Looking for things to do this spooky season? We have some frighteningly good ideas for Halloween activities that you and your family will love!
Whether you've got toddlers in tow or you're a parent of teens, there's something in our Halloween ideas list for everyone. From baking to crafting, pumpkin patches to ghost walks, we'll help you to make the month magical – and create some fang-tastic family memories too!
Read on for 15 ways to have a skele-ton of fun this Halloween…
Halloween activities for the whole family
1. Have a monstrous kitchen disco
Whether you know all the moves to the Time Warp or the heaviest of metal is more your thing, there are killer Halloween tracks for every taste.
Why not make a playlist of the family's favourites and gather in the kitchen for a boogie? You could even buy a mini disco ball to get the party started with a light show!
Just don't tell the toddlers there's a Halloween version of Baby Shark…
2. Make your own pumpkin spice
It's the flavour that's everywhere at this time of year, but if you can't get enough pumpkin spice you can easily make your own at home. All you need is a few spices you may already have in your cupboards.
Add to the fun by recreating the kids' favourite coffee shop in the comfort of your living room. Your mini baristas will have a great time serving their own pumpkin spice lattes and babyccinos. Don't forget the marshmallows!
Find the pumpkin spice recipe, and plenty of ideas for how to use it, at Sally's Baking Addiction.
3. Decorate a pumpkin
Carving pumpkins is great fun (and we've got loads of pumpkin carving ideas to inspire your next jack o'lantern theme), but it can be really messy. For a fuss-free way to glam up your gourds without dealing with the pumpkin guts, try decorating the outsides instead.
Our no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas include drip painting, decoupage and washi tape – or you could even make them sparkle with eco-friendly glitter.
4. Make your own Halloween costumes
One of the best bits of Halloween prep is choosing your costume – so why not take it one step further and make your own this year?
Pick from our huge range of DIY Halloween costumes and have a family crafting day to create your own spooky outfits. Make sure you end it with a photoshoot of your new looks!
The costumes in our round-up are all easy to make, and many of them are no-sew, meaning even the smallest crafters can join in the fun.
Oh, and don't forget to dress up your furry family members in their own dog Halloween costumes too!
5. Visit a pumpkin patch
Pumpkin patches have become hugely popular in the last few years so there's a good chance there's one on a farm near you.
As well as offering the chance to pick your own pumpkin straight from the field (and take Insta-worthy photos of the family posing with it), many places include extra activities to turn your trip to the patch into a whole day out.
You might find barbecues serving burgers and hot dogs, pumpkin carving stations where you can create your masterpiece, bonfires for marshmallow toasting, and even fairground rides to give the kids a thrill.
Just make sure you book early, as the tickets sell out fast. And remember to bring wellies and puddle suits – it'll be muddy out there in the fields…
6. Watch a spooky movie
As the nights draw in there's nothing better than shutting the curtains and settling down on the sofa for a movie night. Check out your favourite streaming service for all the kid-friendly Halloween classics you remember – and a few you may not!
Before you press play on your chosen Halloween film, make a batch of Frankenstein Popcorn for everyone to dig into. Add colourful candy melts and edible eyes for an extra special spooky snack that's ready in minutes. Get the recipe from Sandhya's Kitchen.
Family fancy dress
Coordinate your outfits this year with our guide to the best group Halloween costumes.
7. Pick a bunch of apples
It's apple season, so make the most of this favourite fruit with apple-themed Halloween activities for kids and their grown-ups.
Take a trip to an orchard to pick your own (no scrumping from the neighbours, now!), or try a farmer's market for local, seasonal varieties.
You could use your pickings to make stamps for painting, or dry slices in the oven to make a wreath. We also love traditional apple bobbing games – can you get the apple out of the bowl of water without using your hands? Try this one with flour instead, if you dare!
Finally, of course, you could eat your apple harvest. Check out BBC Good Food's recipe collection for baking inspiration.
8. Hold a Halloween party
Whether it's just you and the kids or you're inviting a crowd, Halloween is a great excuse for a party. Everyone can get involved in the preparation – what will you eat, how will you decorate, what games will you play? – as you look forward to the big day.
We have loads of Halloween party ideas for kids to help you have a terrifyingly fun time.
9. Play in the leaves
Crunch, crunch, crunch… You're never too old for stomping in leaves!
Pull your wellies on and head out to your local park or community garden for a walk through the leaves. Take a tree identification guide (try this printout from Discover the Wild) to see how many varieties you can spot, and don't forget to bring your camera to capture those gorgeous autumn colours.
Then, when the kids are done kicking them, throwing them and burying themselves in them, bring a few special leaves home to use for arts and crafts.
10. Share scary stories
Some of the best Halloween activities for kids are the ones you remember doing yourself as a child. Can there be anyone who hasn't spent spooky evenings with friends, sharing ghost stories by torchlight?
Maybe you still remember some of those old tales off by heart, but if you prefer to have a book in front of you then a trip to the library (or your local bookshop) can be part of the fun.
The littlest ones will love the Meg and Mog series, The Pumpkin Who Was Afraid of the Dark or Room on the Broom; Scooby Doo is a timeless favourite for tweens; and for older teens and grownups you can't go wrong with Steven King!
11. Go trick or treating – or stay home!
It's the original Halloween activity, and a very hard one to beat. But if knocking on strangers' doors asking for sweets isn't for you, there are some fun alternatives you can try.
Why not create a scavenger hunt with creepy clues and a prize at the end? You could even keep it simple and just hide the treats around the house, no clues needed!
Or if it's all about the sweets (trust us, it probably is!), a Halloween pinata might be just what you need. Buy this ghost one from Hobbycraft or make your own.
12. Create a spine-chilling haunted house
Go all-out this year and turn your home into a haunted house. Decorating for Halloween is a great opportunity to be playful, silly and imaginative – all the things kids are brilliant at!
Whether you're rigging up a bat-infested hallway, summoning cheesecloth ghosts, or creating mischief with skeleton models, this is a devilishly fun Halloween activity that the whole family can enjoy.
Check out our haunted house ideas for goosebump-raising indoor decor, then get creative with outdoor Halloween decorations to perfectly set the scene.
13. Go on a spooky walk
The nights are drawing in and the clocks will soon be going back, so make the most of the dark evenings to go on a Halloween walk around your neighbourhood.
Take torches and flasks of hot chocolate, and look for the spookiest haunted houses on the street. Some towns create their own Halloween trails, so keep an eye on social media to discover where to see the best decorations.
Or why not look for a ghost tour near you? Many cities, castles and even prisons offer spooky walks around their most haunted locations. With eerie tales of mysterious phenomena, these spine-chilling nights out are a must for Halloween fans!
14. Do some creepy crafting
Have a homemade Halloween with spooky crafts to keep everyone entertained on rainy days. From junk modelling monsters to making salt dough keepsakes, mixing up magic potions to folding spooky origami, there's a craft you'll love whatever your age.
We have some great ideas for monstrous makes the family can create together in our round-up of Halloween crafts for kids.
15. Face painting
Take your Halloween costume to the next level with some fun face paint. Little kids will love being transformed into spooky skeletons and sparkly spiders – and they'll be delighted if their grown-ups join in too!
Even hard-to-please teens will be impressed with some of the looks you can create, and if they want to have a go themselves there are plenty of beginner tutorials to follow.
You don't have to be a pro face-painter, or a make-up artist, to get great results from even the most basic kit.
Check out some of our easy Halloween face paint ideas to get you started:
Create spooktacular art
Unleash your imagination with our Halloween art projects for kids and adults.
Halloween activities for spooky family fun
Make it a month to remember with our spook-tacular round-up of days out and things to do at home this autumn.
Whatever your kids' ages, and whatever their interests, Halloween activities are a great way to spend quality time together. Which one will you do first?
Boo! Get the party started with Gathered
For more family fun, host a Halloween party to remember with our round-up of the best Halloween party games for all ages.
