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.
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.
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, and everyone can design faces first in the free Pumpkin Carving Studio.
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 : print, cut, fold and glow with the Desk Lantern Designer.
- 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 sheet (with big eyeholes) | 5+ |
| Spider-web obstacle course | Crawl through yarn webs between trees | 4+ |
| Monster freeze dance | Freeze like a monster when music stops | 3+ |
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. Stretch the balloon over the bottle and tip the baking soda in : the ghost inflates.
Glow slime
Mix glue, a borax solution or contact-lens saline with baking soda, and glow-in-the-dark paint. Adult supervision needed.
Activities by age
- Toddlers (1–3): painting tiny pumpkins, sticker pumpkins, sensory bins of beans and plastic spiders, 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, hot glue and borax.
- Use washable paints and cover tables.
- Watch toddlers around small items like candy corn and googly eyes.
Pair these activities with movies, dinner and games from Family Halloween Night for a full day of Halloween fun.
Questions & answers
What can toddlers do for Halloween?
Toddlers enjoy painting small pumpkins, sticker pumpkins, sensory bins with dried beans and plastic spiders, simple dress-up, a pumpkin patch visit and short daytime trick-or-treat events.
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.