These easy Halloween activities for kids are low-prep, budget-friendly, and most importantly — they’re actually fun for your child (and easy for you!). They’re safe, simple, and perfect for short attention spans. We do # 1 and #2 every year. :) And if you need something to keep them busy while you gather supplies and set up, these free Halloween coloring pages print in seconds and buy you a quiet twenty minutes.
Everything linked here is hand-picked to save you a trip down the craft aisle. These are affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps keep the printables free.
Want to grab some supplies? Here’s my Halloween activity supplies list with everything you need for all eight.
1. Pumpkin Decorating
Instead of carving (which can be tricky and messy), let your child go crazy with Halloween stickers and/or paint on a little pumpkin.
Supplies:
- Small pumpkins (If you don’t want to run out and get a pumpkin, draw a large one on some white paper and let them decorate that!)
- Acrylic paint
- Paintbrushes
- Pumpkin decorating stickers (optional)
Instructions:
- Wipe the pumpkin clean.
- Set up some paint, brushes and stickers (if using).
- Let them decorate however they like!
- Display the “masterpiece” on your porch or dining table.
2. Halloween Water Bin
Hit the dollar store or Amazon or see what you already have on hand! Think cheap Halloween-themed toys or decorations that you can put in water (little plastic pumpkins, fake bugs, spider rings, fake eyeballs or googly eyes, etc.).
We always have some food coloring, googly eyes and these fake bugs on hand. That, mixed with some cups and spoons for pouring, and my youngest will play for a while!
Supplies:
- Storage container or large bowl
- Orange, green or purple food coloring (optional)
- Plastic or toy cup and spoon (for pouring/play – optional)
- Halloween-themed toys and accessories that can get wet (googly eyes and fake, plastic bugs work well)
The bin, googly eyes, plastic bugs, and spider rings are all in my Halloween activity supplies list if you want to grab them in one order.
Instructions:
- Lay a towel down. Fill a plastic container or large bowl with water and place it on the towel.
- Add a few drops of food coloring to the water, if you have it. (Choose any color you like but orange, purple and green are fun Halloween-themed colors.)
- Add the toys, cup and spoon. The cup and spoon are fun for them to use to pour and stir the water.
- Let them play! My toddler plays with her water bucket for a while! It’s always worth the setup, which is really easy.
3. Halloween Hide & Seek
Halloween hide-and-seek isn’t just fun—it’s secretly helping your child build important skills like problem solving and learning patience. It’s also a super easy activity for the parents too!
Supplies:
- Paper cutouts of Halloween shapes (above – just hold down or right click the image, save it to your phone or computer and then print it!)
- Markers or colors
Instructions:
- Cut out your shapes and make a list of them (for reference).
- Have your child color the shapes (optional).
- Pick a room to hide the shapes and have your child wait in a different one while you hide them. (For older kids, use the whole house to make it more challenging.)
- Give your kids a little bucket or basket to collect them all.
- If they’re really little and learning numbers and vocabulary, help them count the shapes and name them after finding them all. For older kids, you could attach a prize to one of the shapes. (Some prize ideas – a piece of candy, Halloween-themed pencils, erasers, a dollar bill, etc.).
4. Pumpkin Dot Art
A no-carve way to make silly (or spooky) jack-o’-lanterns.
Supplies:
- White paper
- Q-tip
- Acrylic paint – orange, black and green for a stem, if you have some
- Dot paint markers (optional, but if you have some, they can decorate the pumpkin with those)
Instructions:
- Draw the outline of a pumpkin on a white piece of paper.
- Have your child use a Q-tip (or something with a similar end, like a pencil eraser) to fill in the pumpkin with orange dots. This is the time to get creative! After they fill in the pumpkin, they can add a face with black paint (or any color they choose). For an even longer project, they can fill in the space around the pumpkin and decorate the background too.
5. Monster Paper Bag Puppets
Encourages creativity and storytelling with monster puppets.
Supplies:
- Paper lunch bag
- White paper – Head to pjsandpaint.com and grab one of her free printable Build-Your-Own Monster templates. This is what we did to make it much easier for my youngest child. You could also cut some shapes on your own to make the monster parts or print a few of my free Halloween coloring pages and cut out the monsters to glue onto the bags.
- Glue
- Markers or crayons
Instructions:
- Color the monster body parts on the template, or color your shape cutouts if making your own.
- Cut them out.
- Glue them onto the paper bag to create a monster puppet.
- Put on a mini puppet show together.
Looking for even more fun? Check out our list of 35+ activities that kids will actually love.
6. Ghost Balloon Toss
Have fun seeing how long you can get the ghost to “float” in the air!
Supplies:
- Balloons
- Black marker (a permanent marker is best because it stays on the balloon better than a washable marker, which can come off on your hands)
Instructions:
- Inflate balloons and draw ghost faces on them with the marker.
- Play toss or keep-it-up games to see how long you can help the ghost float before hitting the ground.
7. Scrap Paper Pumpkins and Ghosts
An easy activity that’s great for kids of all ages.
Supplies:
- Paper – Plain paper to draw the outline of the ghost and pumpkin, and construction paper for the pieces to decorate with. For example, you may want an orange sheet of construction paper for the pumpkin and a different color for the ghost. Get creative with the color depending on the kind of paper you have!
- Glue
- Scissors (If they’re too little to cut the paper, let them try to rip the pieces!)
- Marker
Instructions:
- Draw the outline of a ghost on one piece of white paper and the outline of a pumpkin on another. (As pictured above.)
- Either cut or tear the pieces of construction paper.
- Glue the scrap pieces of paper within the outline.
- Draw a face on the pumpkin and some eyes on the ghost.
8. Toilet Paper Roll Mummies
They’re perfect for little hands to make and double as adorable decorations. Younger kids may need the strips of paper made for them and they glue them on, but older kids can do the whole thing on their own.
Supplies:
- Empty toilet paper rolls
- White paper, toilet paper, tissue paper or paper towels
- Googly eyes
- Glue or tape
Instructions:
- Tear or cut strips of paper with whatever you’re using (white paper, tissue paper, paper towel).
- Glue the strips of paper unevenly onto the roll until it’s covered and looks like a mummy’s body.
- Glue googly eyes to finish.
Save a few extra rolls and you can make a Jack Skellington toilet paper roll craft too. There’s a free printable template for his face and bow tie.
FAQs
Most work for ages 2 to 8. The water bin and dot art are the easiest for toddlers, while the paper bag puppets and scrap paper crafts are better for preschoolers and up who can handle scissors.
Yes, and the balloon toss, dot art, and paper bag puppets scale best to a group. Prep the supplies into individual bags ahead of time and each kid grabs one.
The ghost balloon toss and Halloween hide and seek need almost no cleanup. If you want a craft with low mess, dot art beats painting since the markers don’t need water or brushes.
More Halloween Fun for Kids
Looking for more ways to keep them busy this October? Here’s what else we’ve got:
- Jack Skellington Toilet Paper Roll Craft – with a free printable template
- 20 Free Halloween Coloring Pages for Kids – print and go, no signup
- 20+ Cute and Easy Fall Crafts for Kids – for after Halloween wraps up
- Easy Halloween Dirt Cups for Kids – no bake, make them the night before
- 35+ Fun Indoor Activities for Kids – the rainy day backup
