15+ Fun and Frightful Halloween Party Ideas for Kids at Home

Sarah in Kids & Babies Sep 12 • 26 min read

Throwing a Halloween party for kids doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive. With some simple ideas, you can create a festive celebration the little ghosts and goblins will love. From spooky snacks and creepy crafts to frightfully fun games, read on for over 15 ideas guaranteed to make your kids' Halloween party at home a memorable one.

Spooky Snack Station

No Halloween bash is complete without creepy-crawly snacks. Set up a fun buffet for them to nibble on throughout the party. Here are some kid-friendly ideas:

Mummy Dogs - Unwrap and lay hot dogs flat on a baking sheet. Stretch refrigerated crescent roll dough into long snakes. Wrap each hot dog and secure it with a dab of water. Bake according to dough package directions until golden brown. Serve with ketchup or mustard for dipping.

Spider Cupcakes - Bake and frost vanilla or chocolate cupcakes. Use chocolate sprinkles or mini chocolate chips for eyes and pretzel stick legs. Take it up a notch by piping web designs on the frosting with a white icing bag.
Eyeball Pops - Firmly slice grapes in half and spear each half with a lollipop stick. Drizzle melted white chocolate over the "eyeballs" and let set. You can find lollipops, grapes and white chocolate melts at Walmart or Target.
Graveyard Dirt - Stir together a package of chocolate pudding and a bag of gummy worms in a big bowl until well combined. Scoop into mini Halloween-themed dessert cups from the local party supply store and top with a wax worm. Refrigerate until set.

Kid-Friendly Crafts

Get little hands busy making spooky decorations and toys they can take home. Here are some ideas suited to different ages:

Younger Kids (3-6): Fingerprint Bats or Pumpkins - Use a shallow baking pan filled with non-toxic black or orange fingerpaint. Press down with fingers and palms to make unique shapes on construction paper. Let dry completely before taking home.
Older Kids (6-10): Spider Webs - Blow up 7-10 black or orange balloons per spider web. Hand out string, yarn, or imitation cobwebs found at the dollar store with dots of hot glue. Instruct kids to randomly drape and weave the material all over the balloons to resemble sticky webs. Once dry, pop the balloons inside and they have a 3D dangling decoration!

Tweens (8-12): Ghost Jar Lamps - Pass out clean glass jars (from spaghetti sauce, etc.), white tissue paper, and glue sticks. Demonstrate how to scrunch up small pieces of tissue paper and glue loosely around the inside of the jar to resemble ghosts when illuminated. Add battery-powered tea lights at the end for a spooky centerpiece.

For all ages, have bowls of googly eyes, glitter, stickers, confetti, or other embellishments available to customize each craft. Michaels, Joann, and Dollar Tree have good supplies.

Creepy Games Galore

Get guests moving with these fun twists on classic Halloween-themed games:

Mummy Race - Divide into teams and see who can most quickly wrap one player head-to-toe in toilet paper without ripping it. Provide one roll per team.
Werewolf Howls - Play a few rounds of "Guess Who's Making the Sound?" One player howls while the rest guess. Then have all the kids try howling together!

Monster Relay - Set up an obstacle course using chairs as "hills" to climb over and tunnels to crawl through. Give each team a plastic pumpkin or egg on a spoon to carry through without dropping. The first to finish wins!
Pin the Fang on the Vampire - Hang up a picture of a fangless vampire for kids to wear blindfolds and stick on plastic vampire teeth with double-sided tape backs.
Bobbing for Apples - Float apples in a large tub of water. See who can grab one most quickly using just their teeth. Have towels ready to dry off messy faces afterward.

Pass out small toys, pencils, or stickers as prizes. Provide a spooky soundtrack for added fun.

Halloween Party Decor

Set the scene with these creepy yet easy touches:

Creepy Cloth - Drape an orange or black sheet over a table as a "mummy" or lay it on the floor as a path between stations.
Frightful Centerpiece - Float tealight candles in a crystal punch bowl filled with orange-tinted water and plastic spiders/bugs.
Spooky Signs - Cut out letters from black paper to spell out a Halloween greeting or game instructions.

Fog Machine - Add an eerie ambiance with a small fog machine set on low (available at most party stores).
Colored String Lights - String orange mini-lights along the ceiling for a dimmed glow.
Background Music - Play a Halloween Spotify playlist on repeat at a low volume.
Don't forget the photos! Designate a “photo booth” area with props like cheap masks, hats, boas. Print party pics as favors.

With these detailed ideas, you're sure to provide hours of screams and chills without stress or expensive store-bought décor. Focus on classic colors, snacks, and games, let their imaginations do the rest!

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