15+ Creative Halloween Activities for Kids to Try

Halloween activities for kids are the perfect way to spark creativity, laughter, and learning during the spooky season. From pumpkin crafts and silly games to classroom projects and outdoor fun, these ideas help children explore the magic of Halloween through play. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, or caregiver, each activity promises smiles, teamwork, and lasting memories for every little ghost and goblin.

15+ Halloween activities for kids

Get ready for some spooky fun! These Halloween activities for kids are packed with creativity, laughter, and hands-on play that make the season truly magical.

1. Classic pumpkin carving & painting

This is the quintessential Halloween activity. Older kids can enjoy designing and carving spooky faces with supervision, while younger children can have just as much fun painting their pumpkins with no sharp tools required.

Materials needed:

• Pumpkins (one per child).
• Carving kit (for older kids) or washable, non-toxic paint and brushes (for younger kids).
• Use a newspaper or a plastic tablecloth to protect your work surface.
• Bowl for pumpkin seeds.
• Markers to draw designs.
• Optional: Glitter, stickers, and other decorations.

Instructions:

• Lay down a newspaper to cover your workspace.
• For carving: An adult should cut a lid on the top of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and pulp.
• Kids can draw a face or design on the pumpkin with a marker.
• With adult supervision, older kids can use the carving tools to cut out the design.
• For painting: Let younger kids paint faces, patterns, or scenes directly onto their pumpkins. Add glitter or stickers before the paint dries for extra flair.
• Place a battery-operated candle inside the carved pumpkins to make them glow.

2. Spooky spider web craft

This simple craft uses basic supplies to create a cool-looking spider web that kids can hang up as a decoration. It’s great for developing fine motor skills.

Materials needed:

• Paper plates
• Hole punch
• White yarn or string
• Tape
• Plastic spider rings or black pom-poms for spiders

Instructions:

• Use the hole punch to make holes evenly around the edge of the paper plate.
• Cut a long piece of yarn. Tape one end to the back of the plate.
• Have the child weave the yarn back and forth through the holes, crossing the plate to create a web pattern.
• Once the web is complete, tie off the yarn and tape the end to the back.
• Attach a plastic spider to the web to finish the look.

3. Lollipop ghosts

This is a quick, easy, and classic Halloween craft that doubles as a sweet treat. These are perfect for classroom parties or to hand out to trick-or-treaters.

Materials needed:

• Round lollipops (like Tootsie Pops or Blow Pops)
• Tissues or white fabric squares
• Small rubber bands or orange/black ribbon
• Black marker

Instructions:

• Drape two tissues over the top of a lollipop.
• Pinch the tissues at the base of the lollipop head to form the ghost’s shape.
• Secure the tissues in place by tying a small ribbon or wrapping a rubber band around the “neck.”
• Use a black marker to draw two simple dots for eyes on the ghost’s head.

4. Mummy wrap race

Get the kids moving with this hilarious and fast-paced party game. Teams will race against each other to see who can wrap their “mummy” the fastest.

Materials needed: Several rolls of toilet paper

Instructions:

• Divide the kids into small teams of two or three.
• One person on each team is designated as the “mummy.”
• On “Go!”, the other team members must wrap their mummy from head to toe (leaving the face clear for breathing) with toilet paper.
• The first team to completely use their roll of toilet paper and have their mummy wrapped wins!

5. Spooky slime station

Kids love slime, and a Halloween-themed batch is even better. Use colors like green, orange, or purple and add fun mix-ins like plastic spiders, googly eyes, or glitter.

Materials needed:

• White school glue (e.g., Elmer’s)
• Saline solution (must contain boric acid)
• Baking soda
• Water
• Food coloring (green, purple, orange)
• Glitter
• Halloween mix-ins (plastic spiders, googly eyes, etc.)

Instructions:

• In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup of glue with 1/2 cup of water.
• Add a few drops of your chosen food coloring and mix well.
• Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
• Slowly add 1 tablespoon of saline solution, stirring continuously. The mixture will begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
• Knead the slime with your hands until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Fold in your spooky mix-ins like glitter and spiders.

6. Halloween cookie decorating

Bake a batch of simple sugar cookies in Halloween shapes like pumpkins, ghosts, and cats. The real fun is letting the kids go wild with frosting and sprinkles.

Materials needed:

• Sugar cookie dough (store-bought or homemade)
• Halloween-themed cookie cutters
• Icing in various colors (orange, black, white, green)
• Sprinkles, candy eyes, and other edible decorations

Instructions:

• Prepare the sugar cookies according to the recipe or package directions, using the Halloween cookie cutters.
• Let the cookies cool completely.
• Set up a decorating station with small bowls of different colored icing and various sprinkles.
• Give each child a few cookies on a plate and let their creativity run wild as they decorate.

7. Ghost bowling

This is a fun and easy-to-set-up game that can be played indoors or outdoors. It’s a great way to reuse toilet paper rolls or plastic bottles.

Materials needed:

• 10 empty toilet paper rolls or white plastic cups/bottles
• Black marker
• A small pumpkin or a ball

Instructions:

• Use the black marker to draw ghost faces on each toilet paper roll or cup.
• Stack the “ghosts” in a pyramid formation, just like bowling pins.
• Have the kids take turns rolling the small pumpkin or ball to see how many ghosts they can knock down.

8. Q-Tip skeletons

This craft is a fun, non-spooky way to create a Halloween classic. It’s also a sneaky anatomy lesson as kids piece together their skeletons.

Materials needed:

• Black construction paper
• Q-tips
• White school glue
• Scissors
• A white paper or a cotton ball for the head

Instructions:

• Cut out a small skull shape from white paper or use a cotton ball for the skeleton’s head and glue it onto the black paper.
• Cut some of the Q-tips in half to create smaller bones for areas like the ribs, hands, and feet.
• Use full Q-tips for the spine, arms, and legs.
• Arrange and glue the Q-tips onto the black paper to form a skeleton.

9. Monster paper bag puppets

Encourage imaginative play by having kids create their own monster puppets. After they’re done, they can put on a spooky puppet show.

Materials needed:

• Paper lunch bags
• Construction paper in various colors
• Googly eyes
• Markers, crayons, or paint
• Glue stick
• Scissors
• Optional: yarn, pom-poms, pipe cleaners

Instructions:

• Give each child a paper bag to be the body of their monster.
• Provide a variety of craft supplies and let them design their monster. They can cut out shapes for horns, teeth, and spots from construction paper.
• Use markers to draw mouths and other features.
• Glue on googly eyes, yarn for hair, and pipe cleaners for antennae.
• Let the puppets dry, and then it’s showtime!

10. Erupting pumpkin volcano

This science experiment is a huge hit with kids and a perfect use for a pumpkin after you’ve scooped it out. The fizzy reaction is a thrilling Halloween surprise.

Materials needed:

• A small, hollowed-out pumpkin
• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Dish soap
• Optional: Orange or red food coloring

Instructions:

• Place the hollowed-out pumpkin on a tray or take it outside to contain the mess.
• Add a few generous scoops of baking soda into the bottom of the pumpkin.
• Squeeze in a good squirt of dish soap and a few drops of food coloring.
• When you’re ready for the eruption, pour vinegar into the pumpkin and watch the foamy “lava” erupt over the sides!

11. Halloween sensory bin

A sensory bin is fantastic for toddlers and preschoolers. Create a Halloween version with different textures for them to explore safely.

Materials needed:

• A large, shallow plastic bin
• A filler base (e.g., dyed rice or pasta, corn kernels, black beans)
• Halloween-themed items (plastic spiders, mini pumpkins, googly eyes, skeleton bones, cauldrons)
• Scoops, tongs, and small bowls

Instructions:

• Fill the bin with your chosen base material.
• Mix in the spooky Halloween items.
• Add scoops and tongs to encourage scooping, pouring, and sorting.
• Let your child explore the different textures and objects in the bin (always with supervision).

12. Salt Dough Ghost Ornaments

Create adorable ghost ornaments that you can hang around the house or on a Halloween tree. They harden into a ceramic-like material that can be kept for years.

Materials needed:

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup of salt
• 1/2 cup of water
• Rolling pin
• Ghost-shaped cookie cutter (or use a knife to cut shapes)
• A straw
• Black puffy paint or a marker

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C).
• In a bowl, mix the flour and salt. Gradually add the water and knead until a smooth dough forms.
• Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness.
• Use a cookie cutter to cut out ghost shapes.
• Use a straw to poke a hole at the top of each ghost for hanging.
• Place the ghosts on a baking sheet and bake for 2 hours, or until hard.
• Let them cool completely. Once cool, use puffy paint or a marker to draw on eyes and a mouth.

13. Spooky story flashlight circle

Set a spooky (but not too scary) mood with this simple activity. It’s a great way to wind down an evening or a party.

Materials needed:

• A flashlight
• A dark or dimly lit room
• Age-appropriate spooky stories or an active imagination

Instructions:

• Gather the kids in a circle on the floor.
• Turn off the lights and turn on the flashlight.
• The person holding the flashlight holds it under their chin and starts telling a spooky story.
• You can either have one designated storyteller or pass the flashlight around the circle, with each child adding a new sentence to the story.

14. Apple stamping pumpkins

This is a simple painting craft that’s perfect for little hands. The shape of a halved apple creates the perfect pumpkin print.

Materials needed:

• Apples
• Orange and green paint
• Paper plates for the paint
• Paper
• A knife (for adult use only)

Instructions:

• An adult should carefully cut the apples in half.
• Pour some orange paint onto a paper plate.
• Show the child how to dip the flat side of the apple half into the paint and press it onto the paper to make a pumpkin shape.
• Repeat to make a whole pumpkin patch.
• Use a finger or a small paintbrush with green paint to add stems and vines to the pumpkins.

15. Monster rice krispie treats

Turn a simple, beloved treat into a monstrously fun activity. Kids will love creating their own colorful and goofy-eyed monsters.

Materials needed:

• Prepared Rice Krispie treats (homemade or store-bought sheets)
• Canned frosting or melted candy melts in various colors
• Candy eyeballs
• Sprinkles

Instructions:

• Cut the Rice Krispie treats into squares or rectangles.
• Let the kids spread colored frosting or dip the treats into the melted candy melts.
• Before the frosting sets, have them add sprinkles and different combinations of candy eyeballs to create silly or spooky monster faces.
• Let the treats set on wax paper before enjoying.

16. Outdoor ghost hunt

Take a scavenger hunt to the next level with a spooky nighttime twist. This is an exciting way to explore the backyard after dark.

Materials needed:

• White paper or tissue paper
• String
• Black marker
• Flashlights

Instructions:

• Before the activity, create several simple “ghosts” by bunching up paper and drawing a face on it.
• Use a string to hang these ghosts from tree branches, bushes, and playground equipment around your yard.
• When it gets dark, give each child a flashlight.
• Tell them the yard is “haunted” and they need to find all the hidden ghosts. The first one to find a certain number of ghosts wins a small prize.

For more ideas, check out our post on Halloween STEM Activities for Kids.

FAQs

1. What are fun Halloween games for kids?

Halloween games are a great way to get kids moving and laughing together. Fun options include the Mummy Wrap Race, where teams wrap a friend in toilet paper, and Ghost Bowling using paper rolls and a small pumpkin. For nighttime fun, an Outdoor Ghost Hunt with flashlights is always a favorite. These simple games bring energy, excitement, and unforgettable Halloween memories.

2. What are some Halloween activities for preschoolers?

Preschoolers enjoy simple and hands-on Halloween fun that encourages creativity and sensory play. Great options include pumpkin painting, Halloween sensory bins, and spooky slime stations. They can also try apple stamping pumpkins or monster paper bag puppets, which are perfect for little hands to craft, explore, and imagine without any spooky scares.

Final thoughts

Halloween is the perfect time to spark creativity and joy through playful learning. With these fun and easy Halloween activities for kids, you can fill the season with laughter, imagination, and memorable moments. Whether children are crafting, playing games, or exploring spooky science experiments, each activity helps them celebrate Halloween in a safe, engaging, and unforgettable way.