The Best Halloween Activities for Kids

Author: Kristian Klebofski Published: 09/18/2025 Updated: 09/18/2025

The best Halloween activities for kids are the ones you’ll actually want to do again and again. From bubbling science fun to not-so-spooky Halloween crafts for kids, these simple ideas make October feel like the sweetest kind of holiday magic.

A collage of 8 Halloween activity photos surround the perimeter of the image with text in the center that reads, "50+ Halloween Activities for Kids"

How to keep it simple with the best Halloween activities for kids

October has this built-in excitement that no other month really matches.

Costumes are being planned, kids’ imaginations are on overdrive, and every store smells like pumpkin spice.

Leaning into that buzz with simple, hands-on Halloween activities just makes sense.

It’s the season where everything feels a little extra fun, and kids are already primed to play.

These Halloween activities for kids are easy, do-able, and fun

One of my favorite parts about Halloween activities is that they don’t need to be complicated to be a hit.

Most of these ideas use things you already have tucked away at home or in your classroom.

Grab some paint, paper, tape, maybe some googly eyes or a bag of rice, and you’re ready to roll.

A min cauldron is full of shimmery purple water, and being held over a big cauldron with the same shimmery water. There are plastic Halloween eyeballs floating in the water in one of the best Halloween activities for kids.

Witch’s Brew Sensory Play

Witch’s brew looks, feels, and honestly just is magical. We love making shimmery water all year long, but it’s extra fabulous in cauldrons at Halloween time.

See on Friends Art Lab

A piece of Halloween-themed art. There is a cauldron with colorful spirals and googly eyes. Behind the art piece is a container of pom poms and one of googly eyes.

Witch’s Cauldron Halloween Craft

It’s got drawing, cutting, collage, and a whole lot of witchy fun! My favorite part is how no two look the same.

See on Friends Art Lab

A person cutting along tracing lines of a ghost. There are three layers to the ghost and they're each a different color: lime green, orange, and fuchsia.

Halloween Cutting and Tracing Pages

This set of cutting and tracing pages was the first one we introduced and it took off! They’re low-ink, fun, and of course, free.

See on Friends Art Lab

A child standing at a large poster on the wall. There are Halloween-themed images drawn on the poster and the child is matching post-it's with the same images, onto the poster.

Halloween Matching Game

Busy Toddler couldn’t have a bad kids’ activity if she tried. This ADORABLE Halloween matching game uses simple supplies and keeps kids moving and learning.

See on Busy Toddler

A hand holding two construction paper ghosts. The ghost are made with white paint, silly eye stickers, and sharpie drawn mouths and is one of the best Halloween activities for kids.

Blow Paint Ghosts

Would you believe that we made these with paint and a…straw?! It’s true! Kids LOVE making these (and honestly, so do the adults).

See on Friends Art Lab

Five paper ghosts colored and decorated with markers. Each ghost is sitting on top of a plastic straw.

Halloween Straw Rockets

Kids go crazy for straw rockets, and this Halloween twist is pure fun (which is no surprise because Kristina of Toddler Approved is a genius).

See on Toddler Approved

This photo is split into nine squares, each with a progression photo of Frankenstein being painted with green and black paint.

Frankenstein Art

It’s like a directed drawing…but it’s a directed painting! Kids walk through making a Frankenstein step-by-step and they’re the cutest.

See on Friends Art Lab

A piece of white paper cut into the shape of a pumpkin. There are blue, red, and yellow paint dots place at the top of the pumpkin. A squeegee is being used to pull the paint across the white paper, to create a unique design.

Halloween Squeegee Art

If you need me, you can find me making some of these myself as soon as I finish this post. These are easy, GORGEOUS, and loaded with fine motor fun.

See on Toddler Approved

A sensory bin filled with orange colored rice. There is black dyed bow pasta, mini cauldrons, and purple toy tweezers to use as grabbers.

Black Bat Sensory Bin

A CLASSIC. Rice and bowtie pasta are a dream team with this Halloween sensory bin. Plus, you make it once and then can keep and reuse it for years.

See on Pre-K Pages

Three sets of hands playing in a Halloween sensory bin. There is black and orange colored pasta pieces, little plastic skeletons, mini erasers, tiny pumpkin buckets, and ping pong eye balls.

Halloween Sensory Bin with Dried Pasta

Speaking of dyed sensory bins, any shape pasta and some coloring makes for the cutest Halloween sensory bins. It’s easier than you might think, too!

See on Friends Art Lab

A pumpkin that has been carved to be a jack-o-lantern is sitting in a white tray. There is green foam sizzling out of its mouth.

Fizzy Pumpkin Science

I can’t think of a single kid that I know or have taught that wouldn’t absolutely go crazy for this. So, so, so fun.

See on Happy Toddler Playtime

A child playing outside at a table, with green, orange, and purple play dough. The child has used the play dough, as well as pipe cleaners to make a spider.

Spider Play Dough

Play dough and pipe cleaners are another Halloween dynamic duo! We also added in some extras for more fun, but this surely can be as simple as you’d like.

See on Friends Art Lab

A wooden tray is filled with black sand and mini pumpkin erasers. There are three letter cards for writing practice, and the erasers have been placed to make an uppercase E.

Halloween Writing Tray

Writing trays are always a “YES, PLEASE!” and this spooky spin is precious. Don’t miss the witchy finger for writing (brilliant!).

See on Play to Learn Preschool

A child is putting silly eye stickers on a black and purple haunted house, made from stamps and one of the best Halloween activities for kids.

Haunted House Art

Have a set of foam blocks? Dip them in some paint and print on paper for fully-customizable Halloween haunted houses. Plus, how fun are those eyeball stickers?

See on Friends Art Lab

Children are putting their hands in a sensory bin filled with Insta-Snow. The snow is fuchsia, orange, and mint green. The children are scooping the snow with mini cauldrons, while playing with ping pong eyeballs, plastic skeletons, and mini erasers.

Halloween Insta-Snow Sensory Bin

Insta-Snow is traditionally used with plain water and puffs up white…but if you add a splash of coloring, you’ll get colored Insta-Snow and this magical setup.

See on Friends Art Lab

The image shows three play dough monsters. Each one is a different color (orange, pink, and purple), and they have googly eyes, buttons, cut plastic straws, and pieces of paper to decorate them.

Playdough Monsters

I love making play dough monsters, and these with the buttons, beads, and straws take it to the next level.

See on Taming Little Monsters

A split images shows a little girl playing in an oobleck sensory bin. The oobleck is green and has mini erasers, plastic skeletons, spider rings, and silicone molds.

Halloween Oobleck Sensory Bin

No holiday is complete over here without oobleck! Toss in any of your favorite Halloween trinkets for not-so-spooky fun.

See on Friends Art Lab

A group of seven kids are dressed in Halloween costumes and sitting on the ground outside. They are all sitting around a giant Halloween coloring poster, using markers to fill in the images.

Halloween Giant Coloring Poster

Perfect for home, school, indoors, outdoors, and kids (+ adults!) of all ages, a giant Halloween coloring poster is our FAVORITE Halloween activity ever!

See on Friends Art Lab

A young girl is standing at a wall, coloring on a large piece of paper that is taped to the wall. The paper if filled with Halloween stickers and they're being circled.

Halloween I-Spy

If you have a collection of stickers and need new, exciting ways to use them…this is IT!

See on Busy Toddler

An orange plastic tray has many mini cauldrons in it. A child is using a dropper to add a liquid to the cauldron and purple and gold foam is fizzing from the cauldron and into the tray.

Fizzing Cauldrons Halloween Science

You know those mini cauldrons that pop in stores during Halloween? Well, add some baking soda and vinegar to them and you have magical, erupting cauldron fun!

See on Friends Art Lab

A small eye mask made to look like a pumpkin. It is painted orange, with a green stem. It's triangle eyes are outlined with black buttons, and there are gold gems scattered around the pumpkin.

DIY Halloween Masks

Simple supplies are all you need to make these festive and fully-customizable Halloween masks.

See on Happy Toddler Playtime

A paper with three blow painting monsters on it. They're purple, orange, and green, with sticker googly eyes, and sharpie drawn mouths, spikes, tentacles, and legs.

Monster Blow Painting

Eye stickers are one of the loves of my life, and they make these monster blow paintings come to life.

See on Friends Art Lab

A sliding glass door with four Halloween-themed sun catchers on it. There is an orange jack-o-lantern, a green and black spider, a purple bat, and a white ghost.

Halloween Suncatchers

Tissue paper is one of the art supplies that feels like it lasts forever, and these suncatchers are the perfect way to use some up.

See on Happy Toddler Playtime

Two pieces of black paper with bats on them. There is a bat shaped stencil and a box of chalk. The chalk was used to color around the outside of the stencil, to leave negative space on the paper, revealing a bat for one of the best Halloween activities for kids.

Chalk Bat Halloween Art

Make a bat…without making a bat. The free bat outline makes these adorable chalk bat pictures one for the books.

See on Friends Art Lab

Two hand-shaped ice cubes in a purple tray. Droppers are being used to put watercolors on the hands, and they're melting into the tray.

Frozen Halloween Hands Science

Turn a disposable glove, baking soda, and vinegar into super silly Halloween science! I love that these can be prepped ahead of time and pulled out at a moment’s notice.

See on Friends Art Lab

A black piece of paper has a skeleton on it, made from cut q-tips. The head is made from white paper, with sharpie used to draw the face.

Q-Tip Skeleton

Is it even Halloween if you don’t make a Q-Tip skeleton? These are adorable and kids LOVE making these.

See on The Best Ideas for Kids

There are four Halloween-themed art pieces. A skeleton, Frankenstein, a witch, and a haunted house. Each piece is bright and happy, and done with marker.

Halloween Coloring Pages

Our printable, hand-drawn coloring pages are the perfect addition to any and all of your Halloween fun!

See on Friends Art Lab

A little girl is leaning over a large white paper on the floor. The paper has a squiggly line and a zig zag line drawn across it. The girl is lining up plastic spiders and scorpions along the lines.

Halloween Toy Parade

The fine-motor and spatial awareness happening here is off-the-Halloween-charts! Plus, there are endless variations that you could try.

See on Busy Toddler

A round baking sheet is covered in orange paint, with a jack-o-lantern drawn on it by a finger. A white piece of paper was pressed onto the baking sheet to transfer the jack-o-lantern onto the paper. A stump and vine were drawn on the paper with marker, to complete the image.

Jack-o-Lantern Printmaking

Turn a pizza pan (or a pie dish) into the cutest jack-o-lantern that anyone ever did see. The only “hard” thing about this project is stopping at 100.

See on Friends Art Lab

A green gelatin shaped hand, filled with ping pong eye balls, is in a clear bowl. A child is seen poking and picking at the hand.

Spooky Gelatin Hands

Gooey, spooky, Halloween hands that wiggle and jiggle? YES, PLEASE!

See on Fun at Home with Kids

Green frosting dough in smashed on a purple mat, in the shape of a circle. There are black and purple sprinkles, as well as eyeball sprinkles, pressed into the dough.

Halloween Frosting Dough

Halloween frosting dough needs only a can of pre-made frosting and powdered sugar. That’s it! It comes together quickly, easily, and it’s even taste-safe, too.

See on Friends Art Lab

A blue splat monster is made on a white piece of paper that has been folded in half. The face is made from green and purple muffin papers, googly eyes, and triangle papers for teeth.

Paint Splat Monsters

I am OBSESSED with these. Full stop.

See on Happy Toddler Playtime

An orange tray is filled with moon sand and Halloween sprinkles. A set of small hands have scooped the moon stand up and pressed it into a big ball.

Halloween Moon Sand

Moon sand? Amazing.

Moon sand with Halloween sprinkles? UHHHMAZING.

See on Friends Art Lab

A large pile of cooked spaghetti, separated into three colors: orange, green, and purple.

Halloween Sensory Spaghetti

These slippery, colorful spaghetti noodles are irresistible. These tossed into a sensory bin with some simple supplies is hours of fun.

See on Friends Art Lab

White skull and cross bone pieces are laid out on a baking sheet. A child is using a straw to drop liquid on them, and they are foaming and coming apart.

Fizzy Bones Science

Make-ahead baking soda activities are the real hero. And, oh my goodness, these little skeleton shapes are just too fun!

See on Taming Little Monsters

A completed art piece displays a purple cat with a candy corn nose. The painting is made with oil pastels and watercolor paints and is one of the best Halloween activities for kids.

Halloween Directed Draw

“Not-So-Spooky Cat” was one of my very first directed drawing tutorials, and it remains one of our favorite tutorials ever (plus, it’s free!).

See on Friends Art Lab

Four sets of popsicle sticks are made into star designs. Yarn is twisting around the popsicle sticks to made a spider web design.

Spider Web Craft

These bring me back to my own childhood! Popsicle sticks and yarn make for totally adorable, 3-D spider webs.

See on Buggy and Buddy

A little girl is standing behind three glasses, each with different colors in them: purple, orange, and green.

Halloween Lava Lamp Science

You have to try this one at least once! Oil, water, coloring, and alka seltzer tablets make these Halloween lava lamps a Halloween classic.

See on Friends Art Lab

A little girl standing at a table, stacking black and white beads onto a wooden skewer, that is stuck into a piece of styrofoam.

Halloween Bead Towers

I set this type of activity up for many seasons and holidays in the preschool classroom and it never stopped being a smash hit.

See on Play to Learn Preschool

A little girl sitting at a table with five paper witch hats. The little girl is putting dot stickers onto the witch hats.

Sticker Witch Hats Activity

This was one of, if not the, most popular Halloween blog post last year! Free witch hat templates are easy for tracing and cutting hats, then decorate with any of your favorite stickers.

See on Friends Art Lab

This images shows two dice: one a red dice with numbers on it, and another with Halloween clipart. There are papers with the Halloween images, scattered on a table, and a hand pulling the same papers out of a cauldron.

Halloween Potions Math Game

We love a game with a printable dice! This math game will have your little learners locked in on the fun.

See on Taming Little Monsters

There are two squeeze bottles filled with sand. A large one with orange sand, and a smaller one with black sand. Each one has been used to make a zig zag pattern on asphalt.

Drawing with Colored Sand

This kind of reminds of me rangoli art! If you don’t have colored sand, you can also easily make some with salt and a splash of coloring.

See on Buggy and Buddy

A plastic bin is filled with orange colored water. There are four clear plastic cups, each with a different pumpkin face drawn on them.

Halloween Water Table

These is one of those I-can’t-believe-these-are-so-easy-to-make activities that kids will play with days and days and days in a row.

See on Friends Art Lab

There are three bottles filled with water and craft supplies. One has different colors and sizes of pom poms. Ones has pearler beads and a skeleton. The last one has a bunch of glitter.

Halloween Sensory Bottles

Imagine the possibilities with these Halloween sensory bottles! The combinations are limitless.

See on Fireflies and Mud Pies

The images shows fluffy orange slime. Half of it is spread across the image, while the rest of it is made into the shape of a pumpkin. The pumpkin is decorated to look like a jack-o-lantern.

Fluffy Pumpkin Slime

This slime looks amazing! This recipe includes shaving cream to make it extra fluffy and extra awesome.

See on The Best Ideas for Kids

A child is standing over a black tray, filled with white colored ice cubes. The ice cubes have googly eyes frozen inside of them. The child is using a dropper filled with warm water to melt the ice cubes.

Ghost Ice

These were a hoot! White paint, water, and googly eyes make for such a fun Halloween science project that is a breeze to prep and set up.

See on Friends Art Lab

A white pumpkin is covered in wax, dripped on top of it from melted crayons.

Melted Crayon Pumpkin

We make these every couple of years, and have since 2013. These are GORGEOUS, and no matter how many times you make them, you will want to make more.

See on The Best Ideas for Kids

A plastic bin has a spider in it, made from pipe cleaners and a colored baking soda mixture. There is vinegar in the bottom of the bin, which is making the baking soda mixture fizz.

Magic Foaming Spiders

This is so good that I will 110% be making these later this week with some of my favorite kids. My jaw is on the floor!

See on Fun at Home with Kids

A sensory bin is filled with water, plastic bones, ping pong eyeballs, and silicone muffin liners. Little hands are scooping the toys up into their hands.

Halloween Water Play

You know all the little Halloween trinkets that you find at the Dollar Tree or the dollar spot in Target. Toss them in water, and *poof* – Halloween water play!

See on Friends Art Lab

There are three pieces of black paper, covered in paint. One white, orange, and yellow. Designs are drawn into the paint using circle cutters and plastic forks.

Flip the Painting

Printmaking is one of the loves of my life, and this Halloween spin is perfection. Kids will want to make 1,000 of these.

See on Fantastic Fun and Learning

A little girl is holding a white bin. In the bottom of the bin is a white piece of paper with black, orange, and teal paint dripped onto it. There are also mini pumpkins in the bin, that are spreading the paint on the paper, when the bin is tilted and moved side to side.

Mini Pumpkin Roll and Paint

One of the sweetest Halloween activities, and perfect for young learners as well as older ones, too.

See on Happy Toddler Playtime

Learning with the best Halloween activities for kids

While kids are coloring, stirring, scooping, and creating, they’re practicing real skills.

Here’s just a peek at what’s happening behind the scenes:

Fine motor skills: All that cutting, gluing, painting, and scooping strengthens little hand muscles, which sets kids up for writing, tying shoes, and all the everyday things that take dexterity.
Cause and effect: Mixing ingredients into a “potion,” pouring water, or building something that might topple teaches kids how their actions change what happens next.
Creativity and imagination: Whether it’s inventing a story about a silly ghost or deciding that their pumpkin must have rainbow polka dots, kids are flexing their imagination in big ways.
Problem solving: Activities naturally bring little challenges (What happens when the vinegar mixed with the baking soada?” or “How can we melt the ghost ice?”), and kids get to practice figuring things out on their own.
Sensory exploration: Digging into bins of pasta, dough, or slime isn’t just fun — it helps kids learn through touch, smell, sight, and sound.
Social skills: When kids do these activities together, they practice sharing supplies, waiting turns, and celebrating each other’s creations.

The best Halloween activities are packed with learning, just as this entire list is!

Sensory play shines in the best Halloween activities for kids

So many of these activities are sensory-based, and that’s no accident.

Kids love the chance to dig, scoop, squish, and explore, especially when it’s tied to a theme they’re excited about.

Sensory play helps with regulation, builds curiosity, and keeps kids engaged for a long, long time.

Halloween is basically the perfect excuse to bring out all the squishy, bubbly, slimy fun.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much time do these activities take?

That’s the beauty of them – you can spend ten minutes or stretch them out for an hour, depending on your kids’ attention span and your day.

Are these good for preschoolers?

Absolutely. Preschoolers thrive with hands-on, sensory-rich play, and Halloween is a perfect way to make that happen.

Can older kids enjoy these too?

Yes! While many activities are geared toward younger kids, older siblings usually (often) (almost always) love joining in.

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