The 45 Best Halloween Crafts for Kids in 2022
Maybe you have a family-friendly Halloween party in the works, or perhaps you’re just trying to placate your very excited kid. (You know, the one who started throwing out costume ideas and waxing poetic about past trick-or-treating excursions back in May.) Whatever the case may be, if you want to have some solid, age-appropriate and spooktacular crafts for kids up your sleeve, we’ve got you covered.
35 Halloween Activities for Kids Ranging from Cutesy to Spooky
1. Wooden Spoon Bat Craft
One Little Project
This spoonful of Halloween spirit can be accomplished with the help of even the youngest Pre-K kid and the supplies are inexpensive and easy to find, so the stakes are especially low. Work with your child to dress up a wooden spoon with a little paint (always a hit) and construction paper for a spooky transformation that can serve as festive hanging decor, or simply as a toy your tot will love flying around the house with.
2. Halloween Garland
Ikat Bag
It doesn’t get much easier than this construction paper craft, in which little kids do the work of arranging pre-cut scraps of paper to assemble shapes for a garland. Part puzzle, part art project—this kid-friendly activity encourages tots to use their problem-solving skills while creating a fun decoration.
3. Hanging Paper Plate Skeleton
Mom Endeavors
Older kids will have an easier time constructing this creepy hanging skeleton since the cutting requires a degree of precision most preschoolers can’t muster. (Unless you’re okay with a more abstract aesthetic, that is). Still, the fun and engaging process is an ideal way to occupy your grade-schooler—and with nothing more than a hole punch, a stack of paper plates, scissors, and some string.
4. Halloween Handprint Art
The Best Ideas for Kids
Who knew a tiny hand could be transformed into a spooky spider or ghastly ghost? The novelty of being permitted to paint one’s own body part is enough to please any young one, but unlike a typical finger painting activity, this kid-friendly craft results in a piece of art that looks so polished you’ll actually want to keep it. Take your little one by the hand and try this one out—you’ll both be impressed.
5. Hanging Bat Party Favors
Skip to My Lou
These snazzy and oh-so cute toilet paper tube bats are a breeze for even the youngest kids to make, thanks to a free printable template for the wings and feet. In fact, the hardest part of this kid-friendly art project is getting your preschooler to wait for the acrylic paint to dry.
6. Melted Bead Glow In The Dark Suncatchers
One Little Project
Colorful pony beads are melted into Halloween-themed cookie cutters for a craft that allows kids to hone their fine motor skills while getting creative by experimenting with different patterns and designs. Best of all, kids of all ages can participate in every step of the project, right up until the creations are sent to the oven. Bottom line: Halloween decor that glows in the dark is about as festive as it gets and the process for making these suncatchers is so cool, it’s sure to excite.
7. Halloween Paper Pumpkin Basket
The Craft Train
Don’t worry if your origami skills aren’t up to snuff, this printable craft is incredibly easy to execute thanks to downloadable instructions and patterns. Any kid old enough to use scissors and follow directions can get in on the fun, while practicing important cutting skills to boot. The end result? A homemade basket that your kid can proudly take credit for when it’s time to go trick-or-treating (if that's happening this year, that is).
8. Paper Halloween Luminaries
Crafts By Amanda
An exceedingly simple craft that even preschoolers can pull off independently, this project involves tracing and coloring ready-made drawings (a great activity for fine motor skill and pencil grip development) onto a piece of paper, then wrapping the work of art into a cylinder. Nothing more than a piece of paper, one black marker, and a pack of crayons is required for kids to enjoy crafting success—just add a mason jar with a tea light to their masterpiece for Halloween decor that will make any front deck or windowsill look fancy.
9. Salt Painted Halloween Craft
One Little Project
If you haven’t tried salt painting with your kid, prepare for your mind to be blown by this simple and rewarding art project. This fun medium provides plenty of sensory pleasure and even the youngest children can work with the basic ingredients—table salt, Elmer’s glue and food coloring—to paint a textured Halloween-themed gem that’s as nice to look at as it is to touch.
10. Hanging Spiderwebs
Fun at Home with Kids
White yarn takes a dip in Elmer’s glue before being shaped into a creepy-cool spider web in this quick and easy craft that, with a little guidance, even the youngest children can get in on. Watching glue dry isn’t much more fun than watching paint dry, though, so definitely pull out some pom poms and pipe cleaners and encourage your impatient babe to craft a spider or two until her work of cobweb art is ready to hang. When all is said and done, everyone will be pleased with these DIY Halloween decorations.
11. Zombie Mason Jars
Crafts by Amanda
This mason jar craft boasts both form and function since, once the craft is complete, you can use the decorative containers to store your kid's Halloween candy haul. Parents will need to help with the hot glue gun step, but aside from that, the process is kid-friendly and full of artsy thrills. Children will enjoy painting the jars a ghoulish green color—and when it’s time to fashion the zombie faces with googly eyes, marker and masking tape bandages, creativity will reign supreme.
12. Halloween Lanterns
The Best Ideas for Kids
Don’t recycle that empty jam jar—upcycle it instead to make one of these striking luminaries with your child. Kids of all ages (as long as they still aren’t tempted to taste the art supplies) can help paint the glass jars in different festive colors to achieve a beautiful glowing effect once illuminated by a fairy light. Younger kids might need help when it comes to cutting monster faces out of felt, but they’ll still enjoy gluing the felt features and googly eyes onto this attractive yet surprisingly simple showpiece.
13. Printable Balloon Monsters
The Craft Train
When it comes to crafting with kids, printables are a godsend—these ready-made templates make any project a piece of cake, so your kid can focus on more manageable tasks without having to sweat the technical stuff. These balloon monsters are particularly well-suited for preschoolers and young grade schoolers, who can get to work cutting and gluing faces on the balloons, all while giving their fine motor skills a boost. The cut-and-paste process isn’t the most exhilarating, but the finished product is pretty spectacular—especially with the addition of an LED light for glow-in-the-dark effect. Oohs and aahs are guaranteed and clean-up will be a breeze.
14. Skull Rocks
Crafts by Amanda
That bag of unremarkable rocks floating around your home has only remained because your kid decided to dub it ‘a collection.’ Good news: Those not-so-precious stones can actually serve a crafty purpose. Bust out some paint and challenge your child to use a rock as a canvas upon which to create the spookiest possible rendering of a skull. (Of course, pumpkins and ghosts are perfectly acceptable alternatives, too).
15. Halloween Salt Dough Photo Keepsake
One Little Project
You know you are going to snap a few frame-worthy shots of your kid’s ridiculously cute costume this Halloween, so why not prepare by crafting a home for the printed pic? Your child will have a blast making the salt dough (essentially homemade play dough), cutting it out into cute, festive shapes and bedazzling it with glitter. Aside from the baking part, this craft is completely kid-friendly and produces a charming frame worthy of a prime place on the family photo wall.
16. Paper Ghost Craft
Skip to My Lou
It doesn’t get easier than this, friends—just print out the provided pattern and hand your kid a pair of scissors so they can hone their cutting skills, whilst creating their very own friendly ghost.
17. Egg Carton Halloween Craft
The Best Ideas for Kids
Next time you whip up scrambled eggs for your hungry brood, save the carton and put it to good use for this fun craft which involves creating Halloween characters that kids can actually play with when the project is over. The process calls for hot glue (or some other strong alternative) so that step is best handled by a grown-up, but the rest of this artistic endeavor allows kids to paint and decorate to their heart’s content. Once the tchotchkes have dried, hours of pretend play can commence.
18. Pumpkin And Witch Paper Chains
Pink Stripey Socks
If you’re throwing a Halloween party this year, enlist your child in helping deck out your pad with the appropriate decor. The materials required—construction paper, glue, scissors, black marker—you likely have on hand already, and they’re all suitable for even the smallest children to craft with. (The only potential exception is the stapler, which might require adult supervision and assistance for Pre-K kids). Once the work is done and the interlocking paper designs have been hung, grown-ups and children alike will be in the mood to throw on a costume and celebrate.
19. Tie Dyed Halloween Suncatchers
The Craft Train
Ditch the orange and black color scheme this Halloween in favor of something a little more interesting, like these tie-dyed bat and pumpkin-shaped suncatchers. Best of all, the foundation for this two-part art project relies on something pretty much everyone has on hand in the kitchen: Paper towels. Begin by gathering some dye so you and your babe can tie dye the material, then proceed to tracing and cutting the kitchen cloth into spooky shapes for some eye-catching window decorations that won’t disappoint.
20. Spooky Halloween Gelatin Hands
Fun at home with kids
This project is part craft, part sensory play—and it’s sure to be a smash hit with the preschool crowd and younger ones, too. Your little one will love sinking his hands into the green gelatin and the resulting handprint mold, complete with creepy dollar store eyeballs, is a bewitching sight to behold.
21. Walking Spider Puppet Craft
Kids Craft Room
Children of all ages can complete this creepy-crawly craft that, aside from the printable template, requires only pipe cleaners, craft sticks and cardstock. It might be easy to execute, but don’t be fooled—this one promises to entertain bigs and littles for at least 30 minutes (aka a blissful eternity, in parent-speak)...and that doesn’t even account for the time spent on pretend play when the puppet is ready to go.
22. Handprint Spiders In A Paper Plate Web
Momendeavors
Two thumbs up! That’s the rating we give this craft—and also what your kid needs to do to successfully accomplish it. Little ones will be delighted by the sensory experience of having their palms, along with eight of their ten digits painted. Plus, once the handprint is made and googly eyes have been glued, they’ll be amazed to see the critter they made with their own mitts. Next, you’ll need a hole punch and some string to create a web across the piece of paper plate art. The web-weaving stage is a great way for slightly older kids to fine tune their fine motor skills, but kids as young as two can get hands-on with spider-making fun.
23. Paper Plate Ghost Craft
Crafts by Amanda
Cost-effective and easy, this paper plate ghost craft will still make a big impression when hung on the wall. Crepe paper streamers and contrasting black-and-white construction paper pair with pink markers for an effect that screams Halloween. Yep, this budget and kid-friendly craft is a keeper.
24. Halloween Skull And Ghost Soap Carvings
Pink Stripey Socks
Budding sculptors will find this craft particularly gratifying, as will any child who likes to wield a tool from time to time. Chisel away at a chunk of ivory soap with your mini until it resembles a ghost for a fulfilling, hands-on art project that’s just plain fun.
25. Paper Bag Halloween Characters
I Heart Crafty Things
Wherever kids reside, there’s a good chance that brown paper bags can be found. This sack lunch staple isn’t as drab as it seems. In fact, much like the paper plate, it has infinite crafting potential. Let your little one stuff a lunch bag with tissue paper to create a body for a pipe cleaner-legged, googly eyed, sparkly spider—or bust out the glue and construction paper to make a witch and bat. Whatever Halloween character you choose to craft, the process will be friendly for even the youngest and tons of fun for all.
26. Haunted House Craft
I Heart Crafty Things
The construction of this spooky haunted house requires minimal supplies—cardstock (or other heavy-duty paper), scissors, black marker, an exacto knife—and the crafting process is a breeze, too. We’re also suckers for the lift-the-flap window design, which encourages creativity in kids of all ages (and ups the novelty factor).
27. 3D Pumpkin Craft
I Heart Crafty Things
This exceedingly simple craft for the preschool crowd comes together with nothing more than cardstock, pipe cleaner, a glue stick and a pair of scissors, and the end result is cute as can be. Plus, this 3-D pumpkin craft is an excellent opportunity for little kids to practice their scissor skills—just be sure to have extra cardstock on hand in case the cutting goes awry.
28. Paper Plate Cat Wreaths
Kids Craft Room
Here, a festive paper plate wreath that any child who can be trusted with a marker and a pair of scissors can accomplish solo. Better still, the process relies on materials you probably already have on hand, so it’s a great option for any parent who has too much on their plate (pun intended) to make it to the craft store.
29. Colorful No-carve Owl Pumpkins
I Heart Crafty Things
Carving pumpkins is a main event at Halloween...if you’re old enough to handle sharp instruments, that is. Alas, pumpkin carving is often more of a spectator sport for younger kids. The solution? Bust out some black paint and colorful chalk markers for a no-carve project that ensures every member of the family has a chance to make something gourd-geous this Halloween.
30. Spider Web Window Clings
Happiness is Homemade
Presenting a glitter-and-glue craft that makes something more than just a mess. Yep, this kid-friendly craft is easy to accomplish and more rewarding than you’d expect—namely because these sparkly spider webs really do look great, whether you hang ‘em around the house or grab a glue stick and turn them into window clings for passersby to admire.
31. Halloween Rice Krispies Treats
Happiness is Homemade
Kids of all ages can help with this edible craft and the resulting chocolate-dipped treats look downright impressive. (Hint: Make sure you snap a photo before these yummy mummies are put to work satisfying someone’s sweet tooth.)
32. Halloween Lacing Craft
raftaholics Anonymous
You’ll need to acquire a few special supplies—burlap canvas, embroidery floss, a plastic needle, puff paint—for this sweet lacing craft. That said, the process gives fine motor skills a boost and the project can be customized for any holiday, so it’s a worthy investment.
33. Boogie Monster Tissue Holder
Craftaholics Anonymous
If the punny concept isn’t enough to sell you on this activity, the quick and easy process will. Kids of all ages will enjoy using a pair of scissors and some peel-and-stick felt to design their own monsters—and all you need to finish the thing off is a sewing machine and one minute of time to spare.
34. Moving Eyes Witch Craft
Arty Crafty Kids
When it comes to art projects for preschoolers, this cute paper craft checks all the boxes. Simply print the free witch template, have your little color in the spaces and cut along the (very manageable) lines...and voila, you’ve got an interactive work of art and a kid who feels accomplished.
35. Cardboard Zombie Halloween Craft
Arty Crafty Kids
A festive twist on a favorite pastime (i.e., the reimagining of a cardboard box), this mixed media craft can be completed with whatever you have lying around—buttons, string, dried pasta, you name it—and the creative, choice-driven activity is fun for all ages.
36. Wood and Paper Spiders
White House Crafts
These sleek spiders might seem too sophisticated a craft for small hands to accomplish, but the process is easy as pie, thanks to a handy PDF template. Bonus: It makes for an excellent scissor skill exercise, too.
37. Family Ghost Handprint Garland
Kara Creates
Make kid-friendly crafting a family affair with a spooky-yet-sweet handprint garland. This festive piece of decor boasts a charming personal touch and comes together with little more than (non-toxic) paint, cardstock and glue.
38. Accordion Paper Bats
I Heart Crafty Things
These simple cardstock bats certainly look more silly than scary…but that just means the toddler or preschooler behind the craft won’t be too spooked by the finished product to proudly hang it around the house.
39. Glow in the Dark Slime
A Pumpkin and a Princess
Slime isn’t exactly a hard sell with the under-ten set, so it should come as no surprise that this homemade goop truly delivers. Plus, the combination of a hands-on process and a glow-in-dark finished product will provide ample entertainment.
40. Puffy Ghosts
Thriving Home
Attention Pinterest dropouts: You don’t need to have creative talent in spades to guide a small child through this simple craft. Best of all, the only thing you need to make it happen is a bag of cotton balls and some basic (pre)school supplies.
41. Masking Tape Mummies
Thriving Home
PSA: If your preschooler has been eyeing the roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, you can raid the junk drawer and put a stop to their diabolical plan with a fun (and considerably less wasteful) masking tape craft instead.
42. DIY Pom Pom Monsters
White House Crafts
If you own a pom pom maker we highly suggest busting it out along with last year’s knitting yarn to make these adorable and none too threatening googly-eyed monsters. (Bonus points if the googly eyes survive a round of Halloween hacky sack once the job is done.)
43. Clothespin Button Bats
I Heart Crafty Things
Here, an entertaining and kid-friendly craft in which assorted buttons, a clothespin, black cardstock and a dollop of glue come together to make festive decor that’s, well, cute as a button.
44. Frankenstein Suncatcher
From ABCs to ACTs
Kids who aren’t ready to read Mary Shelly’s seminal work can still pay their respects with a blessedly mess-free tissue and contact paper craft that yields an impressive piece of window decor.
45. Torn Paper Pumpkin Wreath
Kids Craft Room
Presenting the perfect holiday craft for toddlers with limited scissor skills and an appetite for destruction. Let the shredding and pasting begin!
