10 Brilliant Halloween Alternatives to Trick-or-Treating That Are Just As Much Fun

Halloween is just around the corner, and while trick-or-treating is a beloved tradition for many, it’s not always the best fit for every family.

Whether your kids aren’t fans of trick-or-treating or you’re looking for a more home-based celebration, there are plenty of alternatives that are just as much fun – if not more!

Move Over Trick Or Treating, These Ideas Are So Much Fun

Here are 10 fabulously fun ideas to make Halloween night scarily good for your kids.

1. Halloween Scavenger Hunt

This post may contain affiliate links.Privacy Policy. Follow us on PINTEREST

Create a spooky scavenger hunt around your home or garden. Hide Halloween-themed items like plastic spiders, mini pumpkins, and sweets, and give your kids clues to find them. This can be a fun and interactive way to keep them engaged and excited.

What You’ll Need:

• Halloween-themed items to hide
• Clue cards or a treasure map
• Small prizes or sweets

There is the cutest picture-led Halloween Scavenger Hunt over on Big Heart Little Star.

For a hunt with rhyming clues that lead from one hiding place to the next, try my Halloween Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids from Big Heart Little Star. It includes 16 location clues and blank cards for your own clues, and comes as a paid PDF download to print at home.

Pin

2. Pumpkin Decorating Contest

Turn pumpkin carving into a family-friendly decorating contest. Provide paint, markers, stickers, and other craft supplies so kids can unleash their creativity without the need for sharp tools.

What You’ll Need:

• Mini pumpkins
• Paint, markers, stickers, and other Halloween decor
• Awards for the best-decorated pumpkins

Take a look at this roundup of the best no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas right now.

3. Spooky Movie Marathon

Host a Halloween movie marathon with kid-friendly spooky films. Set up a cosy movie-watching area with blankets, pillows, and plenty of popcorn. Choose age-appropriate movies that won’t be too scary for your little ones.

What You’ll Need:

• A selection of Halloween movies (e.g., “Hocus Pocus”, “The Addams Family”, “Casper”)
• Popcorn and snacks
• Comfortable seating, throws and cushions to snuggle into

I’ve put together a list of 12 of the best family-friendly movies perfect for Halloween.

4. DIY Haunted House

Transform part of your home into a haunted house. Use decor like cobwebs, fake skeletons, and spooky lights to create a fun, eerie atmosphere.

Get kids involved in the decorating fun and then invite them and their guests to explore the haunted zone!

What You’ll Need:

• Halloween decor (cobwebs, skeletons, spooky lights)
• Sound effects (creaky doors, ghostly wails)
• A designated area in your home to transform
• A blacklight and neon signage for extra zing

5. Halloween Crafts Station

Set up a craft station with various Halloween-themed projects. Kids can make their own masks or create spooky scenes with construction paper and glue.

Browse these easy Halloween crafts for kids to choose a project, then follow the original creator’s tutorial.

What You’ll Need:

• Craft supplies (construction paper, glue, scissors, markers)
• Templates for crafts
• Decorative items (glitter, googly eyes, stickers)

6. Monster Mash Dance Party

Create a playlist of Halloween songs and have a monster mash dance party.

Invite your kids and their guests to dress up in costumes (you could even do a runway show to the music!)

You could also add some games like musical chairs or freeze dance to keep the energy high.

What You’ll Need:

• Halloween music playlist
• Costumes
• Space for dancing
• Optional: game supplies (chairs for musical chairs, etc.)

7. Halloween Storytime

Want to find a way to entertain younger kids and even toddlers?

How about hosting a Halloween-themed storytime with spooky (but not too scary) stories?

Gather the kids around and read from books or tell your own ghost stories.

Use clever lighting to create shadows or use a blacklight and neon decor for extra fun.

What You’ll Need:

• Halloween storybooks or prepare a story yourself
• A torch or other lighting to create a spooky atmosphere
• Cosy seating area

8. Candy Taste Test

Organise a Candy Taste Test where kids can sample different types of Halloween candy and rate their favourites.

This can be a super fun way for kids to get their mitts on some Halloween candy without the need for trick-or-treating.

What You’ll Need:

• Variety of Halloween sweets
• Scorecards for rating the sweets
• Plates or bowls for sampling

Now, as luck would have it, Big Heart Little Star has lovely Candy Taste Test printable. Plus there is also a really cute How Many Candies In The Jar game.

These games are included in my Halloween Games Bundle for Kids, a paid digital download with 11 games. Print the games before your gathering and provide your own candy and other supplies.

For a small surprise to enjoy at home, these boo basket ideas include books, activities and non-candy combinations.

Pin

9. Halloween Bingo

Create Halloween-themed bingo cards and play a few rounds with the family.

Use sweets or small toys as prizes for the winners. This is a great way to keep kids entertained and competitive in a friendly manner.

What You’ll Need:

• Halloween bingo cards (can be printed or homemade)
• Markers for the cards
• Small prizes

10. Ghostly Baking Session

Get your kids and their friends into your kitchen to bake or decorate some spooky cookies or cupcakes.

What You’ll Need:

• Baking ingredients (biscuit dough, cake mix, etc.)
• Decorating supplies (icing, sprinkles, edible eyes)
• Recipes or decorating ideas

I’ve got plenty of Halloween games ideas for little kids to share too.

Pin to save:

Pin