Halloween Activities for Kids: Halloween HQ

Pick a Halloween place

• 🎃Pumpkin PatchPumpkin faces to carve, paint and print.
• 🧁Spooky KitchenBanana ghosts, dirt cups and more treats to make.
• 🦇Haunted WorkshopFlappy bats, bubbly cauldrons and dancing ghosts.
• 🍬Trick-or-Treat StreetKnock on doors, answer, and fill your bag.
• 🧩Halloween puzzlesWord searches, mazes, bingo and a hunt.
• 🖍️Halloween coloringBats, cats and friendly ghosts to color.
• ☔Rainy Day BoxFun things to do inside on a wet day.
• 📚Halloween storiesSpooky-cute stories to read.
• 👻Halloween jokesJokes and riddles. Tap to see the answer!

Your Halloween bucket list

Fourteen fun things for Halloween week. Tick them off here, or print the list for the fridge.

• 🎃Carve or paint a pumpkin with a grown-up.Go →
• 📚Read a spooky-cute story.Go →
• 😂Tell three Halloween jokes at dinner.Go →
• 🍌Make a Halloween treat, like banana ghosts.Go →
• 🦇Make a paper bat or a ghost.Go →
• 🎭Draw your costume, then put it on.
• 🖍️Color a Halloween picture.Go →
• 🧩Do a Halloween word search or maze.Go →
• 🔦Have a flashlight story time.
• 💀Do a silly skeleton dance.
• 🌙Look for the moon at night.
• 🍂Jump in a pile of leaves.
• 💌Make a Halloween card for someone.
• 🍬Count your candy in tens.

🖨️ Print the bucket list0 of 14 done

For grown-ups

Keep it not too scary

• Let your child pick how spooky. Friendly ghosts and grinning pumpkins are plenty for a kindergartner.
• Look at decorations together in daylight first, so nothing is a surprise after dark.
• A costume can be cozy: pajamas and face paint make a great cat, bat or pumpkin.
• It's fine to skip a house, go home early, or hand out treats instead of going out.

Trick-or-treat safety

• Go with young children on their rounds. Older kids go in a group, with a planned route and a time to be home. (AAP)
• Carry a flashlight after dark, and put reflective tape on costumes and treat bags. (AAP)
• Walk on sidewalks, cross at corners and crosswalks, and look both ways. Don't assume drivers can see you. (AAP)
• Costumes and shoes should fit and be short enough not to trip on. Face paint is safer than a mask that blocks the eyes. (AAP)
• Wait till you're home to sort and check the treats. Throw away anything unwrapped, spoiled or odd-looking. (AAP)
• Babies and toddlers: no hard candy, gum, popcorn, nuts or small candies (they can choke). (AAP)
• Food allergies: read every label, keep emergency medicine with you, and look for teal pumpkins that offer non-food treats. (FARE)
• Light a jack-o'-lantern with an LED tea light or a flashlight, never a candle. A grown-up does every cut; little kids draw the face with markers. (AAP)

Sources:

• American Academy of Pediatrics: Halloween Fun & Safety Tips for Kids of All Ages
• FARE: the Teal Pumpkin Project (treats that aren't food)

Questions grown-ups ask

What Halloween activities can kids do at home?

Carve or paint a pumpkin with a grown-up, make an easy treat like banana ghosts, build a paper bat, do a Halloween word search or maze, color a Halloween picture, read a spooky-cute story and tell Halloween jokes. Halloween HQ links to each one, and the bucket list prints on one page.

Is Peabody's Halloween stuff free?

Yes. Every Halloween page on Peabody is free, with no ads and no sign-up. Kids can play, read and print without an account.

Is it too scary for little kids?

No. Everything is spooky-cute: friendly ghosts, grinning pumpkins and bats with smiles. There is no gore and nothing jumps out. It is made so a kindergartner can enjoy it.

How do we keep trick-or-treating safe?

Go with young children, carry a flashlight, add reflective tape, walk on sidewalks and cross at corners, check treats at home and keep hard candy and nuts from toddlers. These are the American Academy of Pediatrics' tips.

Should we light our pumpkin with a candle?

Use an LED tea light or a flashlight instead. It glows just as well and cannot start a fire, and it is safe for little hands.