Tweens can end up stuck in an awkward Halloween in-between: still loving the spooky stuff, but a bit too cool for some of the things they used to enjoy. If your tween is losing interest in the usual Halloween traditions, these ideas will keep them involved and having fun on their own terms — and a few might even become new family traditions, like a scary movie night or a ghost story competition.
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Once kids pass the age of ten or so, Halloween enthusiasm can dip a little — not because they don’t want to dress up or go trick-or-treating, but because they’re worried about looking uncool in front of their friends. Here’s a list of spooky, fun activities that even the most too-cool-for-Halloween tween won’t be able to resist.
Entertaining Tweens at Halloween
#1. Have a Scary Movie Night
Most tweens love a good fright, so let yours host a scary movie night with friends. Encourage everyone to come in costume and bring a Halloween snack or treat. Agree the movie in advance and make sure it’s age-appropriate, then step back and let them enjoy it — just expect a few screams along the way.
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#2. Make Ghoulish Halloween Drinks
Brew up some spooky concoctions for the kids, from gross to ghastly. Tweens love these gruesome and gory Halloween drinks and mocktails, including bat blood smoothies, monster punch and ghost milkshakes.
#3. Play Hide & Seek in the Dark
If your tween has friends over, a game of Hide & Seek in the dark is always a hit. Give everyone a glow stick or torch and let them loose in the garden. Expect plenty of shrieking and giggling.
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#4. Decorate
Image: Parents.com
Let your tween take charge of turning your home into the “Haunted House of the Neighbourhood” this Halloween. Give them free rein to decorate the front porch, steps or hallway in their own style.
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#5. Make Halloween Eyeball Cookies
These realistic-looking Halloween eyeball cookies from Food.com are a great addition to any tween Halloween party, or a fun treat to hand out to trick-or-treaters. They look suitably creepy, but taste delicious — and your tween will enjoy making and decorating them.
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#6. Make Itsy, Bitsy Spiders
Image: Craftberry Bush
Kids this age love all things spooky — the creepier and grosser, the better. This yarn spider’s nest from Craftberry Bush ticks every box, and makes a great addition to your haunted house décor.
#7. Make a Costume
Get your tween started on their Halloween costume. Even if they’re not trick-or-treating this year, they can still wear it to a party at home, a get-together with friends, or simply while handing out treats at the door.
#8. Paint Spooky Nails
Image: Polish and Pearls
From ghosts to pumpkins, spiders to slime, a Halloween manicure is the perfect finishing touch to a costume — and a fun activity for tweens (and you!) to do together.
#9. Be a Mad Scientist
Halloween is the perfect excuse to turn your kitchen into a science lab. The gooier, slimier and spookier, the better. Try these 5 Halloween science experiments for kids, from glowing monster slime to screechy sounds, or have a go at these glow-in-the-dark bubbles.
#10. Give Them a Job
Kids this age can feel a bit at a loss — keen to be involved, but worried they’re too old to join in. Giving them a job lets them enjoy the night while feeling suitably grown-up. You could put them in charge of:
- Supervising younger kids on the trick-or-treat rounds
- Organising party games for younger children
- Setting up a not-too-scary haunted house tour in the yard for little ones
- Playing Halloween Bingo with younger siblings or cousins
#11. Decorate Pumpkins
Let your tween take the lead on pumpkin decorating this year. If carving isn’t their thing, try some creative no-carve pumpkin ideas instead — emojis, favourite characters, gaming themes, unicorns and more. If friends are coming over, why not turn it into a pumpkin decorating competition?
#12. Tell Ghost Stories
If you’re hosting a Halloween get-together for your tween, they’re still very much the right age for ghost stories. Turn off the lights, light some candles or grab torches, and tell a few spooky tales. For extra fright factor, have someone nearby making eerie sounds — a creaking door, distant footsteps, slow breathing. To lighten the mood afterwards, finish with some Halloween jokes.
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#13. Make Monster Teeth Cookies
Tweens will enjoy making these monster teeth cookies, especially with friends over at Halloween. They’re simple to make and look brilliantly gruesome.
#14. Create Silhouette Lanterns
Image: Adventure in a Box
Silhouette lanterns, like these Halloween designs from Adventure in a Box, are easy to make with jars, spray paint and a paint marker, and look brilliant as part of your Halloween décor. A great crafty activity for this age group.
#15. Play Freaky Feel Box
The Freaky Feel Box is a brilliant activity for a tween Halloween get-together. Are they brave enough to put their hands inside? Guaranteed fun, squirming and shrieks.
How to Play
- Take a large cardboard box and divide it into four or more compartments (the inside flaps work well for this).
- Cut a hole on each side, just big enough to fit a hand through without being able to see inside. Decorate the box creepily with cobwebs, plastic spiders and the like.
- Place “creepy” items in each compartment — fake fur, peeled grapes for eyeballs, cold spaghetti for worms, slime, a damp rough sponge for a brain, a plastic fork for vampire teeth, hairy fake spiders and so on.
- Dim the lights for extra spook factor, and take turns guessing what’s inside each compartment by touch alone. For an extra scare, leave a hole at the back of the box so you can reach in and grab a hand — guaranteed high-pitched screams.
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Frequently Asked Questions
My tween says they’re “too old” for Halloween — what can I do?
Many tweens still want to enjoy Halloween but worry about looking childish in front of friends. Giving them ownership of an activity — hosting a movie night, decorating, or being in charge of younger kids — lets them stay involved on their own terms.
What if my tween doesn’t want to go trick-or-treating this year?
That’s completely normal at this age. A house party, a scary movie night, or a baking and crafting session with friends can be just as fun, and lets them celebrate Halloween in a way that feels right for them.
Are these activities suitable for a group of tweens, or just one child?
Most of the ideas on this list work well either way. Games like Hide & Seek in the Dark and the Freaky Feel Box are especially good for groups, while things like nail art, pumpkin decorating and costume-making are just as enjoyable solo or with the family.
More Halloween Fun
Looking for more spooky season inspiration? Check out our Halloween party games for kids, our round-up of the best family Halloween movies, and our easy homemade Halloween decorations for more ideas to keep the fun going.
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