At a glance
Popular Halloween activities for kids include pumpkin painting and no-carve decorating, treasure and scavenger hunts with riddle clues, crafts such as paper bats, lanterns and toilet-roll monsters, backyard games like pumpkin bowling, witch-hat ring toss and mummy wraps, and simple Halloween science experiments such as dissolving candy, 'bubbling cauldrons' with baking soda and vinegar, and glow-in-the-dark slime. Match activities to age and keep sharp tools for older children with adult supervision.
Halloween might be one night on the calendar, but for kids it's a whole season. With a few supplies and a little imagination, October can be full of crafts, games, mini adventures and experiments. Here are tested activities for every age.
Key takeaways
- Pumpkin painting and no-carve decorating are safer and more fun than carving for under-8s.
- A riddle treasure hunt turns the house or yard into an adventure.
- Backyard games: pumpkin bowling, witch-hat ring toss, mummy wrap and candy relays.
- Halloween science : bubbling cauldrons, candy experiments : sneaks in learning.
Pumpkin painting and no-carve decorating
Carving involves sharp tools, so for young children, decorating is a better (and less messy) choice.
Painting ideas
- Classic faces : happy, spooky or silly
- Monsters : one eye, three eyes, googly eyes glued on
- Characters : a pumpkin ladybug, owl or cat
- Patterns : polka dots, stripes, plaid
- Galaxy : black paint with white splatter stars
- Drip pumpkins : squeeze paint over the stem and let it run
No-paint options
- Stickers and washi tape
- Push-pin or golf-tee faces (older kids)
- Glow-in-the-dark markers
- Glued yarn hair and felt features
Use small pie pumpkins for little hands. Older kids ready to carve can read the Pumpkin Carving Masterclass; everyone can draw possible faces on paper first.
Treasure and scavenger hunts
Riddle hunt
Write rhyming clues that lead from one hiding spot to the next. For example:
- "Where we keep the milk so cold, look inside for something bold." (fridge)
- "I have a face but cannot smile, I tell the hours all the while." (clock)
- "Where you wash your hands and face, find the next clue in this place." (sink)
End with a "treasure chest" of treats or a small toy. For pre-readers, use picture clues.
Nature scavenger hunt
Give each child a list: a red leaf, an acorn, something spiky, a feather, a pinecone, something orange. Perfect for a walk or a pumpkin-patch trip.
Glow hunt
After dark, hide glow sticks around the yard and let kids collect them with buckets.
Crafts
- Paper bats : fold and tape them in a swarm.
- Toilet-roll monsters : paint tubes, add googly eyes and pipe-cleaner arms.
- Handprint spiders : black paint handprints become spiders with googly eyes.
- Paper-plate masks : cut eyes, paint and add a stick handle.
- Milk-jug ghosts : draw faces and add LED lights.
- Paper lanterns : draw a simple silhouette, cut and fold with adult help, then use a battery tea light; see DIY Halloween Decorations.
- Coffee-filter ghosts : drape filters over lollipops, tie with string, draw faces.
- Leaf monsters : glue googly eyes on autumn leaves.
More ideas in DIY Halloween Decorations.
Backyard games
| Game | How to play | Ages |
|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin bowling | Roll small pumpkins at plastic-bottle pins | 3+ |
| Witch-hat ring toss | Toss rings onto cone witch hats | 3+ |
| Mummy wrap | Wrap a teammate in toilet paper fastest | 4+ |
| Candy-corn relay | Carry candy corn on a spoon across the yard | 5+ |
| Pin the nose on the jack-o'-lantern | Blindfolded classic | 3+ |
| Ghost tag | "It" wears a ghost picture on a shirt, keeping the face uncovered | 5+ |
| Spider-web obstacle course | Crawl through yarn webs between trees | 4+ |
| Monster freeze dance | Freeze like a monster when music stops | 3+ |
Swipe or scroll sideways to see the whole table on a small screen.
Halloween science
Bubbling cauldron
Put baking soda in a small plastic cauldron, add a few drops of green food coloring and dish soap, then pour in vinegar. Foam bubbles over the top.
Candy experiments
- Drop colored candies in a ring on a plate and add warm water to watch the colors spread toward the middle.
- Test which candies sink or float.
- See which candy dissolves fastest in water, vinegar or oil.
Pumpkin volcano
Carve a mouth in a small pumpkin, place a cup inside, and use the baking soda and vinegar reaction to make it "erupt."
Ghost balloons
Put vinegar in a bottle and baking soda in a balloon with a ghost face drawn on. An adult stretches the balloon over the bottle and tips the baking soda in : the ghost inflates. Keep uninflated balloons and fragments away from children under eight.
Glow slime
Use an age-labeled ready-made slime or a supervised craft kit, following its directions. Avoid improvising mixtures of cleaning chemicals, contact-lens solutions and unlabeled glow paints. Keep the material out of mouths and wash hands afterward.
Activities by age
- Toddlers (1–3): painting tiny pumpkins, sticker pumpkins, sensory trays with large, age-rated toys that have no small detachable parts, short daytime trick-or-treat events.
- Preschool (3–5): picture-clue treasure hunts, handprint spiders, pumpkin bowling, monster cupcakes.
- School-age (6–9): riddle hunts, science experiments, mummy wrap, carving with help.
- Tweens (10–12): full carving, haunted-house building in the garage, Halloween baking, planning a party for younger siblings.
Classroom and group ideas
- Pumpkin math: measure circumference, count seeds, estimate weight.
- Halloween creative writing with story starters.
- A costume parade around the school.
- Reading The Legend of Sleepy Hollow or picture books about pumpkins and bats.
- A class pumpkin-patch field trip : see How to Plan the Perfect Family Pumpkin-Patch Day.
Keep it safe and fun
- Adults handle carving tools and hot glue; use craft products only as directed.
- Use washable paints and cover tables.
- Keep small items such as candy corn, dried beans, plastic spiders and googly eyes away from children under three; supervision does not remove a choking hazard. Follow CPSC age and toy guidance.
Pair these activities with movies, dinner and games from Family Halloween Night for a full day of Halloween fun.
Frequently asked questions
What can toddlers do for Halloween?
Toddlers can paint or add stickers to small pumpkins with close supervision, use large age-rated toys in a sensory tray, enjoy simple dress-up and visit short daytime events. Keep dried beans, small plastic spiders and other loose small parts out of toddler activities.
How do you do a Halloween treasure hunt?
Write five to ten rhyming clues that each lead to a location in your home or yard, where the next clue is hidden. End at a 'treasure' such as a bucket of treats or a small toy. Use pictures instead of words for pre-readers.
What are easy Halloween science experiments for kids?
Try a bubbling cauldron with baking soda, vinegar and food coloring; dissolving candy in water to see colors spread; a 'pumpkin volcano'; glow-in-the-dark slime; and ghost balloons inflated by a baking-soda reaction.
What's a good alternative to carving pumpkins for kids?
Painting with acrylic or washable paints, decorating with stickers or washi tape, pushing in thumbtacks or golf tees, using glow markers, or designing a face on a virtual pumpkin are all great no-carve options.