Halloween craft ideas for kids keep rainy October afternoons happy and screen free. Most of these projects use things already in your recycling bin, craft drawer or backyard.
I sorted them so you can pick by age and time. Some take ten minutes, like the rock pumpkins. Others, like the cardboard castle, fill a whole weekend afternoon.
Here are 16 Halloween craft ideas for kids. Each one has supplies, simple steps and tips from my craft table.
Good to know: Cover the table with a cheap shower curtain liner. It wipes clean and you can reuse it for every craft this season.
In this post: 16 ideas
1. Cardboard tube bats
Empty toilet paper tubes painted black become bats with folded wings and big googly eyes. They cost nothing to make. Tube bats are Halloween craft ideas for kids that even toddlers can help with.
Paint the tube black and let it dry. Fold the top edges down to make two pointy ears. Cut wings from black paper and glue them to the back. Add big eyes and a small white fang. Hang a row of them from a doorway with string.
2. Rock pumpkins
Smooth round rocks painted orange with friendly faces make tiny pumpkins for a windowsill or garden. Kids love the treasure hunt for good rocks first. It is one of the quickest Halloween craft ideas for kids on this list.
Wash and dry the rocks. Paint them orange with acrylic paint and let them dry. Add faces with a black paint pen. A coat of outdoor sealer keeps them bright in the garden all season. For bigger versions, see these pumpkin painting ideas.
3. Paper plate spiders
Black paper plate spiders with bouncy accordion legs look funny, not scary. Kids practice counting to eight as they add legs. Bouncy legs make these Halloween craft ideas for kids fun to dangle.
Paint a paper plate black. Fold eight strips of black paper back and forth like a fan. Glue four legs on each side. Add two big eyes and a smile. Punch a hole at the top and hang the spider on yarn.
Parent tip: Fold the accordion legs for kids under five. They can then glue and count on their own.
4. Sock monsters
Odd socks turn into colorful monster puppets with felt mouths, yarn hair and big eyes. Every monster gets a name and a voice. These Halloween craft ideas for kids lead straight into a puppet show.
Pull a sock over your child’s hand to find where the mouth goes. Glue a felt oval inside the toe for the mouth. Add yarn hair, felt horns and button eyes with fabric glue. Older kids can stitch the eyes with a large plastic needle.
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5. Egg carton pumpkins
Cups cut from egg cartons and painted orange become a little pumpkin patch. Green paper stems finish them. A single carton makes twelve pumpkins.
Cut the carton into single cups and trim the edges. Paint each cup orange, inside and out. Glue a twisted green paper stem on top. Group them on a tray or glue them to a paper vine. These Halloween craft ideas for kids also teach reuse.
6. Pasta skeleton art
Dry pasta glued onto black paper forms a playful skeleton. Different shapes make different bones. Kids learn a few body parts as they build.
Use penne for arms and legs, macaroni for ribs and a small shell for the hips. Glue a white paper skull at the top. Kids arrange pieces first, then glue them one at a time. White glue holds pasta better than a glue stick.
7. Pinecone bats
Pinecones with black felt wings and paper eyes make nature bats. A walk to collect pinecones is part of the fun. These bats look good grouped in a bowl on the table.
Choose dry, open pinecones. Cut bat wings from black felt and glue them to the sides. Add two paper eyes near the top. Paint the pinecone black first if your child wants a darker bat.
8. Salt dough ghosts
Salt dough ghosts painted white with happy faces make ornaments you can keep for years. The dough uses flour, salt and water. Salt dough projects are Halloween craft ideas for kids that also feel like baking.
Mix two cups of flour, one cup of salt and about three quarters of a cup of water. Roll it out and cut ghost shapes with a knife or cookie cutter. Poke a hole at the top for string. Bake at a low heat until hard, then paint. Read more about salt dough and how long it lasts.
Safety tip: Salt dough is not food. Remind small kids not to taste it, since the salt content is very high.
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Paper lanterns in lime, purple and orange get googly eyes and paper teeth to become hanging monsters. They look great in a playroom. Lanterns are bright Halloween craft ideas for kids who like color.
Fold a sheet of paper in half lengthwise and cut slits along the fold. Open it and roll it into a tube, then glue the edges. Add a paper handle, eyes and a toothy mouth. Hang the lanterns from a curtain rod or shelf.
10. Yarn pumpkin art
A pumpkin outline filled with short pieces of orange yarn has soft texture you can touch. It is calm and slow, which suits a slow hour. Yarn art is one of the Halloween craft ideas for kids that older children enjoy most.
Draw a pumpkin on cardboard. Cut orange yarn into short pieces. Spread white glue inside one section at a time and press the yarn down. Add a green yarn stem and let it dry flat.
11. Cupcake liner owls
Folded cupcake liners make the feathers of cute owls on dark blue paper. The ruffled edges look like real feathers. Owls are gentle Halloween craft ideas for kids who dislike scary things.
Flatten brown cupcake liners and fold them in half for wings. Use a whole liner for the body. Add round white eyes with black centers and an orange beak. Glue a yellow paper moon behind the owls.
12. Foam pumpkin masks
Orange foam pumpkin masks with green leaves make a simple costume piece. Kids wear them for a parade or a party. Foam is light and does not tear.
Cut a pumpkin shape from orange craft foam. Have an adult cut eye holes at the right width for your child. Glue green foam leaves at the top. Attach elastic cord to the sides with a hole punch. These Halloween craft ideas for kids double as costume pieces.
Safety tip: Make the eye holes large. Kids need to see clearly when they walk, run or climb steps.
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13. Cardboard haunted castle
A cardboard castle painted purple with yellow windows and peeking ghosts is a full weekend project. Kids use it as a toy afterward. Big builds like this are Halloween craft ideas for kids that siblings can share.
Use cereal boxes for walls and paper towel tubes for towers. Tape everything together, then paint it purple. Cut yellow paper windows and glue paper ghosts in some of them. Add a drawbridge from a strip of cardboard.
14. Tissue box monster
An empty tissue box painted green becomes a hungry monster with paper teeth around the opening. Kids feed it small balls or paper snacks. These Halloween craft ideas for kids work as a craft and a game in one.
Paint the box green and let it dry. Glue white paper triangles around the hole for teeth. Add big eyes and horns on top. Use it for a feeding game where kids toss pom poms into the mouth.
15. Beaded pumpkins
Orange pony beads threaded onto pipe cleaners bend into small pumpkin shapes. Threading builds fine motor skills. The pumpkins hang on bags, zippers or a small tree.
Thread beads onto a pipe cleaner, leaving a little space at each end. Bend it into a circle and twist the ends together. Add a short green pipe cleaner at the top for the stem. Make several and hang them in a window.
16. Paper witch hats
Small black paper witch hats with stars and purple bands make fun party decor or doll hats. Kids decorate each one a different way. They also work as place cards for a Halloween dinner.
Roll a quarter circle of black paper into a cone and tape it. Glue the cone onto a paper ring for the brim. Add a purple paper band and star stickers. Make a big one for your child to wear.
Halloween craft ideas for kids by age
Match the craft to your child’s age for a happy afternoon. Younger kids need big pieces and simple glue steps. Older kids enjoy cutting, threading and building.
| Age | Best crafts | Adult help |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 4 | Tube bats, rock pumpkins, egg carton pumpkins | Cutting and paint setup |
| 5 to 7 | Paper plate spiders, pinecone bats, cupcake liner owls | Some cutting |
| 8 and up | Sock monsters, cardboard castle, beaded pumpkins | Very little |
Easy Halloween craft ideas for kids with recycled items
Toilet paper tubes, egg cartons, cereal boxes and tissue boxes make half of this list. Start saving them in late September. A big box of clean recycling gives kids plenty of choices for a craft day.
I keep a craft bin by the back door for the whole month. Kids grab from it when they get bored. For more ideas for small hands, see these Halloween preschool craft ideas.
More ideas: Display finished crafts in a playroom corner with a string and clips. Kids love seeing their work on show.
Halloween craft ideas for kids at parties
Pick crafts that dry fast, like the tube bats, paper hats and beaded pumpkins. Set up one table with supplies for each craft. Guests take their craft home as a favor.
FAQs about Halloween craft ideas for kids
What are the easiest Halloween craft ideas for kids?
Rock pumpkins, tube bats and egg carton pumpkins need only paint and glue. Most kids finish them in under 20 minutes.
What supplies should I buy for Halloween crafts?
Get black, orange, green and white paint, glue, googly eyes, felt and pipe cleaners. Recycled items cover the rest.
How do I keep crafts less messy?
Use a table cover, paint in small cups and keep wet wipes close. Choose glue sticks for younger kids.
Can toddlers join in?
Yes. Toddlers can paint tubes, egg cartons and rocks. An adult should handle cutting and small pieces.
How long do these crafts last?
Salt dough and painted rocks last for years. Paper crafts last one season if kept dry.
Written by Stephanie Fallis
Mom and homemaker who shares budget friendly DIY projects, decorating tips and gardening ideas for busy families.
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