Fun Indoor Halloween Activities For the Whole Family
Discover > Texas Mom Blog > Fun Indoor Halloween Activities For the Whole Family
I don’t know about you, but this time of year always seems to sneak up on me.
We start to see Halloween decorations at a few homes, I start thinking about some DIY ideas for my home, and suddenly, we’re scrambling to find candy to put out on the porch because Halloween is HERE!
Even though it can be a hectic season for us mothers, this is an exhilarating time for our children.
So, If You’re Like Me and Feel Halloween has Crept Up on You, I’ve Got You Covered.
The days of motivating an entire group of community children for trick-or-treating may be on temporary hold due to the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be celebrating the first holiday of fall—Halloween. Sure, your kids may not be able to show off their meticulously crafted costumes to the fullest, but there’s still plenty to do with just your family or trusted members of your circle. From fruit picking at local orchards to visiting pumpkin patches and, of course, going to haunted houses, there’s room for festivity alongside safety.
For families who want to take extra precautions and spend the day at home, there’s plenty to do, too. You can get crafty by creating your family costumes (hey, we always love a Halloween Insta-op) or making a ghost garland. Then, cele-boo-rate the evening with a game of Halloween charades, mummy racing or just enjoying some Halloween-special movies with your fam.
Check out this list of Halloween activities for families for more ideas--without many frills.
Make Assorted Individual Candy Bags
Since we’re still in a pandemic, it’s great to be reminding children to sanitize hands whenever possible. For a safe trick-or-treat, assort a variety of candy into some Ziploc bags. That way, everyone picks a bag without rummaging through the whole basket. Also, place a sanitizer bottle nearby, with a handmade custom sign encouraging kids to use it.
Customize Halloween Costumes. At Home
Fret not if you choose not to go trick-or-treating this year. You can still celebrate at home with homemade Halloween outfits. So raid the coffers of your closet and get creative with what you create! Here are some inspirational ideas!
Share Scary Stories!
Have some real-life spooky incidents happen to you? Heard one from your ole’ aunt Lyle about that time she saw a child ghost? Get those fun phantom tales out of the bag or recite them from tried and loved kid-appropriate Halloween fables!
Candy Corn Bingo-Is ON!
Bingo is a crowd-pleaser—irrespective of age, but Candy Corn Halloween Bingo is an all-time holiday hit! To make it Halloween-y: you need a Bingo card showcasing Halloween-themed objects like this one from Crazy Little Projects. Next, swap usual chips with candy corn as markers. (Part of the fun is when the game pieces keep getting eaten!)
Best Ever Halloween Scavenger Hunt!
Deck the halls with spooky décor, then send your kids to scavenge all the items they can. (You can explore the neighborhood as a family.) Up the stakes by downloading a free printable (like this one from Happiness is Homemade) of precisely what they should be on the lookout for.
Mummy Bowling Night
For this Halloween game, you need a set of plastic bowling pins (like this one) and a couple of toilet paper rolls. Wrap the pins with TP, add googly eyes and voila: we have mummified bowling pins! Find out how to do this on Giggles Galore.
You can even stuff empty plastic bottles with cotton to turn them into ghost bowling pins, then have fun knocking them down.
Fastest Mummy Wins
For a more on-theme thrill, split up into teams and pick one person to be the mummy. Then, it’s up to the rest of the group to cover the person in TP to, well, mummify them. Keep the game going by (cautiously) racing as a mummy to a chosen spot. The losers team eats candy corn!
Pumpkin Golf
This game calls for the best pumpkin carvers. First, create a jack o’-lantern with a mouth large enough to putt golf balls into. From there, you’ll need a toy golf set and a felt runway that doubles a putting green. Think of it as mini-golf with a Halloween theme. Check out this full activity on A Girl and a Glue Gun.)
Pumpkin Wash
Before you start carving for the above golf activity, let your kiddos wash the pumpkins with soapy water and lots of sponges. Kids go crazy for giving things a “bath” and can stay occupied for at least a couple of hours!
Candy Jenga
Grab a box of Halloween chocolates (think flatter ones like Kit-Kat or Hershey’s bars). Take turns assembling them on top of one another. The first person to knock down the stack loses —winners get to split the sweet loot.
Halloween Charades
Put a creepy twist on the classic party game of charades. Write Halloween-related movies and phrases onto cards and act them out. Haunted charade topics can include movies like Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream, Friday the 13th, The House on Haunted Hill, ghoulish characters like the Addams family members, Halloween-themed items, or even songs!
Skeleton Puzzle
Make a DIY skeleton out of foam, and hot glue a magnet on each bone. Next, layer a board with magnetic paint (or stick to the fridge). Race to create a skeleton, and the fastest wins! Get the full tutorial for this activity at Sugar and Charm.
Hold A Mask Costume Contest
Ask friends and family to design their funky face masks, then meet up over Zoom to see who made the most inventive one. Learn how to make fun masks here!
Pumpkin Slime
Here’s an easy way to level up slime time at home! Try this frothy pumpkin slime for Halloween by I Heart Arts n Crafts. Your little ones will be captivated by this light, airy gooeyness. It comes together quickly and is better than any slime you can buy!
Fizzy Science Experiment
If you’re looking for a new STEM lesson for school-aged kids, create super fizzy pumpkins that magically disappear (dissolve) when you pour vinegar on them. Add a trinket in the middle and watch their eyes light up as the surprise unfolds! Learn how to do this activity at Left Brain Craft Brain.
Paint Zombie Rocks
Looking for more independent play ideas for kids? Gather a few smooth stones from the yard and encourage your kids to draw out and paint silly or spooky faces on them. Or even let them paint rocks into colorful pebbles. Get more rock painting ideas on Simple Everyday Mom.
Paint Your Pumpkins
Carving ideas for pumpkins are cool, but painting pumpkins for Halloween opens up a ton of creative possibilities. Superheroes, Halloween characters, cartoon favorites, the possibilities are boundless! Look here for pumpkin painting ideas.
Are you searching for home-delivered pumpkins for Halloween? This Texas-based business, Porch Pumpkins, offers pumpkin packages at your doorstep!
Carve your Pumpkin the Cookie Cutter Way!
There can't be just one way to carve a pumpkin! Cookie-cutter pumpkins provide a simple way for kids (and adults!) to carve up Jack O’ Lanterns. Empty the pumpkin insides as usual and place a stainless steel cookie cutter on the pumpkin. Hold tight and pound through with a rubber mallet. Depending on the age of your children, you may have to assist them.
Make a Wonderfully Wicked Halloween Decoration
Use your kids’ to slap their painted palms onto some paper. Then, cut the handprints out and convert them into paper ghosts, to instantly uplift a burlap Halloween banner. Learn how to do this at See Vanessa.
Cook Festive and Healthy Snacks and Meals
What’s a celebration if you don’t cook together? Let your children be involved in the kitchen this Halloween. Let them help whip up festive and healthy Halloween snacks. These don’t have to be complicated, intricately designed pieces of art, anything from spooky fruit skewers, pumpkin pita with gooey spread to scary hard-boiled eggs!
Get more fun, simple Halloween snack ideas here!
Want to go a step further? Try these delicious traditional Halloween meal recipes from TexasRealFood!
Turn Your Home into a Haunted House
Turn outdoor Halloween decorating into a family affair! Hang a wreath, string up lights, and assemble a display of pumpkins for a captivating, haunted entrance. Shop ghostly decor from local Etsy shops and convert your home into a haunted manor!
How About Glow-in-the Dark Decor?
What do we need for this Halloween decor? As much glow-in-the-dark décor, you can get your hands on! Think: stars, balloons, glow sticks and more. Turn the lights off and let the Spooktacular scene glow. Visit Pumpkin and a Princess for more info.
Design a Festive Wreath
You know what will bring all the community kiddos to your front door to trick or treat? A wreath made of candy, of course. Let your children help you build it by choosing the candy. Although you will need to assist them with the hot glue gun. If you are looking for some beautiful, handmade wreaths for your home, we highly recommend checking out Crafts & Creations. This local Texas home decorator specializes in hand-made custom wreaths, among other festive décor.
Integrate STEM Learning with Toothpicks and Pumpkin Candy
STEM building challenges are always a hit with kids. Give this activity a Halloween twist by using toothpicks and pumpkin gummies. Children can do this fun STEM experiment with little to none, parental guidance. Of course, you may have to keep an eye out on how many gummies get eaten by the end of the project!
Read Halloween Themed Books
Gather around to read aloud ghost stories. Set the tone with a crackling fire in the fireplace or candles lit around the room. This Halloween, read some from this list of pumpkin books by We Are Teachers. Turn the lights low, hand out flashlights, pop some popcorn, and BOO!
Erupt a Pumpkin-Cano!
Take the thrill of this eruptive baking soda (how long does baking soda last?) and lemon juice experiment up a notch by doing it all in a pumpkin. Little Bins for Little Hands explains how to make this pumpkin-cano! Visit their page for many more exciting Halloween stem activities!
Leftover Candy? No Problem, Run a Dozen Fun Tests!
When all is done, and the kids have had their fill of Halloween candy, inspire their minds to do a little thinking-out-of-the-box. What can one do when one has a stomach full of candy and some to spare? Do some candy testing, of course! Candy experiments provide suspense, thrill, and lots of mental exercise. From dancing Frankenworms and the evergreen mentos and soda experiment to getting the M off the M&M’s, candy studies is the best subject ever!
Decorate Pumpkins with String Art
Pumpkin carving does get plenty messy and also requires more adult supervision. If you want to keep the kids busy while you get stuff done, try this clever string art activity. Here we use thumbtacks instead of nails. This activity lets children explore their own styles of decorating the pumpkin and gets the creative juices flowing. Here is a really simple tutorial on how to do Halloween no-carve-pumpkin décor.
Planning to head outdoors for some spooks? Have a look at our rundown of family-friendly Halloween events happening in and around Austin and the DFW area.
Visiting a pumpkin patch? Check out which farms are hosting pumpkin patches this year in NorthWest Texas!
Got your pasture-raised Thanksgiving turkey yet? This list has all the local Texan farms offering heritage turkeys, and more.
Remember, it doesn’t have to be complicated or perfect for your kids to have fun! These moments will end up being significant memories for them as they grow.
What activities do you love doing with your family on this holiday? Leave a comment and let us know!
In need of some bbq after the halloween activites? Check out these best brisket restaurant across Texas!
