How to Prepare Your House for Halloween with Kids

  • 16 Oct 2024
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Halloween is a magical time for children—filled with spooky decorations, creative costumes, and of course, candy. Preparing your house for Halloween with kids can be an exciting and memorable experience. Whether you're planning to throw a Halloween party, go trick-or-treating, or simply decorate your home, here’s a guide to help you make the most of it with your little ones.


1. Choose a Theme Together

Before you dive into decorating, have a family brainstorming session to decide on a fun Halloween theme. Some popular options include:


Classic Spooky: Ghosts, skeletons, and cobwebs

Magical Fantasy: Witches, wizards, and enchanted creatures

Pumpkin Patch Fun: Carved pumpkins and harvest-inspired décor

Cute and Friendly: Smiling ghosts and friendly monsters, perfect for younger kids

Let your kids share their ideas and pick a theme they’re excited about. This will give them a sense of ownership and make the process more engaging for them.


2. Craft Easy, Kid-Friendly Decorations

Once you’ve settled on a theme, it’s time to make some decorations! Involve your kids in crafting spooky yet fun decor that’s safe and easy for them to create.


DIY Ghosts: Grab some white fabric, stuff it with newspaper or cotton, and tie it around a balloon or ball to make floating ghost figures. Draw on eyes and hang them around the house.

Paper Bats and Pumpkins: Cut out simple bat or pumpkin shapes from colored construction paper. Let your kids decorate them with stickers, glitter, or crayons, and then hang them on windows or walls.

Pumpkin Painting: Instead of carving pumpkins, which can be difficult for younger kids, have them paint pumpkins in fun colors. They can use glow-in-the-dark paint or glitter for extra sparkle!


3. Set Up a “Spooky” Entrance

The front of your house is the first thing trick-or-treaters and guests will see, so turn it into a Halloween masterpiece with your kids’ help.


Welcome Sign: Make a big, spooky welcome sign to greet visitors. Use a black poster board and bright orange or green paint to write "Beware," "Enter if you dare," or another fun phrase.

Jack-o'-Lanterns: If your kids are old enough, involve them in carving jack-o’-lanterns (with supervision!). For younger children, consider using battery-operated candles or glow sticks inside to avoid open flames.

Outdoor Lights: String up some orange or purple fairy lights to give your entrance an eerie glow. You can also place a few glowing or flashing decorations along the walkway.


4. Create a Safe, Kid-Friendly Haunted House Indoors

For indoor Halloween fun, transform part of your home into a “haunted house” that’s spooky but not too scary for little ones. Kids love a good adventure, so let them be part of the planning and building process.


Spooky Hallway: Hang up black or dark-colored sheets to create a winding hallway. Use cotton batting to create cobwebs, and hang paper spiders or ghosts from the ceiling.

Fun Soundtrack: Set the mood with spooky (but kid-friendly) sound effects. You can find playlists with eerie sounds like howling wind, creaking doors, or soft ghostly moans.

Interactive Elements: Create “mystery boxes” filled with different textures. Have your kids guess what’s inside—peeled grapes as “eyeballs,” spaghetti as “worms,” or cotton balls as “ghost clouds.”


5. Plan Kid-Friendly Halloween Games

Halloween games are a great way to keep your kids entertained while prepping the house or during a party.


Pumpkin Hunt: Just like an Easter egg hunt, hide small plastic pumpkins or Halloween-themed toys around the house or yard, and let the kids go on a hunt to find them.

Pin the Hat on the Witch: A Halloween twist on “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” Print or draw a witch on a large poster board and make a cut-out of her hat for kids to try and pin in the right place while blindfolded.

Spider Toss: Create a “spider web” by taping crisscrossed black tape on a doorway, and let your kids throw fake spiders (or black pom-poms) to see if they can get them to stick.


6. Create a Candy Station

If you’re planning to hand out candy, set up a candy station that your kids can help manage. It’s a great way to teach them the spirit of giving during Halloween.


Candy Bowl Monsters: Transform your candy bowl into a monster using paper or felt cutouts to give it eyes and fangs.

Handing Out Candy: Let your kids wear part of their costumes and help give candy to trick-or-treaters who come to the door. It makes them feel involved and gives them a little break from the candy-eating frenzy!


7. Prepare Safe Treats

If you’re planning a Halloween party or expecting trick-or-treaters, prepare some kid-friendly snacks that are festive and safe. Get your children involved in the preparation:


Ghostly Fruit Cups: Decorate small clear cups with ghost faces using a marker, then fill them with fruit like grapes or mandarin oranges.

Mummy Hot Dogs: Wrap hot dogs in crescent roll dough and bake them. Add small dots of mustard or ketchup for “eyes” to make them look like little mummies.

Witch’s Brew: Make a Halloween punch with a mix of juice and soda, and add floating “eyeballs” (peeled grapes) or gummy worms for fun.


8. Safety First

Halloween should be fun, but safety is always a priority. Here are a few tips to keep things safe while decorating and celebrating:

Fire Safety: Avoid using candles in pumpkins or around decorations, especially if you have young children. Opt for battery-operated lights instead.

Check Costumes: Make sure costumes are safe and comfortable for kids, avoiding anything that obstructs vision or movement. If your kids will be outside, add reflective tape to their costumes for visibility.

Childproof Decorations: Keep fragile or small decorative pieces out of reach to avoid choking hazards, and make sure any cords or lights are safely secured.


Preparing your house for Halloween with kids is all about making it a fun, engaging, and safe experience. From choosing a theme to crafting decorations, planning games, and ensuring safety, your kids will enjoy being part of the process. Best of all, it’s an opportunity to bond as a family and create lasting Halloween memories!