Halloween can be a lot for young children – all those masks, cobwebs and spooky decorations can feel more frightening than fun. The good news is you don’t need anything scary to get your toddler excited for the season. From happy pumpkins to friendly bats, here are 15 simple but not scary Halloween crafts for toddlers that will keep little hands busy and get everyone in the Halloween spirit, without any tears at bedtime.
Each of these crafts uses everyday materials you probably already have at home – paper plates, toilet roll tubes, egg cartons and paint – so there’s no need for a big shopping trip. Pick a few that suit your toddler’s age and let them get stuck in.
#1. Trick or Treat Anyone?
Get your toddler excited for Halloween by helping them make their own loot bag. All you need is paper bags, glue, coloured paper, black felt and a pencil. It’s a simple craft with a big payoff – a bag they made themselves to fill with treats.
Image via Hellokids
#2. Cat Mask Craft
A lovely gentle craft to start with. All you need is paper plates, paper, colouring pencils or paints, glue and string. There’s painting, cutting and sticking involved, so it will keep a toddler busy for a good while – and the result is a friendly cat mask, not a scary one.
Image via Activity Village
You may also like: 25 Cute & Easy Paper Plate Crafts, Perfect for Preschoolers
#3. Halloween Paper Chains
Our Halloween paper chains are an easy, fun project to make together. Anything gently spooky works – pumpkins, ghosts, bats and witches’ hats. Hang them across a window or along a wall for an instant bit of Halloween cheer.
Recommended read: 12 Not So Scary Halloween Games Perfect for Younger Kids
#4. Pumpkin Mask Homemade Craft
A really simple mask that’s mostly about colouring in. Print out a pumpkin mask template, gather some colouring pencils, and let your toddler get creative. Once they’re finished, cut out the eye sockets and attach string so they can wear it.
Image via Hellokids
You may also like: 5 Spookishly Simple Halloween Crafts for Kids
#5. Spooky Bats!
This friendly toilet roll bat is especially suited to younger toddlers. You’ll need a toilet roll tube, grey card, black paint, wiggle eyes, double-sided tape and string to hang it up. A nice touch is hiding a few sweets inside the bat’s body as a little Halloween surprise.
Image via Activity Village
#6. Happy Pumpkins!
Happy little pumpkins are perfect for keeping a toddler entertained over Halloween. Cut out some pumpkin-shaped craft paper, then gather coloured paper, pipe cleaners, buttons, pom poms and faces or eyes cut from old magazines. Add glue and let their imagination take over.
Image via Rebecca Cooper Photography
You may also like: Create Your Own Pumpkin
#7. Trick or Treat – Smell My Feet!
A lovely way to include even the youngest members of the family in Halloween crafting. Grab some paint and paper and turn tiny footprints into playful Halloween characters.
Image via Pinterest
You may also like: 10 Fun Halloween Crafts for Kids
#8. Halloween Monsters
These friendly monsters are made from toilet roll tubes, pipe cleaners, paint, crepe paper, tape and googly eyes – and they’ll keep a toddler busy for hours. Try making a whole monster family together.
Image via Creative Playhouse
#9. Pumpkin Stamp Art
Another great use for toilet roll tubes – start saving them! Use the tubes as stamps to print pumpkin shapes, then decorate with sticks, leaves, paint and glue for a lovely autumn craft.
Image via Make It & Love It
#10. Ghost Pops
Ghost pops are a wonderfully simple craft that’s perfect for toddlers. Wrap a lollipop stick with a tissue, add eyes and a mouth with a black marker, and tie a piece of black string to shape the head. Sweet, simple and not remotely scary.
Image via The Chirping Moms
You may also like: 10 Devilishly Delightful DIY Halloween Decorations
#11. Paper Bag Puppets
Paper bag puppets are a classic, and they work beautifully for Halloween. You can make the faces as friendly or as spooky as suits your toddler.
You will need:
- Brown paper lunch bags
- Acrylic paint in green, red, purple, black, orange and antique white
- Craft paper
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Markers
Image via Make and Takes
You may also like: 18 Paper Crafts for Kids You’ll Love Too
#12. Wooden Spoon Bat Puppet
This wooden spoon bat puppet is perfect for a toddler’s crafting session, and it’ll last well beyond Halloween. You’ll need a wooden spoon, orange paint, glue, googly eyes, black felt and a pen.
Image via Better Homes and Gardens
#13. Personalised Halloween Cups
A really useful idea for a Halloween party – help toddlers personalise their own cup so they can find it again easily. Get some plain orange or black paper cups and let the kids decorate them with googly eyes, pens, felt and glue.
Image via Chicken Scratch NY
You may also like: 20 Ghoulishly Great Halloween Party Games for Kids & Hauntingly Healthy Halloween Snacks for Kids
#14. Egg Carton Halloween Spiders
Kids love making these egg carton spiders, and they’ll have just as much fun playing with them afterwards. Simply keep your old egg cartons to hand for this one.
Image via Mamas Like Me
#15. Spider Ring
Use pipe cleaners and a pom-pom to make this simple spider ring. It’s easy for toddlers to make and fun to wear afterwards. This one also works well as a party activity – just pile the supplies in the middle of the table and let the kids go to town.
Image via Crafts by Amanda
Frequently Asked Questions
What age are these Halloween crafts suitable for?
These crafts are designed with toddlers in mind, so most involve simple steps like painting, sticking and colouring rather than intricate cutting. Some, like the footprint craft or ghost pops, work well for very young toddlers with a bit of adult help, while others suit slightly older toddlers who enjoy more hands-on involvement.
How do I make Halloween crafts less scary for a sensitive toddler?
Stick to friendly characters – happy pumpkins, cute bats and smiling ghosts rather than anything gory or frightening. Let your toddler help choose colours and faces, and avoid dark themes like skeletons or blood if your child is easily unsettled.
Do I need special craft supplies for these ideas?
Not really. Most of these crafts use things you likely already have at home, such as toilet roll tubes, paper plates, egg cartons, paint and pipe cleaners. A few basics like googly eyes and pom poms are handy to keep in a craft box for occasions like this.
Can these crafts be used for a Halloween party?
Yes – several of these, like the personalised cups, spider rings and paper bag puppets, work brilliantly as party activities. Simply set out the materials and let each child make their own to take home.
Related Articles
- 25 Cute & Easy Paper Plate Crafts, Perfect for Preschoolers
- 12 Not So Scary Halloween Games Perfect for Younger Kids
- 10 Fun Halloween Crafts for Kids
- 10 Devilishly Delightful DIY Halloween Decorations
- Hauntingly Healthy Halloween Snacks for Kids
More Halloween Ideas
Looking for more ways to fill the Halloween season with fun rather than frights? Browse our full Halloween Fun section for more games, crafts and treat ideas, or save this page now so you have all 15 crafts ready to go when Halloween rolls around.
Have a favourite Halloween craft for toddlers that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments below!
Get More Ideas Like This
Want more easy, seasonal activity ideas delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free newsletter for weekly craft ideas, activities and family days out – no spam, just useful ideas when you need them.
