12 Halloween Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Halloween is a fun time for many children. However, some younger children may feel afraid of traditional Halloween activities, or not yet be able to take part in them. Here are 12 Halloween activities that toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy.

  1. Rather than carving a pumpkin, let your child express themselves by decorating a pumpkin with markers, child-friendly paint, or stickers.
  2. Young children can help with a carved pumpkin as well, but ensure you do all the carving. Your toddler or preschooler can help you scoop out the insides, and draw your carving “template” on the pumpkin beforehand.
  3. Create Halloween crafts together. This can be as simple as drawing a Halloween picture or making a handprint ghost or bat, but you can also try crafts such as Monster Munch Craft and Counting Game or Easy Pumpkin Paper Plate Craft.
  4. Decorate your home using the crafts you’ve made, as well as other Halloween-themed items, or items in Halloween colors.
  5. Create a Halloween-themed sensory bin, using items such as black and orange yarn, acorns, pumpkin seeds, fall leaves, and themed toys such as mini pumpkins, ghosts, or spiders.
  6. As a family, go for a walk around the neighborhood to count jack-o-lanterns and admire the decorations.
  7. Hold a Halloween movie night as a family, allowing your child to choose the films.
  8. Draw pumpkins on your driveway with sidewalk chalk and invite your child to play Halloween Hopscotch.
  9. Have a family costume contest where everyone dresses up using clothing from everyone else’s closets.
  10. Create monster hand puppets together using brown paper bags, or finger puppets that you can shape with thick white paper and a glue stick.
  11. Read Halloween books together.
  12. Draw Halloween-themed bingo cards together and play a few games as a family.