in the planning. This is one of our favorite Halloween activities for kids because you’ll be able to look back on the memories for years to come.
Easy Halloween baking ideas for kids
- Kid-friendly pumpkin spice ‘latte’. Mix warm milk, a pinch of cinnamon, a hint of brown sugar, and a dash of pumpkin puree for a cozy, festive drink.
- Halloween candy bark. Melt some chocolate and let your little ones decorate the bark with sprinkles and candy.
- Mini Halloween cupcakes. Bake some mini cupcakes and let your kids decorate with icing and sprinkles.
- Haunted gingerbread house. Who says you can only decorate a gingerbread house at Christmas?
- Spooky sugar cookies. Get some spooky cookie cutters, bake some sugar cookies and let your little ones go to town decorating.
- Apple cider. Nothing says cozy, fall weekend like a comforting cup of apple cider.
- Mummy pizzas. Looking for a savory treat? Make mini pizzas and let your children build theirs with strips of mozzarella cheese and olives for eyes.
- Chocolate apples. Apples and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Get your little ones help with decorating and enjoy together!
- Candied apples. Candied apples are another great option if you’re not a chocolate lover.
- Roasted pumpkin seeds. Finished with your pumpkin carving? Be sure to save the seeds to roast. They make a delicious and healthy snack.
- Mummy rice krispie treats. Use white chocolate and candy eyeballs to turn your rice krispie treats into spooky mummies.
Halloween party activities for kids
- Apple bobbing. It wouldn’t be a Halloween party without a little apple bobbing.
- Witch hat ring toss. Set up a few witch hats for a spooky twist on the game of ring toss.
- Mummy sack race. Let their imaginations run wild (literally) with a mummy sack race.
- Costume competition. Host a costume competition with a few different categories like best spooky costume and best animal costume.
- Pumpkin bean bag toss. Carve a hole in a large pumpkin and have a Halloween-themed bean bag toss.
- Pumpkin bowling. This is one of our favorite Halloween activities for kids because it’s so easy to set up. Decorate a stack of toilet paper rolls to be your ghost bowling pins and use a pumpkin as your bowling ball.
- Mini pumpkin tic tac toe. Set up a game of Tic Tac Toe with white and orange mini pumpkins.
- Candy jar guessing game. Have your guests guess how many pieces of candy are in a jar. The person with the closest guess at the end of the party gets to take the candy jar home.
- Ghost in the graveyard. This classic Halloween game is easy to play. Select a player to be the ‘ghost’ for the first round and send them off to hide. After they find their hiding spot, the other players can start searching for the ghost. Once someone has found the ghost, they scream ‘Ghost in the graveyard!’. The ghost then tries to tag as many players as they can before they reach the safety of home base.
- Spooky movie night. There are plenty of Halloween movies your older children can enjoy that won’t keep them up at night. Try Hocus Pocus or The Nightmare Before Christmas.
- Movie trivia. When your spooky movie night is done, play a game of trivia with some questions about the movies you just watched together.
- Pin the spider on the web. We love this spooky twist on Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
- Spooky charades. Play a Halloween-themed game of charades.
- Face painting. Up the ante on your guests’ costumes with some face painting.
We hope this list of Halloween activities for kids has inspired you to make this a fun and festive spooky season for the whole family!
Frequently Asked Questions
With so many fun Halloween activities for kids to choose from, parents often forget that their little ones might not know much about the holiday or why it exists in the first place. The most important thing to keep in mind when teaching your kids about Halloween is to keep it age appropriate. Some of the themes and concepts behind the origins of the holiday can be too scary for younger children so keep it light and focus on how the holiday is celebrated today. You can even share a little bit with your children about Halloween traditions from around the world and ways to celebrate the holiday. You can also show them old photos of how you celebrated growing up. Finally, consider familiarizing your children with the fall harvest season. This is a less spooky topic that children of all ages can learn about and a great way to give your kids an appreciation of where their food comes from.
The origins of Halloween date back to an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain. Historians believe this tradition began about 2,000 years ago and was first celebrated in the area that is now Ireland, northern France and the United Kingdom. November 1st marked the New Year in Celtic culture as well as the end of summer and the beginning of the harvest season. The Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the world of the living and the dead broke down and ghosts could return to earth. They also believed that priests and druids’ powers were amplified on the night of the 31st so bonfires were held to appease the deities. The Celts would often attend these bonfires in costumes, which is believed to be where the costume traditions we have today originated from.
If your fall schedule is jam packed with Halloween activities for kids, you probably have a few parties coming up. You might be wondering what to bring along to these events. Here are a few things we recommend to make sure your little one has a great time:
Costumes aren’t always the most comfortable, especially for younger children. There’s a good chance that your little one might become too warm, too cold or just generally uncomfortable in their costume. Bring along a few extra layers and options to change into, so your child doesn’t become fussy and can enjoy the celebrations to the fullest.
It’s always a good idea to arrive with a small gift for the host. Contributing a holiday treat is a great option.
If your child’s costume involves make-up or face paint, you may want to bring some supplies for quick touch-ups in case anything gets smudged or ruined.
Offering your child a healthy snack and some water ahead of the party is also a great idea. This can help ensure they don’t fill up on treats and end up with a stomach ache.
Many parents are eager to make their children’s first holidays as special as possible. As you hunt for fun Halloween activities for kids, however, it’s important to remember that it can be an overwhelming holiday for many babies. Here are a few things to keep in mind to make it a memorable and enjoyable day for everyone:
If you want to dress your baby up, make sure it’s a comfortable costume that won’t cause too much fuss. Snap a few photos so you can look back on the memories, but don’t force your little one to stay in their costume for too long if they’re giving you signs that they’re uncomfortable.
Trick-or-treating might be a little tricky (no pun intended) for younger babies, so try a costume parade instead. Many neighborhoods organize these for younger children and they tend to be short and sweet.
Don’t stress yourself out! There will be plenty more Halloweens to come if the first one doesn’t go as planned.
If you’re looking for Halloween activities for toddlers, here are five of the most popular ways to celebrate the holiday:
Carve a pumpkin
Go trick or treating
Partake in a costume parade
Visit a pumpkin patch
Go on a haunted hayride
