Here at Woo! Jr. we are all about making Halloween a month-long celebration! Here are 20 Halloween activity ideas for families to make your holiday extra spooktacular this year!
This was originally shared in 2020, but we’ve updated it to make it more relevant for today. Original post: Halloween may look a little different for you this year. With the CDC’s recent release of their guidelines for the season, many of your traditional Halloween activities may feel uncertain right now. We at Woo! Jr. LOVE Halloween and don’t want your kiddos to miss out on making it a spectacular holiday. So we have pivoted and have created this list FILLED with 20 Halloween activity ideas to make 2020 one to remember with awesome activities so that your family can celebrate safely!
With a little creativity you can make your Halloween a fabulous one to remember without putting your health or the health of others at risk. Here are some safer alternatives to making this Halloween a spooktacular one.
20 Halloween Activity Ideas for Families
Go All Out Decorating – Make an extra effort to decorate this year, creating a wonderfully wicked celebration space in your home. Here are some links for ideas you could work on with the kids throughout the month in preparation for Halloween.
Haunting Halloween Scavenger Hunt – Here are three fun ones to print right now.
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Virtual Halloween Costume Contest – Host a costume contest with grandparents or other non-parent family member judges. Get the whole family involved, even those members across the country! Create fun costume categories so that everyone wins!
Host a Pumpkin Carving/Painting Contest – This is an activity that can be done virtually or even as a neighborhood event. You can Download 100+ of our PDF pumpkin stencils all at once right here! Consider prize categories like these:
- Most original jack o’ lantern
- Spookiest
- Cutest
- Grossest
- Funniest
- Best character
Hide and Seek Candy Find – Hide candy around the house or in the backyard. Set a timer and let your kids go!
“Boo” Friends and Neighbors – This is such a festive way to spread some Halloween cheer. Print out these fun signs to put with your Halloween gifts. Remember to be sneaky when you’re leaving it on their doorstep…the mystery is part of the fun! If you’re unfamiliar with this fun tradition, check out this great article by Indy with Kids on “How to ‘Boo’ Someone This Halloween.”
More Halloween Fun:
Halloween Countdown Calendar – This is seriously one of our FAVORITE all time Halloween kids crafts EVER! We are totally in love with this Halloween countdown calendar! First of all it’s fairly easy and affordable to make. You just need card stock and a color printer. It includes creating 31 folded paper ornaments that can be used to hold treats, decorate a Halloween tree or garland…it’s a versatile craft that you can run wild with!
20 Halloween Activity Ideas for Families
Make Caramel (or Candy) Apples – It’s a favorite fall treat so be sure to make a batch during your countdown to Halloween. Here’s a super simple caramel apple recipe using store bought caramel candies.
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Have a Monster Movie Marathon – Here’s a list of the 55 Best Halloween Movies to Watch All October Long via Country Living
Create a Spooky Entrance to Your Home – Turn your front door/porch or yard into a haunted house entrance. This is such a great family activity, and your kiddos will love being a part of “spookifying” your home!
Halloween Balloon Pop Countdown – Your entire family will have a blast with this frightfully fun countdown! All you need are Halloween balloons (Amazon has a fun Halloween balloon party pack.) Each balloon has an activity inside. You can spread out this activity throughout the day. Just pop the balloon throughout the day to find the mystery activity and have a ghastly blast! Here are some printable activities that you can use and a blank
Play a Halloween Game – Need some ideas, check out these:
Halloween Photo Shoot – Get creative with your backdrop. Dress up in costume, paint faces, play music and have fun! Here are an awesome set of 35+ printable Halloween photo props that will help capture so many great shots!
“Thriller” Dance Party – Create your own family Halloween play list. Incorporate a monster freeze dance or play musical chairs. Here is a great Halloween party playlist of top Halloween songs to make all the ghouls dance (via International Business Times).
Halloween Craft – You can find Halloween crafts galore at every craft and hobby store this time of year. This glitter and glue spider web craft is simple and will NOT disappoint. Or this clay witch’s finger is another creepy crafty project that will engage your kids in some fun creative time.
Engage the Whole Family
Make a Spooky Snack – Pinterest is FILLED with Halloween recipes and supernatural treats to eat. Here are some fun ones for you.
Go for a Halloween Drive – I have a feeling that especially this year, there will be so many scary Halloween scenes to be seen. Brew up some hot apple cider, pop some corn and load up the family for a Halloween road trip to see all the spooky sights. This could be a great walking opportunity too.
Have a Bonfire, Roast Marshmallows and Make Halloween S’mores – Have you seen the Halloween Peeps? There are ghosts, spooky cats, monsters and pumpkins. Check out how Cupcake Diaries turn these marshmallow treats into ooey, gooey goodness Halloween S’mores.
Organize a Thrilling Treasure Hunt – Hide a treasure (candy, a prize or other Halloween goodie) somewhere in your home or outdoors. Create clues that will ultimately lead to finding the treasure. Send the kids on a hunt of discovery. Check out this fun one created by The Housewife Modern – Halloween Treasure Hunt (FREE printable with 24 clues plus blanks).
Spooky Sensory Lab – Fill bowls or containers with mystery items like peeled grapes, pudding, jello, and other uniquely textured objects. Turn off the lights or use blindfolds to make it challenging. Tell your kids what’s in each bowl: zombie eyes, mud, monster brains, etc. There are lots of ideas for fillings in this Halloween Mystery Box Game from the Spruce.
There is no doubt that by sprinkling some or all of these ideas throughout October will result in you making your Halloween 2020 one to remember. Who knows, it may be your best one yet!
Looking for more inspiration? Check out our archives of Halloween crafts, activities and MORE!
