56 Best Halloween Activities for Spooky Fun All October Long
Plan good times for all ages this Halloween with ideas for party activities, family outings, and things to do at home.
Halloween means one thing in our book—fun, fun, and more fun. Technically, it might be one day, but we say pack your October calendar as full as you can. Need ideas? Scroll down for the best Halloween activities for all ages. Whether you are looking for things to do on Halloween with friends or rainy-day Halloween activities for the kiddos (see also, easy Halloween crafts for toddlers and Halloween crafts for kids), we’ve checked all the boxes.
You’ll find party activities, like traditional Halloween games, inspiration for a Halloween movie night, and, of course, all the classic family outings, like excursions to the local pumpkin patch and corn maze. And if your budget is tight, not to worry because there are plenty of things you can do for free, like swapping scary ghost stories or telling silly Halloween jokes.
Staying home? Head to the kitchen to conjure up some delicious Halloween treats. Or vie for the status of spookiest house on the block by crafting your own DIY Halloween decorations. The possibilities are endless, really. But the following Halloween activities are our absolute faves.
Deck the yard.
Add a spooky touch to your front yard with these adorable (and easy!) ghosts.
To make: Place 6-inch craft foam or styrofoam balls on long wooden dowels. Cover balls with metallic mesh ribbon, layering if necessary to cover completely. Secure mesh with thin ribbon or string. Tie black-and-white striped ribbon into a bow around the ghost "neck," covering thin ribbon.
Make spooky food.
Scare up some easy Halloween appetizers for a casual gathering with friends or to add a little fun to a family dinner. May we suggest one of our most popular spooky recipes, Breadstick Rattlers?
Throw down some puns.
Claim your throne as the pumpkin, er, we mean pun king. Share silly Halloween puns and jokes with friends, family, and co-workers to get everyone howl-oween with laughter.
Be "that house with all the inflatables" in the neighborhood.
Every neighborhood has one—that house with not just one but a veritable tourist attraction of Halloween inflatables in the yard. Granted, this activity is not for everyone given the logistics of managing all those outdoor extension cords. But if you enjoy putting on a Clark Griswold-worthy lights display come Christmastime, then this one's for you.
Rock out to Halloween songs.
Whether you're singing them or queuing up a playlist, a rockin' lineup of Halloween songs will keep the party going all night long.
Enjoy Halloween in a small town.
Take a long weekend and savor the spooky side of Main Street USA. For ideas, check out our guide to the best small towns to visit for Halloween for haunted houses, food fairs, and more.
Go to a pumpkin patch.
Visit a pumpkin farm near you and pick up the perfect gourds to transform with the best pumpkin carving ideas.
Indulge in apple cider and donuts… in cake form.
Apple cider with donuts is a time-honored Halloween treat. Combine them in a cake and the result is wickedly good.
Gather 'round for a Halloween trivia night.
Which country currently holds the record for the largest pumpkin ever? Get the answer to this question and more in our roundup of fun Halloween trivia.
Create a Halloween Occasions Bin™
This fun idea is the brainchild of lifestyle blogger and mom Shakira Patterson who found that she often forgot to use the cute seasonal tabletop and kitchen items she had purchased. The solution? Stash them in an open bin on the counter. If you’d like to show off your creation, Patterson encourages you to tag her on social and use the hashtag #occasionsbin, where you can find thousands of bin ideas shared by her community.
Get the tutorial at Occasions by Shakira and see more at @occasions.byshakira.
Scope out the best decorations around town.
Weeks before the big night, the yard decorating begins. Plan an evening car ride for an October date before the 31st to scout out the most spooktacular displays in your city or town. Take a family vote to name the best.
Put a Halloween twist on a classic party game.
The name game is one of our favorite party activities to break the ice. Any age can play, and it's easy to give it a Halloween theme. Give each partygoer a sticky note emblazoned with a popular Halloween word, costume idea, or famous monster name and have them place it on their forehead. They'll have to ask other guests questions until they figure out what they are.
Watch Halloween movies.
Spend a day, weekend, or even the whole month of October watching the spookiest, silliest, and best Halloween flicks.
Related: 59 Best Halloween Movies of All Time You Can Stream at Home
Spin a sticky web.
On a rainy Saturday afternoon this October, put up a tape web across a doorway and let the kids decorate away! This one's perfect for toddlers and younger children.
See more at Chasing 40 Toes and @chasing40toes. (Need another reason to love this blog? It raises awareness for a good cause, the Kids in Need Foundation.)
Swap scary stories.
If you're short on spooky story ideas, check out our collections of scary ghosts stories and not-too-terrifying tales for kids. Or read aloud from the best Halloween books for kids.
Dress up the dog.
Check out these awesome pet costumes and dog and owner costumes for ideas.
Make a pumpkin fairy house.
Little hands will love helping create this sweet little gourd cottage and keeping an eye out for the gnomes and fairies that are surely going to move in.
Go to a haunted house…
…if age-appropriate, of course.
Related: 27 Most Haunted Places in America
Play tree slab tic-tac-toe.
Ditch your devices the next time you head on a family camping trip and focus on the fun to be had in the world around you with this kid-friendly craft.
To make: Pick up a round wood slab and four leather strips. On the slab, form a grid (pictured at left) with the strips and secure each end with an upholstery tack. Once in the woods, gather two five-piece groupings of found objects such as small rocks and pine cones to use as game pieces.
Meander through a corn maze.
Fall visits to farms often include a trip through the corn maze and, for Halloween, lots of places offer "haunted" versions that take place after dark.
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