15 Halloween party ideas to try at home

A Halloween party at home doesn't need a garden full of decorations or a whole afternoon of organised entertainment. A few things to make, something to decorate and a couple of games will do nicely. There are a mix of ideas with plenty that are just as fun if you're not having a party, but still want some Halloween themed entertainment for your little one(s).

Here are 15 ideas to mix and match, from ghost biscuits to a monster knock-down. Pick a few that suit the space and the children coming. Friendly pumpkins and silly monsters can carry the whole theme if spooky isn't their thing.

Things to make

1. Decorate pumpkins without carving

You'll need: Small pumpkins, washable paint or paint pens, paper shapes and glue dots.

Set the pumpkins on a covered table and let everyone make a face, a pattern or a completely new creature. Paper ears and wings turn them into cats and bats without anyone having to scoop out the middle.

Use paper cut-outs rather than tiny stick-on decorations for younger children. Put finished pumpkins on a tray to dry, with names underneath so the right monster goes home.

2. Make a paper ghost garland

You'll need: White paper, pencils, scissors, a black pen, a hole punch and string.

Fold a sheet of paper in half, draw a rounded ghost and cut it out. Add a surprised face, punch a hole at the top and thread the ghosts onto string. They can be cheerful, grumpy or apparently very worried about the biscuits.

Pre-cut shapes if the group would rather get straight to the faces. An adult can hang the finished garland out of reach, away from doors and walkways.

3. Create folded-paper pumpkins

You'll need: Orange paper, green paper, glue sticks and scissors.

Cut several matching orange circles and fold each in half. Glue one folded half to the next, continuing until they fan out into a round pumpkin. Join the last sides and add a green paper stalk.

A stack of ready-cut circles makes this a much quicker party craft. Write each child's name on a leaf and use the pumpkins as table decorations before they go home.

4. Make bat headbands

You'll need: Card strips, black paper, glue sticks, pens and tape.

Make a band to fit each child's head, then add two folded-paper bat wings to the front. Draw on a face and use tape to secure the band rather than staples.

Offer pumpkin and cat shapes too. Nobody has to spend the party dressed as the same animal, especially when the cat has very firm opinions.

5. Make monster shadow puppets

You'll need: Card, scissors, tape, paper straws and a torch.

Cut out bats, cats, pumpkins or friendly monsters and tape each one to a paper straw. Shine a torch at a plain wall and let children take turns introducing their characters. Moving a puppet towards and away from the torch changes the size of its shadow.

Keep enough room light on to move around comfortably. You don't need a completely dark room for a good monster entrance.

Things to decorate and eat

6. Decorate Halloween biscuits

You'll need: Baked and cooled biscuits, thick icing in a few colours, teaspoons or piping bags, and simple edible decorations.

Ghosts, pumpkins and bats are fun, but round biscuits work too. Spread on orange icing and draw a pumpkin face, or turn white icing into a ghost with a couple of chocolate dots.

Give each child a tray or plate to work on and leave a clear space for the icing to set. Have a few spare biscuits ready for the decorator who finishes very quickly and immediately eats the evidence.

Use the allergy information you've already gathered for the party when choosing biscuits, icing and toppings.

7. Turn cupcakes into little monsters

You'll need: Baked and cooled cupcakes, buttercream, spoons, and edible decorations suited to the group.

Set out a few bowls of coloured buttercream. Children can make a fluffy purple monster, a green face or a white ghost with a tall swirl of icing. Eyes and mouths can be drawn with writing icing rather than added as separate sweets.

Keep the choices small so the activity is decorating, not waiting for six bowls to come round. If biscuits are already on the plan, choose one decorating activity rather than setting up a second sticky table.

Halloween party games

8. Go on a pumpkin picture hunt

You'll need: Paper pumpkin pictures and a pencil-and-paper checklist for each pair or team.

Hide pumpkin pictures around the room, giving each one a different face or pattern. Children search for the spotty one, the sleepy one and the one with the enormous smile, ticking them off as they go.

Hide pictures in easy-to-reach places and leave them where they are, so everyone can find the full set. A shared final clue can lead the whole group to the snack table.

9. Play musical monster statues

You'll need: Music and a little clear floor space.

Play music while everyone dances like monsters. When it stops, call out a pose: a tiny ghost, a wobbly skeleton or a pumpkin with very tired legs. Everyone freezes in character until the music starts again.

Keep it non-elimination so nobody spends the game sitting out. Children can take turns choosing the next pose instead.

10. Try a witch's hat ring toss

You'll need: A card cone shaped like a witch's hat, a sturdy base and large lightweight throwing rings.

Fix the hat to its base, mark a throwing line and take turns tossing rings over the point. Start close enough for a few early successes, then move the line back if the group wants a challenge.

Play in small teams or try to beat a shared score. A homemade hat works best with a broad base so it doesn't fall over every time a ring brushes it.

11. Knock down the monsters

You'll need: Clean, empty food tubs or paper cups, paper faces and a soft beanbag.

Turn the tubs into monsters with big paper eyes and crooked smiles. Stack them in a small pyramid on a low, stable surface and take turns knocking them down from a marked line.

Paper cups are useful indoors because they fall quietly and are quick to rebuild. Keep the throwing lane clear and let the next player be the official monster stacker.

12. Pin the smile on the pumpkin

You'll need: A large paper pumpkin, separate paper smiles and reusable adhesive.

Put the pumpkin on the wall at a comfortable height. Give each player a smile with their name on the back and let them try to place it on the face with their eyes closed.

There's no need for a blindfold or spinning. Anyone who prefers can keep their eyes open and invent the funniest face instead. Use adhesive rather than pins, despite the game's name.

13. Play Halloween charades

You'll need: Cards showing or naming simple Halloween actions.

Try a bat waking up, a witch stirring soup, a cat stretching or a ghost who has lost its way. Children take turns acting while the others guess.

Picture cards help children who aren't reading yet. Let pairs perform together if solo acting feels like a bit much, and skip the timer if it gets in the way of the fun.

14. Cross the pumpkin patch

You'll need: Large flat paper pumpkin markers and a clear stretch of floor.

Arrange the pumpkins as stepping stones. Children cross the patch by moving from one pumpkin to the next, then try a different route on the way back. Add prompts such as freezing like a scarecrow or making a silent ghost face at a particular pumpkin.

Secure the markers so they can't slide, keep the gaps small and make it a walking game rather than a race. This also works as a short route between the party table and the next activity.

15. Pass the pumpkin story

You'll need: A soft pumpkin toy or a small cushion.

Sit in a circle and begin a story: 'One evening, a very small ghost knocked on the wrong door...' Pass the pumpkin and let each child add a sentence. The next person can introduce a character, a problem or a completely unnecessary dragon.

Anyone can say 'pass' or ask the group for an idea. It's a useful way to bring the noise down before home time, with no winner and nothing to clear up.

A simple Halloween party plan

Start with pumpkin decorating as children arrive, then move to a picture hunt and musical monster statues. Bring everyone back to the table for biscuit decorating, leaving the finished biscuits to set while you play one last game.

Keep shadow puppets or the pass-the-pumpkin story ready for a quieter finish. You don't need to fit in the whole list. One craft, one food activity and a couple of games gives the party plenty to do without turning the afternoon into a timetable.