Halloween is one of those holidays that kids look forward to all year. Between the costumes, decorations, treats and just the right amount of spookiness, there's plenty to get excited about long before trick-or-treating begins.
And while heading door to door may be the main event, some of the best Halloween memories can happen at home. From family movie nights to crafts and baking, there are plenty of kid-friendly Halloween activities to make spooky season even more special.
Whether you're planning a full day of Halloween fun or looking for a few easy ways to keep the little ghosts and goblins entertained, here are some ideas the whole family can get in on.
Eight Kid-Friendly Halloween Activities to Try at Home
Have a Halloween Movie Marathon
Nothing says cozy Halloween quite like curling up on the couch for a movie night.
Let the kids pick a few age-appropriate Halloween favourites, then turn the living room into your own little theatre. Close the curtains, pile up the blankets and pillows, and make a bowl of popcorn for everyone to share.
For younger kids, look for movies that lean more silly than scary. Animated Halloween specials, friendly ghosts and not-so-frightening monsters can bring all the fun without causing any bedtime issues later.
Want to make the evening feel extra special? Have everyone change into Halloween pajamas before the opening credits. Cozy PJs are an important part of the movie-night dress code.
Set Up a Halloween Craft Table
Halloween and arts and crafts are a natural match. There are pumpkins, bats, ghosts, spiders and monsters to inspire just about every kind of creation imaginable.
Set out construction paper, washable paint, crayons, glue, googly eyes and any other craft supplies you already have around the house. Then let everyone create their own Halloween masterpiece.
A few easy ideas include paper plate pumpkins, handprint ghosts, construction paper bats and toilet paper roll monsters. Older kids can design Halloween garlands or create decorations for their bedroom doors.
There doesn't have to be a perfect finished product. Half the fun is seeing what kids come up with when their imaginations take over.
Decorate Pumpkins Without Carving
Pumpkin carving is a Halloween classic, but kids and knives aren't a good combination.
For younger kids, skip the carving and turn pumpkin decorating into an arts and crafts activity instead. Paint funny faces, add stickers, attach googly eyes or use washable markers to create colourful designs.
Kids can even choose a theme for their pumpkin. Think favourite animals, storybook characters, silly monsters or the most ridiculous face they can dream up.
As a bonus, uncarved pumpkins tend to last longer, so you can keep everyone's creations on display throughout the Halloween season.
Bake Some Halloween Treats
When the weather gets cooler, spending an afternoon in the kitchen starts sounding pretty good. Add a Halloween theme, and you have an activity and snack rolled into one.
Keep things simple with sugar cookies cut into pumpkins, ghosts or bats. Kids can help decorate them with icing and sprinkles once they've cooled.
Cupcakes are another easy option. A little orange icing can transform an ordinary batch into pumpkins, while chocolate cookies, candy eyes or pretzels can help create all kinds of spooky creatures.
You can also make healthier treats part of the fun. Try banana ghosts with chocolate-chip faces, apple slices decorated like monster mouths or clementines with little celery stems to turn them into miniature pumpkins.
Plan a Halloween Scavenger Hunt
Turn your home or backyard into a Halloween adventure with a scavenger hunt.
Hide small treats, stickers or Halloween-themed surprises around the house, then create clues to lead kids from one spot to the next. For younger children, picture clues can make the game easier to follow.
You can also skip hiding prizes altogether and create a Halloween spotting challenge during a neighbourhood walk. Ask kids to look for things like five pumpkins, three ghosts, a giant spider, an orange front door or the funniest Halloween decoration they can find.
It's an easy way to get outside and burn off a little energy before the evening festivities begin.
Put on a Costume Parade
Why should a Halloween costume only get a few hours in the spotlight?
Invite everyone to put on their costumes early and hold a family costume parade through the house or backyard. Kids can introduce their characters, practise their best superhero poses or invent a signature monster walk.
If you have more than one child participating, skip choosing a single winner and hand out playful awards instead. Categories like "Silliest Costume," "Best Twirl," "Most Dramatic Entrance" or "Funniest Monster Noise" mean everyone gets their moment.
Don't forget to take plenty of photos. Costume pictures are always fun to look back on once those tiny superheroes, witches and dinosaurs aren't quite so tiny anymore.
Get Moving With Halloween Games
A few familiar games can easily get a Halloween makeover.
Try a round of "Freeze Dance" with a Halloween playlist or play "Simon Says" with spooky instructions like waddling like a zombie, flying like a bat or creeping like a cat.
You can also create a pumpkin bowling game using empty plastic bottles and a small ball, or organize a mummy-wrapping challenge with rolls of toilet paper.
The simpler the setup, the better. Halloween activities don't need to be elaborate to get plenty of laughs.
Wind Down With a Spooky Story
After the costumes, crafts and treats, finish the day with something a little quieter.
Pick out a few Halloween picture books or kid-friendly spooky stories and gather everyone together for storytime. Turn down the lights, grab a cozy blanket, and use a flashlight for just enough of a spooky atmosphere.
Older kids might enjoy inventing their own Halloween story together. Have one person start with a sentence, then take turns adding to the tale until you've created one very strange family ghost story.
Make Halloween Fun Your Own
There's no right way to celebrate Halloween. Some families go all out with costumes and decorations, while others happily spend the evening watching movies in pajamas with a bowl of popcorn nearby.
The best kid-friendly Halloween activities are the ones that work for your family.
Pick a few favourites, keep things simple and leave plenty of room for kids to add their own ideas.
After all, Halloween only comes around once a year. You might as well make it a little silly, a little spooky and a whole lot of fun.
