Plan for Spooky Fun All October Long with the Best Halloween Activities for All Ages
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Halloween means one thing in our book—fun, fun, and more fun. Technically, it might be one day, but we say pack your October calendar as full as you can. Need ideas? Scroll down for the best Halloween activities for all ages. Whether you are looking for things to do on Halloween with friends or rainy-day Halloween activities for the kiddos (see also, easy Halloween crafts for toddlers and Halloween crafts for kids), we’ve checked all the boxes.
You’ll find party activities, like traditional Halloween games, inspiration for a Halloween movie night, and, of course, all the classic family outings, like excursions to the local pumpkin patch and corn maze. And if your budget is tight, not to worry because there are plenty of things you can do for free, like swapping scary ghost stories or telling silly Halloween jokes.
Staying home? Head to the kitchen to conjure up some delicious Halloween treats. Or vie for the status of spookiest house on the block by crafting your own DIY Halloween decorations. The possibilities are endless, really. But the following Halloween activities are our absolute faves.
Make spooky food.
Scare up some easy Halloween appetizers for a casual gathering with friends or to add a little fun to a family dinner. May we suggest one of our most popular spooky recipes, Breadstick Rattlers?
Throw down some puns.
Claim your throne as the pumpkin, er, we mean pun king. Share silly Halloween puns and jokes with friends, family, and co-workers to get everyone howl-oween with laughter.
Be "that house with all the inflatables" in the neighborhood.
Every neighborhood has one—that house with not just one but a veritable tourist attraction of Halloween inflatables in the yard. Granted, this activity is not for everyone given the logistics of managing all those outdoor extension cords. But if you enjoy putting on a Clark Griswold-worthy lights display come Christmastime, then this one's for you.
Rock out to Halloween songs.
Whether you're singing them or queuing up a playlist, a rockin' lineup of Halloween songs will keep the party going all night long.
Enjoy Halloween in a small town.
Take a long weekend and savor the spooky side of Main Street USA. For ideas, check out our guide to the best small towns to visit for Halloween for haunted houses, food fairs, and more.
Go to a pumpkin patch.
Visit a pumpkin farm near you and pick up the perfect gourds to transform with the best pumpkin carving ideas.
Indulge in apple cider and donuts… in cake form.
Apple cider with donuts is a time-honored Halloween treat. Combine them in a cake and the result is wickedly good.
Get the recipe for Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake.
Gather 'round for a Halloween trivia night.
Which country currently holds the record for the largest pumpkin ever? Get the answer to this question and more in our roundup of fun Halloween trivia.
Create a Halloween Occasions Bin™
This fun idea is the brainchild of lifestyle blogger and mom Shakira Patterson who found that she often forgot to use the cute seasonal tabletop and kitchen items she had purchased. The solution? Stash them in an open bin on the counter. If you’d like to show off your creation, Patterson encourages you to tag her on social and use the hashtag #occasionsbin, where you can find thousands of bin ideas shared by her community.
Get the tutorial at Occasions by Shakira and see more at @occasions.byshakira.
Scope out the best decorations around town.
Weeks before the big night, the yard decorating begins. Plan an evening car ride for an October date before the 31st to scout out the most spooktacular displays in your city or town. Take a family vote to name the best.
Put a Halloween twist on a classic party game.
The name game is one of our favorite party activities to break the ice. Any age can play, and it's easy to give it a Halloween theme. Give each partygoer a sticky note emblazoned with a popular Halloween word, costume idea, or famous monster name and have them place it on their forehead. They'll have to ask other guests questions until they figure out what they are.
See more Halloween party game ideas for kids and adults.
Watch Halloween movies.
Spend a day, weekend, or even the whole month of October watching the spookiest, silliest, and best Halloween flicks.
Related: 59 Best Halloween Movies of All Time You Can Stream at Home
Swap scary stories.
If you're short on spooky story ideas, check out our collections of scary ghosts stories and not-too-terrifying tales for kids. Or read aloud from the best Halloween books for kids.
Dress up the dog.
Check out these awesome pet costumes and dog and owner costumes for ideas.
Make a pumpkin fairy house.
Little hands will love helping create this sweet little gourd cottage and keeping an eye out for the gnomes and fairies that are surely going to move in.
Get the tutorial for our pumpkin fairy house.
Go to a haunted house…
…if age-appropriate, of course.
Related: 27 Most Haunted Places in America
Play tree slab tic-tac-toe.
Ditch your devices the next time you head on a family camping trip and focus on the fun to be had in the world around you with this kid-friendly craft.
To make: Pick up a round wood slab and four leather strips. On the slab, form a grid (pictured at left) with the strips and secure each end with an upholstery tack. Once in the woods, gather two five-piece groupings of found objects such as small rocks and pine cones to use as game pieces.
Meander through a corn maze.
Fall visits to farms often include a trip through the corn maze and, for Halloween, lots of places offer "haunted" versions that take place after dark.
Throw a Halloween party.
Invited friends and family over and entertain them with fun Halloween party ideas to ensure an absolutely spooktacular time.
Creep everyone out with a bowl of lychee "eyeball" punch.
This fruity red punch will make your guests look twice.
Get the recipe for Tart Cherry Eyeball Punch.
Make leaf ghosts.
Spiff up your family dinner table with these DIY ghost leaves. Gather leaves, paint them white, and add two dots for eyes once fully dry. You can also glue them onto pumpkins for a no-carve decoration or string them together for a Halloween garland.
Play a game of squash ring toss.
Wrap washi tape around half a dozen small butternut squash, varying the colors and patterns on each. Line up squash and toss rings around necks to play.
Deck out your ride for a trunk-or-treat.
Across the country, trunk-or-treating has become a Halloween tradition, and the creative trunk-or-treat decorating ideas folks dream up never cease to amaze us. Check local calendars for one at a school or church parking lot near you.
Go apple picking.
It may not be 100 percent Halloween, but apple picking is a decidedly fall activity. Use your haul for bobbing for apples. Check with apple-picking farms and orchards near you for times before venturing out.
Go to a Halloween festival.
From California's Knott's Scary Farm (pictured) to the Chicago Botanic Garden's Night of 1,000 Jack-'o-lanterns to the Festival of the Dead in Salem, Massachusetts, fun is afoot at Halloween festivals across the country throughout October.
Check out the best Halloween festivals in the U.S.
Create a candy wreath.
You'll need the whole fam for this sweet craft—kids to curate the candy selection (they're the experts, right?!) and a grown-up to handle the glue gun. Cover a wreath form with treats, then finish it off with a colorful ribbon.
Build a Halloween book library.
Add best Halloween books for kids, from sweet to slightly spooky, to your child's bookshelf.
Go for a hayride.
This classic harvest pastime never goes out of style. Check to see if your local farm offers a haunted version.
Decoupage pumpkins.
Print out some cool vintage candy wrapper designs on paper, cut the paper into strips, and then use Mod Podge to adhere the strips to pumpkins. Opt for faux pumpkins so you can bring them out year after year.
Make witch slime.
This witch slime will keep your kids entertained through the whole month of October—not to mention it makes for excellent for sensory play for preschoolers exploring their sense of touch. Just pull it out (or make a new batch!) whenever you need to keep them busy.
Get the tutorial at Little Bins for Little Hands.
DIY your kids' Halloween costumes.
Sure, store-bought costumes are great, but a DIY Halloween costume, like this fanciful hot-air balloon ensemble, lets your kids' creative ideas come to life.
Get more easy DIY Halloween costume ideas for kids.
Whip up some sinfully sweet Halloween treats.
Candy is downright delicious, but there's nothing sweeter than baking some of these best Halloween treats together as a family.
Get the recipe for Marshmallow Ghost Brownies
Put on a stick puppet show.
Thanks to these easy DIY props (they're made with craft sticks!), swapping scary stories just got even more spooktacular.
Get the tutorial at Creative Family Fun.
"Spook" your neighbors.
This game will spark some "spooks" throughout the entire neighborhood! Stuff a few goodie baskets with yummy Halloween treats, leave them on your neighbors' front doors, and then direct them to do the same.
Get the tutorial at Tatertots and Jello.
Decorate the house.
Turn outdoor Halloween decorating into a family affair! Hang a wreath, string up lights, and assemble a display of pumpkins for an arresting, haunted entrance.
Bake a cake.
When the centerpiece of your Halloween party is our Towering Haunted House Cake, your friends will nominate you for the next season of Halloween Wars.
Get more Halloween cake recipes.
Bob for apples.
Bobbing for apples has been a longtime Halloween tradition. All you need is a clean tub, water, and—you guessed it—apples. (Bonus points if they are fresh from an apple-picking excursion!)
Roll a strike in mummy bowling.
Don't get too "wrapped up" in who's winning this spirited competition.
Get the tutorial at Giggles Galore.
Make tasty treats in mini cauldrons.
Popcorn or a puffy potion? It's almost impossible to tell with this delightfully eerie Halloween snack, which little ones will love helping with.
Get the recipe at Rainy Day Mum.
Paint zombie rocks.
Rocks rock! Collect a few smooth stones from the yard and encourage your kids to transform them with silly and scary faces.
Get the tutorial at Simple Everyday Mom.
Make a Halloween scavenger hunt.
Whether you play it outside or in, a scavenger hunt with funny clues is always a hit.
Get the tutorial at Sunny Day Family.
Try out a creepy-crawly hairdo.
Whether for her school's Halloween party, costume, or just for fun, give your daughter's hair a hauntingly cool makeover.
Get the tutorial at Simple As That.
Craft a vampire bookmark.
Sink your teeth into best Halloween books for kids, then mark the spot where you left off with a fantastically batty DIY bookmark.
Get the tutorial Easy Peasy and Fun.
Try your "hand" at crafting a ghostly banner.
Transform your kids' handprints into boo-tiful paper ghosts, which can instantly give a burlap banner or plain pumpkin a festive feel.
Get the tutorial at See Vanessa Craft.
Paint your pumpkins.
Try something new with your jack-o’-lanterns this year. Carving ideas for pumpkins are cool, but painting pumpkins for Halloween opens up a ton of creative possibilities.
Face off in a Halloween bingo game.
Host a game night and play this themed version of Bingo with festive candy corn markers!
Get the tutorial at Crazy Little Projects.
Make printable Halloween masks.
Let your little ones get creative with DIY Halloween masks or fill in the printables shown here.
Get the tutorial at It's Always Autumn.
Play a pumpkin toss game.
In search of a rainy day activity? Try this pumpkin toss game (but beware of candy thieves!).
Get the tutorial at Playground Park Bench.
Bake a batch of monster cookies.
Try these Gooey Monster Cookies as an alternative to regular sugar cookies.
Get the recipe at Lil' Luna.
Pin the spider on the web.
This game is super simple to make and play. See who can put the spider closest to the center of the web—no peeking!
Get the tutorial at Ella Claire.
Create Halloween paper lanterns.
Make multiples of this super simple lantern, add a battery-operated votive candle in each, and display along your sidewalk to light the way for trick-or-treaters.
Get the tutorial at The Crafting Chicks.
Set up a game a pumpkin golf.
Fore! The whole family can practice their putting prowess with this golf game.
Get the tutorial at Eighteen 25.
Play toilet paper mummies.
Pass out a few rolls of toilet paper to the kids and watch them get a kick out of wrapping each other up.
Get the tutorial at Gifts of Curiosity.
Go trick-or-treating.
We know, this one's obvious. But do you know why we trick-or-trick? One theory is that it evolved from an old All Souls' Day (November 2) tradition, when children would go door to door asking for "soul cakes," a treat similar to biscuits.
Related: How Old Is Too Old to Trick-or-treat
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