Affordable Halloween Activities for Kids

Have an Arts and (Witch)craft Night

Halloween arts and crafts can be both fun and educational. They can also be very inexpensive and easily done with materials you already have in your home. Here are two DIY projects to do with kids to help them get into the spooky spirit while learning at the same time.

1. Hungry Ghost Cutout

Design a ghost cutout who’s hungry for knowledge. Take a large poster board and draw the outline of a ghost. Next, give the ghost two eyes and a large, round mouth. Then cut along the outline of the ghost and around the outline of the mouth. Hang the ghost in a doorway or prop it up in front of a basket so that the basket is right behind the ghost’s open mouth. Now you can have your child “feed” the hungry ghost letters or words to help them learn. Make the letters and words Halloween-themed to stay spookily relevant.

2. Pumpkin Volcano

Give your kids a taste of science this spooky season by making a pumpkin volcano. All you need is a pumpkin, a cup, dish soap, baking soda and vinegar. Start by hollowing out your pumpkin and then place a small cup inside. Next, add a splash of water, five drops of dish soap and three tablespoons of baking soda. Now it’s time to experience the volcano! Add 1/4 cup of vinegar and watch as the pumpkin volcano erupts in a gooey, oozy delight.

Round out your arts and witchcraft night with a spooky Halloween playlist complete with kid-friendly hits like “Monster Mash” and “This is Halloween.”

Exchange Scary Stories

Storytelling is one of the most ancient forms of free entertainment. Gather your family around the campfire for a night of scary ghost stories. Tailor your ghost stories to the age of your kids, and make sure nothing is too scary or mature for them.

You can make up original stories to tell, or borrow some from this list of not-so-spooky stories to tell around a campfire. You can also make it a learning exercise by asking your child to draw or write out their own ghost story to tell.

Throw some marshmallows over the fire and you’re all set for a spooky, low-cost Halloween night.

Have a Terrifyingly Fun Movie Night at Home

You don’t have to spend a bunch of money at the movies on tickets and concessions. Instead, have a movie night at home. There are plenty of Halloween movies for kids playing on your favorite streaming platform. Here are just a few ideas:

Streaming on Netflix:

1. The Spiderwick Chronicles
2. Monster House
3. Goosebumps

Streaming on Hulu:

1. The Addams Family
2. R.L. Stine: Mostly Ghostly
3. Madagascar: A Little Wild — A Fangtastic Halloween

Streaming on Amazon:

1. Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Halloween!
2. Sesame Street: A Magical Halloween Adventure
3. Arthur and the Haunted Tree House

Manage Your Child’s Fears This Season

Halloween is a holiday of fun, but it can also be a holiday of fear for some children. Make sure you’re paying close attention to how your child reacts to different Halloween displays.

Never make kids feel like their fears are irrational. Instead, work through those fears with your child by drawing or writing about them. If you’re going to a Halloween event or party, prepare your child by telling them what they can expect. They should know beforehand if actors might jump out at them, or if something they’re particularly afraid of (clowns, ghosts, etc) might be present.