Halloween is one of the most exciting nights of the year for children, but not every child enjoys being properly scared. The good news is there's plenty of fun to be had at the friendly end of spooky. Here's a mix of easy activities at home and free online Halloween games to fill the build-up to 31 October.
Free online Halloween games
For a quick, cosy bit of Halloween fun on a tablet or computer, these two free games are made for children and play right in the browser, with no sign-up or downloads:
- Candy Catch: move a glowing jack-o'-lantern basket to catch falling sweets, and dodge the spiders. Simple enough for younger children, with a shop full of new baskets to unlock.
- Moonlight Broomstick: fly a witch through the moonlit night, switching lanes to avoid obstacles and collecting coins for new hats and brooms.
Like every game on the site, both were tested by real kids, my niece and my business partner’s child, before they went live.
You'll find them, and any new ones we add, on our Halloween games page.
Halloween activities at home
Sweet hunt
Like an Easter egg hunt, but spookier. Hide wrapped sweets around the house or garden and give each child a bucket or a carved-out orange "pumpkin". For extra fun, write simple riddle clues that lead from one hiding place to the next.
Pumpkin decorating (no knives needed)
Carving is best left to grown-ups, but children can decorate pumpkins with paint, stickers, felt-tip pens, glitter glue or even pieces of fruit and veg stuck on with cocktail sticks. A painted pumpkin lasts longer than a carved one, too.
Mummy wrap race
Split into teams. One person is the mummy, and the rest of the team wraps them in toilet roll as fast as they can. The first fully wrapped mummy wins. Cheap, silly and great for parties.
Spooky story circle
Turn off the big light, switch on a torch and take turns adding one sentence each to a Halloween story. Agree beforehand that it has to have a happy ending, which keeps it fun rather than frightening for younger ones.
Monster face biscuits
Plain biscuits, a little icing and some sweets for eyes and teeth are all you need. Children love designing their own monsters, and then eating them.
Keeping Halloween friendly for younger children
- Talk about costumes and decorations beforehand, so nothing comes as a shock.
- Let children choose how spooky they want things to be, and have a "not scary" option for every activity.
- If you go trick-or-treating, stick to houses with decorations out, as that's the traditional sign that visitors are welcome.
- Reflective strips or a glow stick on costumes help children be seen in the dark.
However you spend it, have a happy (and only slightly spooky) Halloween!
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