25 Not-So-Spooky Halloween Crafts for Kids

What you'll need

• Paper plates
• Empty toilet rolls
• Black, orange and green paper
• Washable paints (orange, white, black, brown)
• Black markers
• Glue stick and liquid glue
• Sticky tape
• White tissue or streamers
• Cotton balls
• String or yarn
• Brown paper bags
• Googly eyes (or paper circles and drawn pupils)
• Scissors
• Pipe cleaners
• Craft sticks
• Coffee filters
• Rubber bands or twist ties
• An empty cereal box
• Elastic string and a hole punch
• 1 cup flour, ½ cup salt, 2 tbsp oil, ¾ cup warm water, orange food colouring
• A pinch of cinnamon (optional, for pumpkin-spice playdough)
• Fallen autumn leaves
• An empty clean tin can, a nail, a hammer and a battery tea light (adult help required)
• A black sock
• Large marshmallows
• A small cardboard box
• Dry pasta (penne, macaroni, spaghetti)
• An apple, cut in half
• Orange paper

How to do it

1. 1

   1. Paper Plate Ghost — Ages 2–6 · 15 minutes · Low mess. You need: white paper plate, black marker, glue stick, white tissue or streamer, tape. Cut the bottom half of the plate into a wavy edge (an adult can pre-cut). Draw two big friendly eyes and a smiling mouth with the black marker. Glue strips of white tissue to the back for the ghost's flowy tail. Tape a string loop to the back and hang it in the window.

   
2. 2

   2. Handprint Spider — Ages 2–5 · 15 minutes · Low mess. You need: black paper (or white paper + black crayon), googly eyes or paper circles, glue, scissors. Trace your child's hand on black paper and cut it out — fingers become the spider legs. Cut a round body from the same paper and glue it in the middle of the handprint. Add googly eyes (or glue on paper circles and draw pupils). Tape it to a popsicle stick or string for a dangly spider puppet.

   
3. 3

   3. Toilet Roll Pumpkin — Ages 3–7 · 20 minutes · Low mess. You need: empty toilet roll, orange paint or orange paper, green paper, glue, black marker. Paint the roll orange or wrap it in orange paper. Cut a green stem and leaf from green paper and glue them on top. Draw a silly jack-o'-lantern face with the black marker — goofy grins encouraged. Line several up on a windowsill for an instant pumpkin patch.

   
4. 4

   4. Cotton Ball Ghost Garland — Ages 3–6 · 25 minutes · Low mess. You need: cotton balls, black marker, string, tape. Draw tiny faces on a handful of cotton balls — surprised, happy, sleepy. Tie the string along a doorway or across a window. Tape each cotton ball ghost onto the string, spaced apart. Let your child rearrange them until it looks "just right."

   
5. 5

   5. Paper Bag Bat — Ages 4–8 · 20 minutes · Low mess. You need: brown paper bag, black paper, googly eyes, glue, scissors. Cut two bat-wing shapes from black paper (fold first so both wings match). Stuff the bag lightly with crumpled paper to puff it up. Glue the wings to the back of the bag. Add googly eyes and draw tiny ears and a smile on the front.

   
6. 6

   6. Pumpkin Seed Art — Ages 3–8 · 30 minutes · Low mess. You need: pumpkin seeds (washed and dried), orange and green paint or markers, white paper, glue. Let your child paint the seeds orange and a few green for leaves. While they dry, draw a pumpkin outline on white paper. Fill the outline by gluing seeds inside, overlapping like real pumpkin scales. Glue the green seeds on top as the vine — great use for seeds you'd toss.

   
7. 7

   7. Mummy Wrap Doll — Ages 2–6 · 15 minutes · No mess. You need: toilet roll, white toilet paper strips, tape, googly eyes. Wrap the toilet roll in strips of toilet paper, leaving small gaps for that mummy look. Tape the end of the wrap so it doesn't unravel. Stick on googly eyes (or draw friendly eyes with a marker). Make a whole family — each one takes two minutes.

   
8. 8

   8. Paper Plate Pumpkin — Ages 2–5 · 20 minutes · Medium mess. You need: paper plate, orange paint, green paper, glue, black paper scraps. Paint the whole plate orange and set it aside to dry. Cut a stem and curly vine from green paper and glue them on top. Cut simple shapes from black paper for a jack-o'-lantern face — or leave it smiling. Hang it on the fridge or tape it to the front door.

   
9. 9

   9. Egg Carton Caterpillar — Ages 3–7 · 25 minutes · Low mess. You need: egg carton strip (one row), paint or markers, googly eyes, pipe cleaner, glue. Cut one row from an egg carton and flip it upside down — instant bumpy body. Paint or color each bump a different color. Glue on googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae at the front. Give it a name and race it across the table.

   
10. 10

    10. Footprint Ghost — Ages 2–5 · 15 minutes · Medium mess. You need: white washable paint, black paper, black marker, wipes. Paint the bottom of your child's foot with white washable paint. Press it onto black paper, heel at the top — the foot becomes the ghost. Once dry, draw a friendly face with the black marker. Add the name and year at the bottom — grandparents love these.

    
11. 11

    11. Popsicle Stick Spider Web — Ages 4–8 · 20 minutes · Low mess. You need: 3 craft sticks or cardboard strips, white yarn or string, glue, paper spider. Glue the sticks into a star shape — these are the web's spokes. Tie yarn to the center and weave it in and out of the spokes, spiraling outward. Tie off the yarn at the edge and trim the extra. Hang a little paper spider (see #2) from a thread.

    
12. 12

    12. Coffee Filter Ghost — Ages 3–7 · 15 minutes · No mess. You need: white coffee filter or tissue, black marker, cotton ball, rubber band or twist tie. Place the cotton ball in the center of the coffee filter. Gather the filter up around it and secure with a rubber band to make the head. Draw a friendly face on the head. Hang several from the ceiling with string — they float in the breeze.

    
13. 13

    13. Cereal Box Mask — Ages 4–8 · 30 minutes · Low mess. You need: empty cereal box, scissors, elastic string, markers, hole punch. Cut an oval face shape from the flat side of the cereal box. Cut eye holes (an adult does this part) big enough to see through. Decorate it as a pumpkin, cat, bat, or friendly ghost with markers. Punch holes on the sides, tie on elastic, and it's ready to wear.

    
14. 14

    14. Handprint Bat — Ages 2–6 · 15 minutes · Low mess. You need: black paper, white paper circles or chalk, glue, scissors. Trace both hands on black paper and cut them out — these are the wings. Cut an oval body from the same paper and glue the handprints behind it. Add white paper circles for eyes and draw pupils. Tape it to the wall — bats look best in flocks, so make several.

    
15. 15

    15. Pumpkin Playdough — Ages 2–6 · 20 minutes · Low mess. You need: 1 cup flour, ½ cup salt, 2 tbsp oil, ¾ cup warm water, orange colouring, cinnamon (optional). Mix flour, salt, oil, and water in a bowl until it forms a dough. Knead in the orange colouring until pumpkin-coloured. Add a pinch of cinnamon for a pumpkin-spice smell. Roll pumpkin shapes, press faces with a fork, make mini jack-o'-lanterns. Store sealed.

    
16. 16

    16. Paper Chain Ghost Garland — Ages 4–8 · 25 minutes · Low mess. You need: white paper strips, glue stick or tape, black marker. Cut white paper into strips about 1 inch wide and 8 inches long. Loop one strip into a ring and glue or tape it closed. Thread the next strip through the ring and close it — repeat until long enough. Draw a friendly ghost face on every ring.

    
17. 17

    17. Leaf Ghosts — Ages 3–8 · 20 minutes · No mess. You need: large fallen leaves, white paint or white marker, black marker. Collect big fallen leaves on a walk — a great excuse for fresh air first. Paint each leaf white (or colour over with a thick white marker) and let dry. Draw tiny ghost faces with the black marker. Tape them to windows or scatter them on the Halloween table.

    
18. 18

    18. Tin Can Lantern — Ages 5–8 · 30 minutes + adult help · Low mess. You need: empty clean tin can, hammer, nail, water, freezer, battery tea light, marker. Fill the can with water and freeze it solid (an adult handles this part). Draw a simple pumpkin face or dot pattern on the can. With the ice inside for support, an adult hammers the nail along the dots to punch holes. Let the ice melt, dry the can, and drop in a battery tea light — it glows through the holes.

    
19. 19

    19. Sock Puppet Bat — Ages 3–7 · 20 minutes · Low mess. You need: black sock, black paper, googly eyes, glue, scissors. Cut two wing shapes from black paper. Glue the wings to the sides of the sock. Add googly eyes near the toe end. Put it on your hand and flap — instant bat puppet show.

    
20. 20

    20. Marshmallow Ghost Prints — Ages 2–6 · 15 minutes · Medium mess. You need: large marshmallows, white washable paint, black paper, black marker, plate. Pour white paint onto a plate as a stamp pad. Dip a large marshmallow in the paint and press it onto black paper — ghost body. Repeat for a whole family of ghosts, big and small. Once dry, draw faces with the black marker. (And yes, you can eat one after.)

    
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    21. Cardboard Box Haunted House — Ages 4–8 · 40 minutes · Low mess. You need: small cardboard box, black and orange paper or crayons, glue, scissors, cotton balls. Flip the box upside down — this is the haunted house. Cover it in black paper or colour it with crayons. Cut orange paper windows and glue them on — they glow like candlelight. Add cotton ball spider webs on the corners and a paper bat on the roof.

    
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    22. Pasta Skeleton — Ages 4–8 · 25 minutes · Low mess. You need: black paper, dry pasta (penne, macaroni, spaghetti), white crayon, glue. Draw a stick-person skeleton outline on black paper in white crayon. Glue penne pieces along the arms and legs for bones. Use macaroni for ribs and a small round pasta for the skull. Break spaghetti into short pieces for fingers and toes.

    
23. 23

    23. Apple Stamp Pumpkins — Ages 2–6 · 20 minutes · Medium mess. You need: apple cut in half, orange washable paint, white paper, green marker, plate. Pour orange paint onto a plate. Dip the cut side of the apple in the paint and press it onto paper — pumpkin shape. Repeat in rows to make a whole pumpkin patch. Once dry, draw green stems and curly vines with the marker.

    
24. 24

    24. Ghost Footprint Keepsake — Ages 2–5 · 15 minutes · Medium mess. You need: white washable paint, orange paper, black marker, wipes. Paint the bottom of your child's foot with white washable paint. Press it onto orange paper — the ghost pops against the orange. Draw a face and little arms with the black marker. Add the date in the corner — a Halloween keepsake for the memory box.

    
25. 25

    25. Toilet Roll Owl — Ages 3–7 · 20 minutes · Low mess. You need: empty toilet roll, brown paint or paper, orange paper, googly eyes, glue. Paint the roll brown or wrap it in brown paper. Pinch the top of the roll inward on both sides for pointy owl ears. Glue on big googly eyes and an orange paper triangle beak. Cut paper wings and glue them on the sides — a wise little Halloween owl.

    

Other ways to play it

• Turn the handprint spider into a flock of handprint bats for the wall.
• Make the paper chain garland extra long and drape it across the whole room.
• Stamp the apple pumpkins in a row on a long paper tablecloth to make a Halloween table runner.
• Use the footprint ghost idea on orange paper for a keepsake version.

How it changes by age

• At 2–3: stick to stamping and gluing crafts like marshmallow ghost prints, the mummy wrap doll and handprint spiders — pre-cut everything.
• At 4–5: they can cut simple shapes, weave the spider web and assemble masks with a little help.
• At 6–8: let them lead on the tin can lantern (with an adult for the hammer and nail), the pasta skeleton and the haunted house.

What they're learning

Cutting, gluing and stamping build fine motor control. Following the numbered steps practices sequencing and listening. Choosing colours, faces and decorations encourages creative expression. Sorting and counting pieces (seeds, pasta, paper chains) sneaks in early maths.

Questions parents ask