Halloween Crafts for Kids: 16 Easy Ideas That Keep Little Hands Busy for Hours

These Halloween crafts for kids are the easy, happy kind that turn a quiet afternoon into a table full of giggles, glue and googly eyes. Do you remember the thrill of making something spooky with your own two hands and running to show it off? Your little ones can feel that same rush this October. Every idea here uses simple things you probably already have, like paper plates, empty toilet paper rolls, yarn, washable paint and a few pipe cleaners. Most take less than an hour, and many need just one quick grown-up step. Pick a few for a rainy weekend, a classroom party or a cozy night before trick or treating. Clear the table, roll up those sleeves and let the spooky fun begin..

Footprint Ghosts and Pumpkins

This is the craft that took over phones this fall, and it is easy to see why. One footprint Halloween art video on YouTube has passed 399 million views, and parents everywhere are copying it. A little foot dipped in white paint becomes a ghost, and an orange one turns into a pumpkin. Years from now, you will smile at how tiny those toes were. Keep a tub of warm soapy water and a towel right next to the paper, because this part gets giggly fast..

You will need: White and orange washable paint, black and orange card stock, a paper plate, a foam brush, googly eyes, a glue stick, a black marker, a tub of soapy water and a towel.

How to make it: 1. Brush white paint on the bottom of your child’s foot and press it heel up onto black card stock. 2. Repeat with orange paint for a pumpkin and add a green paper stem. 3. Wash feet right away. 4. When dry, glue on googly eyes and draw a mouth with the marker.

Handprint Bats

Two small hands, a little black paint and suddenly you have a bat flapping across the page. Turn the paper sideways and the fingers become wings, which always gets a gasp from little kids. This is one of the best Halloween crafts for kids under three because there is nothing to cut at all. Make one every year and you will have a whole bat family that shows how much your child has grown. Who in your house would make the biggest bat?

You will need: Black washable paint, a foam brush, orange and purple card stock, googly eyes, white paper, a glue stick and wet wipes.

How to make it: 1. Paint your child’s palms and fingers black. 2. Press both hands on the paper with the thumbs touching so the fingers spread out like wings. 3. Paint a small round body where the thumbs meet. 4. Once dry, add googly eyes and tiny white paper fangs.

Paper Flying Bats, One of the Most Shared Halloween Crafts for Kids

Paper bat crafts are some of the most liked Halloween ideas on Instagram this month, and kids love them because the bats really seem to fly. The wings are folded like a paper fan, so they bounce and flutter when you tug the string. Hang a whole swarm in a window or over a doorway and watch them swing every time someone walks by. Make a few in purple and orange for extra color. Could your kids make enough to fill the whole window?

You will need: Black card stock, purple and orange paper, child-safe scissors, a glue stick, googly eyes, string, tape and a wooden dowel or stick.

How to make it: 1. Cut out a small bat body and two wing pieces. 2. Fold each wing back and forth like a fan. 3. Glue the wings to the body and add googly eyes and paper fangs. 4. Tape a string to the back and tie it to the dowel.

Pipe Cleaner Bead Spiders

These little spiders are the craft kids keep asking to make again. Threading big pony beads onto fuzzy pipe cleaners is great practice for small fingers, and every spider comes out with its own silly personality. One short video of this craft drew more than 41,000 likes. Paint a web on a piece of cardboard so the spiders have a home. The beads are small, so this one is best for kids over three. How many spiders will crawl across your table?

You will need: Black and colored pipe cleaners, pony beads, googly eyes, craft glue, a piece of cardboard and white paint.

How to make it: 1. Lay four pipe cleaners side by side and twist them together in the middle. 2. Thread three or four beads over the middle to make the body. 3. Bend the ends into eight wiggly legs. 4. Glue on googly eyes and set the spider on a painted cardboard web.

Painted Mini Pumpkins

Little pumpkins are the perfect canvas for little artists, and no knife is needed at all. Kids can paint silly faces, polka dots, stripes or even a whole monster. Kid-friendly craft paint works well, just cover the table first. These look adorable lined up on a windowsill or front step, and they last for weeks because nobody carved them. Here is a bonus idea: let each child sign the bottom of their pumpkin so you can tell them apart. Which face will your kids paint first?

You will need: Mini pumpkins, kid-friendly craft paint, brushes, paint pens, a cup of water, paper towels and old newspaper.

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the pumpkins. 2. Paint a base coat if you like and let it dry. 3. Add faces or patterns with brushes or paint pens. 4. Let them dry fully before setting them outside.

Toilet Roll Mummies, Recycled Halloween Crafts for Kids

Before you toss that empty toilet paper roll, save it for this sweet little mummy. Kids wrap the tube in strips of white crepe paper, leave a gap for the eyes, and a friendly spooky buddy appears. It is cheap, quick and great for small hands that love to wrap things. Make a whole mummy family in different sizes using paper towel tubes too. They look so cute on a party table. How many empty rolls have you saved already?

You will need: Empty toilet paper rolls, white crepe paper or gauze, a glue stick, googly eyes, small paper bows and child-safe scissors.

How to make it: 1. Rub glue all over the tube. 2. Wrap strips of crepe paper around it, crossing them a little. 3. Leave a small gap and stick two googly eyes inside it. 4. Add a paper bow for a fancy mummy.

Silly Paper Pumpkin Faces

This craft is all about giggles. Cut a big pumpkin shape from orange paper, then give your kids a pile of paper eyes, noses, mouths and eyebrows to mix and match. Some will go spooky, some will go goofy, and some may look a lot like a family member. It is one of the best Halloween crafts for kids at a classroom party because there is no paint and almost no mess. Tape the finished faces to the front door to greet trick or treaters. What kind of face will your kids create?

You will need: Orange, green, black, white and purple paper, child-safe scissors, a glue stick and markers.

How to make it: 1. Draw and cut out a large pumpkin from orange paper. 2. Cut out a mix of eyes, mouths and noses. 3. Let kids arrange the pieces until they love the face. 4. Glue everything down and add a green stem.

Yarn Spider Web on a Paper Plate

Weaving sounds hard, but this simple paper plate web makes it feel like a game. Kids pass the yarn from hole to hole, crossing back and forth, and every web turns out different. It is wonderful for focus and fine motor skills, and it keeps busy hands quiet for a good while. Add a fuzzy pom pom spider in the middle and hang it on a door. A grown-up should cut the center out of the plate first. Ready to spin your first web?

You will need: Paper plates, black paint, a hole punch, white yarn, a plastic yarn needle, a black pom pom, a pipe cleaner and googly eyes.

How to make it: 1. A grown-up cuts out the middle of the plate. 2. Paint the rim black and punch holes all around it. 3. Weave yarn across the opening in any pattern. 4. Glue on a pom pom spider with pipe cleaner legs.

Jack-o-Lantern Oranges, Healthy Halloween Crafts for Kids

Not every pumpkin has to be a pumpkin. Grab a bowl of oranges and let your kids draw jack-o-lantern faces on them with a marker. It takes five minutes, and they look adorable in a fruit bowl or a lunch box. It is also a sweet way to sneak in a healthy snack during a sugar-filled month. Ask your kids to make one for each family member and see if everyone can guess whose is whose. Will your fruit bowl get a spooky makeover this week?

You will need: Oranges or clementines, a food-safe black marker and a little green paper leaf.

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the oranges. 2. Draw triangle eyes and a toothy grin with the marker. 3. Tuck a paper leaf on top. 4. Line them up in a bowl, and peel before eating.

Straw-Blown Splatter Monsters

A straw-blown spider craft pulled in nearly 99,000 reactions on Facebook, and this monster version is just as much fun. Kids drop a puddle of watery paint on paper, then blow through a straw to push it into wild, wiggly shapes. Every splat becomes a monster with crazy arms and hair. Add googly eyes and they come to life. Lay down newspaper first, and remind little ones to blow out, not sip in. What will your kids name their monsters?

You will need: Watered-down washable paint, white card stock, paper straws, a spoon, googly eyes, glue, markers and newspaper.

How to make it: 1. Drop a spoonful of thin paint on the paper. 2. Blow through a straw to push the paint in different directions. 3. Let it dry. 4. Glue on googly eyes and draw mouths and teeth.

Ghost and Pumpkin Straw Toppers

Make any drink feel like a party with these little paper straw toppers. Kids draw a ghost or a pumpkin on card stock, cut it out and slide it onto a straw. They are perfect for a Halloween movie night, a class party or a lunch box surprise. Use paper straws to keep things a little greener. Like many easy Halloween crafts for kids, they also make a fun party favor, so make a big batch and let guests pick their favorite. Which one would your kids want in their cup?

You will need: White and orange card stock, a black marker, child-safe scissors, a hole punch and paper straws.

How to make it: 1. Draw small ghosts and pumpkins on card stock. 2. Add faces with the marker. 3. Cut them out. 4. Punch two holes, one above the other, and slide the straw through.

Painted Rock Monsters

Turn a walk around the yard into a monster hunt. Kids pick smooth rocks, then paint them bright green, purple and orange and add googly eyes, fangs and wild hair. Some families hide them around the neighborhood for others to find, which is a lovely way to spread a little joy. If they will live outside, a grown-up can seal them with a clear coat. Keep small rocks away from toddlers. Where would your kids hide their rock monsters?

You will need: Smooth clean rocks, acrylic craft paint, brushes, paint pens, googly eyes, craft glue and clear sealer for the grown-up step.

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the rocks. 2. Paint a bright base coat. 3. Add faces with paint pens and glue on googly eyes. 4. A grown-up sprays a clear sealer outdoors.

Spooky Paper Crowns

Every little ghoul deserves a crown. Cut a simple zigzag crown from black card stock, then add spiders, bats or tiny pumpkins cut from orange paper. Kids can wear them to a Halloween party or for trick or treating if they do not want a full costume. This is a great craft for a group because each crown is sized to fit. Add a little glitter glue for sparkle. Who in your family would wear the spookiest crown?

You will need: Black card stock, orange paper, child-safe scissors, a glue stick, tape and glitter glue.

How to make it: 1. Cut a long strip of black card stock with zigzag points along the top. 2. Cut spiders or bats from orange paper and glue them on. 3. Measure around your child’s head. 4. Tape the ends together.

Leaf Creatures, a Fall Twist on Halloween Crafts for Kids

Take your crafting outside for this one. Kids gather leaves, twigs and seeds, then glue them onto paper to make bats, owls, birds or friendly monsters. A big leaf becomes a body, small ones turn into wings, and twigs make perfect legs. It gets kids moving and noticing nature before the craft even starts. If you love simple projects like this, our easy mason jar crafts are full of more ideas for the whole family. What creature will your kids find hiding in the leaves?

You will need: Fresh or pressed leaves, small twigs, white paper, school glue, googly eyes and markers.

How to make it: 1. Take a walk and collect leaves in different shapes and colors. 2. Lay them on paper to plan a creature. 3. Glue everything down. 4. Add eyes and details with markers.

Painted Ghost Buddies

Little ghost figures are so fun to paint, and kids can give each one a goofy face. You can find plain white ceramic or wooden ghost shapes at a craft store, or shape your own from air-dry clay. Then let your kids add big eyes, silly mouths and little stars or patches. Line them up on a shelf as a ghost gang that comes out every October. Of all the Halloween crafts for kids here, this is the keepsake you will treasure for years. What faces will your ghosts wear?

You will need: Plain ceramic, wooden or air-dry clay ghost shapes, acrylic craft paint, small brushes and a black paint pen.

How to make it: 1. If using clay, shape small ghosts and let them dry for a day. 2. Paint on eyes and a mouth. 3. Add stars, dots or patches. 4. Let them dry and put them on display.

Window Cutouts, the Cheapest Halloween Crafts for Kids

Want a craft that decorates the whole house? Fold a piece of paper, draw half a bat or ghost along the fold, and let kids cut it out to reveal a perfect shape. Add spiders, webs and squiggly worms too. Tape them to windows, walls and the fridge, and your home is Halloween ready in one afternoon. Older kids can try tricky spider webs, while little ones stick to simple ghosts. It costs almost nothing and feels so festive. Which room will your kids decorate first?

You will need: Black, white and orange card stock, a pencil, child-safe scissors, a black marker and removable tape.

How to make it: 1. Fold the paper in half and draw half a bat, ghost or spider along the fold. 2. Cut along the line and open it up. 3. Add faces with the marker. 4. Tape the cutouts to windows or walls with removable tape.