10 Harmless Halloween Tricks and Pranks for Kids
Give your kids a spooktacular Halloween with these harmless tricks and pranks. These easy ideas are perfect for adding a bit of Halloween fun and games without being too scary. Try them for your next Halloween party or gathering. These harmless pranks for kids are sure to get you in the spooky spirit!
You've Been Booed Halloween Trick
This harmless prank gets the whole neighborhood in the mood for a boo-filled Halloween. Fill a small basket with candy treats and cut a paper ghost door hanger with the word Boo! on it. Place it on a neighbor's porch in secret and knock on the door. To craft the door hanger, trace a paper ghost, then cut a hole in the center for the doorknob. Add eyes and a note to tell the person that they've been "Boo-ed," and they have one week to pass the trick (and a new treat!) onto someone else.
Make a Giant Spider Web
Make giant spider webs out of stretched cotton balls or braided yard and drape them around your yard and home. To turn this classic decoration into a spooky prank, place the webs in unexpected areas overnight to shock and delight your family on Halloween morning.
Bug-Infused Ice Cube Trick
Freeze gummy worms or bug-shape candy into classic ice cube trays for a funny prank and spooky-sweet drink surprise. Place one candy in each cube, then fill the ice cube tray with water as usual. Once the water freezes, pop out the ice cubes and add them to any drink. Our favorite? Halloween-theme punch.
Editor's Tip: Don't worry if the candy spills over the tray edge. It just adds to the scary effect of this Halloween prank.
Spooky Halloween Food Guessing Game
Turn your child's spooky food favorites into a funny Halloween guessing game. Blindfold your kid, bring out an assortment of dishes, and tell them to guess what "body part" they're feeling Our favorite trick ideas? Cook spaghetti noodles and place in a bowl to disguise them as "brains." Peeled grapes make "eyeballs," pretzels are "fingers," and halved almonds are "fingernails." Another classic: halved hard-boiled eggs are "eyeball sockets."
Halloween Candy Jar Guessing Game
This is one of our favorite Halloween pranks for kids. Fill a glass jar with Halloween candy, then let your kids try to guess how many pieces are in the jar. To turn this classic guessing game into a trick, place different-sizes gumballs into the jar to make it more difficult to estimate. Keep small ones on the outside and large ones on the inside—they'll be stumped!
Hidden Skeleton in the Yard
Add creepy Halloween curb appeal by placing skeletons in surprising places. If you want to spook someone special, place a friendly-looking skeleton outside their window or in a tree. These creative decorations can also surprise and delight trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood.
Cast a Ghostly Silhouette
Create spooky shadows by adding small silhouette cutouts to the insides of lampshades all over the house. Cut witch shapes from black construction paper, then tape to the inside of any lampshade. When someone turns on the light, they will be shocked by the shadows that magically appear.
Editor's Tip: To prevent discoloring on the shade, use a low-watt bulb so the paper silhouettes don't overheat, and don't leave the lamp on for long periods of time.
Drive Your Family Batty
This harmless prank helps Halloween spirit take flight. Lightly tape the bats all around your home in unexpected places. Dim the lights and let jack-o'-lanterns glow to set a moody vibe.
Editor's Tip: If you want to create an illusion that these paper bats are taking flight, attach them to crafts wire or string, then hang.
Floating Entryway Ghosts
Once the kids go to bed, hang a flock of ghoulish ghosts in the entry to spook the crew come morning. All you need is inexpensive cheesecloth pieces, fishing line, and a few basic tools. Add felt faces to put a whimsical finishing touch on the trick.
Candy Wreath
Who can resist trying to get to the candy in this sweet Halloween wreath? No kid we know! Plan to prank the kids with glued-in-place boxes, and then surprise them with a scavenger hunt to find the hidden stash of goodies.
