Easy Halloween Activities for Kids at Home

Easy Halloween Activities for Kids at Home: 15 DIY Ideas

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Looking for easy Halloween activities for kids at home that are fun, affordable, and simple enough to set up without a lot of preparation? Halloween is a great opportunity to turn everyday household supplies into creative crafts, games, and activities that children can enjoy at home.

You don’t need expensive decorations or complicated craft supplies. With paper, cardboard, crayons, glue, stickers, plastic cups, and a few Halloween-themed items, you can create plenty of entertaining activities for kids.

Below are 15 practical DIY Halloween activities you can make at home. Each idea includes the supplies you’ll need and simple steps to help you get started.

If you’re looking for more ways to keep children learning while having fun, check out our brain-boosting activities for kids for additional ideas you can do at home.

These easy Halloween activities for kids at home are designed to use simple materials you may already have around the house, making them practical for busy parents.

1. DIY Paper Plate Pumpkins

Paper plate pumpkins are one of the easiest Halloween crafts for young children.

What You Need

• Paper plates
• Orange paint or crayons
• Black construction paper
• Green paper
• Child-safe scissors
• Glue

How to Make It

1. Give each child a paper plate.
2. Let them paint or color the plate orange.
3. Cut two triangle shapes from black paper for the eyes.
4. Cut another triangle or simple shape for the nose.
5. Cut a spooky mouth from black paper.
6. Glue the facial features onto the plate.
7. Add a small green paper stem at the top.

Let the children create different expressions for their pumpkins.

2. Toilet Paper Roll Halloween Characters

Don’t throw away empty toilet paper rolls. They can become fun Halloween characters.

What You Need

• Empty toilet paper rolls
• Colored paper
• Glue
• Markers
• Child-safe scissors
• Googly eyes

How to Make It

1. Cover the toilet paper roll with colored paper.
2. Use orange paper to make a pumpkin.
3. Use black paper to make a cat or bat.
4. Add eyes and facial features.
5. Draw details with markers.
6. Let the characters dry before playing with them.

Children can create an entire collection of Halloween characters.

3. DIY Halloween Bingo

Turn Halloween into a simple family game with homemade bingo cards.

What You Need

• Paper
• Pencil or marker
• Crayons
• Small stickers or coins for markers

How to Make It

1. Draw a bingo grid on a piece of paper.
2. Fill the squares with Halloween pictures such as pumpkins, ghosts, bats, witches, candy, and spiders.
3. Make a second sheet containing the same pictures.
4. Cut the pictures apart.
5. Place them in a bowl.
6. Take turns drawing a picture.
7. Players cover the matching picture on their bingo card.
8. The first person to complete a row wins.

This is especially useful when you want a quiet indoor Halloween activity.

4. DIY Halloween Scavenger Hunt

A Halloween scavenger hunt can turn your home into an exciting adventure.

What You Need

• Paper
• Marker
• Small Halloween decorations or toys
• Small prizes, optional

How to Make It

1. Choose 8–10 safe places around your home.
2. Hide Halloween-themed objects in those locations.
3. Write simple clues for each hiding place.
4. Give the first clue to the children.
5. Let them follow each clue until they find the final item.
6. Add stickers or small prizes at the end if you want to make it more exciting.

For younger children, use pictures instead of written clues.

5. DIY Halloween Masks

Kids can make their own Halloween masks using paper plates or cardstock.

What You Need

• Cardstock or paper plates
• Crayons or washable markers
• Child-safe scissors
• Glue
• Yarn or craft sticks
• Decorative paper

How to Make It

1. Draw a simple mask shape.
2. Carefully cut out the mask.
3. Cut holes for the eyes.
4. Let the children decorate the mask.
5. Add ears, horns, whiskers, or other features.
6. Attach yarn or a craft stick so the mask can be held or worn.

Avoid small loose pieces if you’re making this activity for very young children.

6. DIY Halloween Sensory Bin

A Halloween sensory bin gives children something hands-on to explore.

What You Need

• A large plastic container
• Dry rice or pasta
• Plastic Halloween toys
• Measuring cups
• Spoons
• Small containers

How to Make It

1. Fill the container with dry rice or pasta.
2. Add large Halloween-themed objects.
3. Place measuring cups and spoons inside.
4. Let children scoop, pour, sort, and search for hidden objects.
5. Ask them to group objects by size, shape, or type.

Keep close supervision and choose age-appropriate materials, especially around toddlers.

Sensory play is also a great way to encourage hands-on learning. You may also enjoy our educational activities for kids at home for more simple ideas.

7. Paper Ghost Garland

Make a simple Halloween decoration while giving children a creative project.

What You Need

• White paper
• Black marker
• Scissors
• String
• Tape

How to Make It

1. Fold a sheet of white paper.
2. Draw a simple ghost shape.
3. Cut it out.
4. Draw eyes and a mouth.
5. Repeat with several sheets.
6. Attach the ghosts to a piece of string.
7. Hang the finished garland across a wall or doorway.

8. DIY Pumpkin Bowling

Turn plastic cups into a simple Halloween bowling game.

What You Need

• 6–10 plastic cups
• Orange paper
• Black marker
• Small soft ball

How to Make It

1. Draw pumpkin faces on orange paper.
2. Attach the paper to the cups.
3. Arrange the cups like bowling pins.
4. Give each child a soft ball.
5. Let them roll the ball toward the cups.
6. Count how many pumpkins they knock down.

You can turn it into a friendly competition for older children.

9. Halloween Paper Bag Puppets

Paper bag puppets can become both a craft and a storytelling activity.

What You Need

• Paper bags
• Colored paper
• Glue
• Markers
• Googly eyes

How to Make It

1. Choose a Halloween character.
2. Cover the paper bag with the appropriate colored paper.
3. Add eyes, ears, teeth, hair, or other features.
4. Draw additional details.
5. Let the puppets dry.
6. Encourage children to create a short Halloween story using their puppets.

10. DIY Spider Web Game

Create a simple indoor game using yarn.

What You Need

• Yarn
• Tape
• Small Halloween toys

How to Make It

1. Use yarn to create a web pattern across a safe area.
2. Secure the yarn with tape.
3. Place small Halloween objects around or behind the web.
4. Challenge children to move through the web without touching it.
5. Give them a point each time they successfully retrieve an object.

Make sure the playing area is clear of furniture or anything that could cause a fall.

11. Halloween Coloring Station

Create a dedicated Halloween coloring table for a quiet afternoon activity.

What You Need

• Halloween coloring pages
• Crayons
• Colored pencils
• Markers
• Stickers

How to Make It

1. Place the coloring pages on a table.
2. Arrange crayons and markers in small containers.
3. Add Halloween stickers.
4. Let children choose their favorite pages.
5. Display their finished artwork around the house.

You can also ask children to invent their own Halloween characters and draw them.

If your child enjoys creative activities, you can also try these fun learning activities for kids for a mix of creativity and early learning.

If you’re putting together a Halloween coloring station, a kids’ coloring and craft supply set can make it easier to keep all the basic supplies together.

12. DIY Halloween Memory Game

A homemade memory game is both entertaining and educational.

What You Need

• Cardstock
• Markers
• Scissors

How to Make It

1. Cut cardstock into equal-sized cards.
2. Draw pairs of Halloween pictures.
3. Make sure every picture has a matching pair.
4. Mix the cards and place them face down.
5. Players take turns turning over two cards.
6. If they match, the player keeps the pair.
7. The player with the most pairs at the end wins.

13. DIY Halloween Treasure Hunt

Create a treasure hunt using Halloween-themed objects or small surprises.

What You Need

• Paper
• Marker
• Halloween treats or small prizes
• Small containers

How to Make It

1. Choose a safe area for the treasure hunt.
2. Hide several objects.
3. Write simple clues.
4. Give the children the first clue.
5. Let each discovery lead them to the next clue.
6. Place the final prize at the last location.

For younger children, keep the clues very simple and use pictures.

14. DIY Halloween Pumpkin Decorating

You don’t always need to carve pumpkins to have a fun decorating activity.

What You Need

• Small pumpkins
• Washable markers
• Stickers
• Paper decorations
• Glue

How to Make It

1. Give each child a small pumpkin.
2. Let them choose a character or design.
3. Draw the face using washable markers.
4. Add stickers and paper decorations.
5. Display the finished pumpkins around your home.

This is a good alternative for families who want to avoid using carving tools with children.

For an easier mess-friendly setup, you can also use washable kids’ markers for decorating pumpkins instead of carving them.

15. DIY Halloween Obstacle Course

Turn ordinary household items into a Halloween-themed obstacle course.

What You Need

• Pillows
• Plastic cups
• Paper
• Tape
• Soft toys

How to Make It

1. Choose a safe open area.
2. Use pillows as stepping spots.
3. Arrange cups for children to walk around.
4. Place paper “spider webs” on the floor to jump over.
5. Add Halloween toys as collection items.
6. Create a simple starting and finishing point.
7. Time older children if they enjoy friendly competition.

Keep the course age-appropriate and remove anything that could create a tripping hazard.

How to Make Halloween Activities More Fun

You don’t have to make every activity complicated. The best Halloween activities for kids at home are often the ones that allow children to participate in making the activity themselves.

Try these simple ideas:

• Let children choose their own colors and designs.
• Turn crafts into games afterward.
• Use household materials before buying new supplies.
• Create a Halloween activity station where several crafts are available.
• Play Halloween music while crafting.
• Display finished crafts around the house.
• Invite siblings to work together on larger projects.

Create a Simple Halloween Activity Table

If you’re planning several activities, set up one dedicated table instead of spreading supplies throughout the house.

Place coloring pages, crayons, paper, glue, stickers, scissors, and other craft materials in separate containers. You can then rotate activities throughout the day.

For younger children, keep potentially hazardous supplies such as scissors and small decorative pieces out of reach when they aren’t being used.

Looking for more activities to enjoy together? Explore our parenting tips and activities for kids for more simple ideas for family time at home.

Final Thoughts on

You don’t need an expensive Halloween setup to keep children entertained at home. With a few basic supplies and some creativity, you can create easy Halloween activities for kids at home that combine crafting, movement, learning, and family time.

Start with two or three activities rather than trying to do everything at once. A paper plate pumpkin craft in the morning, a Halloween scavenger hunt in the afternoon, and a family bingo game in the evening can easily turn an ordinary day at home into a memorable Halloween celebration.