10 fun family Halloween traditions to start with your kids

Last Updated on September 26, 2024

Halloween is a fun time of year, and a great time to start some family Halloween traditions that extend beyond trick or treating.

If you’re looking for Halloween activities that the whole family will enjoy, here are 10 family Halloween traditions that you can pick and choose from, to make this spooky time of year one to remember.

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Pumpkin carving and pumpkin picking

Pumpkin carving is perhaps the most obvious, and even messiest family Halloween tradition, and is a tradition that I started with my family a couple of years ago.

If you’d like to try pumpkin carving, you can buy a pumpkin from your local grocery store, or you can go pumpkin picking and pick your own pumpkin to take home and carve.

If pumpkin carving sounds like fun, some of the things you can carve into a pumpkin include:

• Jack O Lantern
• Cat
• Monster
• Ghost

Using a pumpkin carving stencil will help you to choose what character you’d like on your pumpkin, and to make the carving easier, you could use some pumpkin carving tools.

Pumpkin painting

If you don’t want to carve a pumpkin but would still like decorated pumpkins in your home, then an alternative is to paint your pumpkin instead.

You could paint your pumpkin, or your kids could paint it, making this a Halloween family tradition that the whole family can do together.

If you do decide to paint a pumpkin use acrylic paint, as this type of paint dries fast, and can easily be wiped off the pumpkin if you, or your kids, make a mistake when painting their creation on it.

Family movie night

If you feel like a quiet night in over Halloween, a family movie night is a great idea.

Some Halloween themed family friendly movies include:

• The Nightmare Before Christmas (2023)
• Toy Story of Terror (2014)
• Hotel Transylvania (2012)
• A Monster in Paris (2011)

Halloween books

Getting some Halloween books is a great way to enjoy the lead up to Halloween, and some of these books may even become family favourites that are read throughout the entire year.

One of my boy’s favourite books is The Dinosaur That Pooped Halloween, which is a book that we read all year long.

Here are some Halloween books that are great even for younger kids:

• Gus the Gassy Ghost
• The Pumpkin Who was Afraid of the Dark
• Granny Put a Pumpkin on Her Noggin
• Zack the Farting Zombie
• The Witch’s Cat and The Trouble with Tidying Up
• The Dinosaur That Pooped Halloween

Halloween treats

Making Halloween treats is a fun and tasty family Halloween tradition that you may like to start with your family this year.

If this sounds like something you’d like to start, here are some ideas:

• Yoghurt Ghost Pops
• Chocolate Spider Cupcakes
• Zombie Apple Teeth
• Halloween Cake

Halloween crafts

If you’re looking for easy arts and crafts ideas for your kids over Halloween, especially for a rainy day, here are some Halloween crafts that are suitable for a kids of all ages:

• Handprint Witch
• Paper Plate Frankenstein
• Egg Box Bats
• Toilet Paper Roll Monsters

Decorate your home

Decorating your home for Halloween is a fun Halloween tradition for kids, especially if they help with the decorating.

You could decorate one area of your home, such as your front entry, or you could decorate multiple rooms like your kitchen, living room, bedrooms, and even your bathroom.

If you choose to make some Halloween crafts, you could use them to decorate your home as well, for a more personal touch.

Halloween costume shopping

If your kids are like mine, they love dressing up at any chance they get.

If dressing up for Halloween is a Halloween tradition you’d like to start, make sure you get your costume early, because they sell out fast.

Halloween spooky dinner

Having a spooky dinner on Halloween night is a great idea, and if you’d like to try it yourself, here are some Halloween recipes:

• Mini Monster Burgers
• Halloween Bagel Pizza Mummies
• Halloween Mummy Dogs
• Mummy Chicken Pot Pies

Halloween lunchbox jokes

One last Halloween tradition that’s super easy, is to put some Halloween jokes into your kid’s school lunchbox, or hidden under their school snacks.

Family Halloween traditions – a recap

There are many Halloween family traditions that you can start that will add an extra bit of excitement to this time of year.

Some of these are:

• Carving pumpkins with all sorts of Halloween characters including a Jack O Lantern, cat, monster, or even a ghost
• Painting pumpkins
• Enjoying a Halloween family movie night
• Reading Halloween books
• Baking Halloween inspired treats like Ghost Pops, Spider Cupcakes, Zombie Teeth, and a large Halloween decorated cake
• Halloween crafts like Handprint Witches, Paper Plate Frankenstein’s, Egg Box Bats, and Toilet Roll Monsters
• Decorating your home
• Dressing up
• Making a spooky Halloween dinner with meals like Monster Burgers, Bagel Pizza Mummies, Mummy Dogs, or Mummy Chicken Pot Pies
• Putting Halloween jokes your kid’s school lunchboxes

I hope you’ve found some Halloween traditions that you’d like to start this year, and if you’re feeling super brave, you can even continue them any time of year when the mood strikes.

What Halloween family traditions do you think you’ll start this year?

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