With the spooky season almost here, here are some ideas for a fun, low-cost autumn celebration. Most of these budget-friendly tips for a green Halloween are crafty, and some are gloriously gruesome, so there’s something to please all the little witches — from pint-sized demons to their ghoulish parents!
Don’t miss our best content straight to your inbox! Sign up now and get our FREE newsletters packed with fun ideas and things to do with the kids, family-friendly recipes, expert advice, parenting tips and great competitions.
These green Halloween ideas are designed to be both budget-friendly and environmentally friendly. From reusing and upcycling to homemade crafts and recipes to bake together, these fun suggestions will keep you all amused this Halloween — without spending a fortune.
You May Also Enjoy 13 Easy (and Eerie!) Ideas for LEGO Halloween Fun
Green Halloween Tips and Ideas
Make Some Super Slime
Take green Halloween literally and make some slime! Slime is not only an ooey-gooey delight to play with, it’s also a great science experiment to try with the kids.
It’s quick and easy to make, but it does need adult supervision, so set aside a little time to make it together.
You May Also Enjoy Fluffy, Rainbow and Glow in the Dark! 10 Easy Homemade Slime Recipes
Tell Ghost Stories
The old ways of entertaining ourselves are still the best. Switch off all the lights, cuddle up by the fire, put on torches or candles (never leave them unattended) and take turns telling each other the spookiest, ghostliest stories you can think of!
You May Also Enjoy 60 Hilarious Halloween Jokes for Kids
Decorate Paper Bags
Get out the arts and craft materials, some old paper bags, and let your imaginations go wild decorating them.
Use them as decorations around the house, or fill them with treats for your trick-or-treaters.
You May Also Enjoy 50 Fun Halloween Activities for Kids
Make Chocolate (or Toffee) Apples
Have some fun melting chocolate or toffee, then dip in whole apples on a stick, or apple quarters for younger children. Leave to set — or dip in sprinkles first — and enjoy!
You May Also Enjoy 16 Spooky Halloween Party Food Ideas For a Scary Feast
—
DON’T MISS OUT
Sign in (or create a free account) to download more FREE printables, like these Fun Halloween Games!
—
Make a ‘Guess What’s In It’ Box
Cut a hole in the top of a cardboard box. Fill it with gruesome stuff for people to feel in the dark — a carrot for a finger, a peeled grape for an eyeball, cold spaghetti for witches’ hair or guts… you get the idea!
You May Also Enjoy 20 Ghoulishly Great Halloween Party Games for Kids
Apple Bobbing (or Dooking)
Set up a basin of water on towels on the floor, have some towels handy, pop in a few apples, and get everyone to have a go at apple bobbing.
Play With Conkers
The old chestnuts really are the best! Next time you’re out on a family walk on an autumn day, look out for horse chestnut trees (they have five long leaves together, like a hand) and collect some to play conkers.
You May Also Enjoy 10 Enchantingly Easy Pumpkin Designs
Upcycle Old Clothes into Costumes
Dig out some old clothes, hats, scarves and craft supplies. Use your imagination to make your own Halloween costumes.
You May Also Enjoy Boo! 12 Colourful and Creative Homemade Halloween Costumes
Choose Some Autumn Squashes
At this time of year you can find small squashes and pumpkins at your local farmer’s market or supermarket.
Arrange a pile of different coloured squash and pumpkins at the front door, or in the centre of the dinner table, as decorations — then cook them for dinner in November.
You May Also Enjoy 12 Perfect Pumpkin Recipes for the Family this Halloween
Bite Some Apples
All you need for this fun game are some apples and string.
Use an apple corer or skewer to pierce a hole through the apple, then thread a length of string through. Loop the string around the apple and tie a knot. Leave a length of string attached, then use more string (or a clothesline, garden branch, etc.) to hang the apples horizontally.
Each person has a go at “limbo” dancing under and biting the apples without touching them with their hands. Hilarious!
You May Also Enjoy 12 Not So Scary Halloween Games Perfect for Younger Kids
Create Your Own Halloween Masks
Have you ever tried papier-mâché? You’ll need a balloon, flour, water and old newspapers cut into strips. Once you’ve made your creation, leave the masks to dry completely before painting them into gruesome Halloween masks.
Alternatively, use craft supplies and cardboard destined for the recycling bin to make your mask.
Make a Hallowe’en Tree
Decorate a tree in your garden, or some old branches in a vase. Use fairy lights, bunting, homemade decorations and little cloth ghosts and ghouls.
Make Garlands of Leaves
Collect different colours and shapes of autumn leaves on your weekend walk. Make a little hole in each leaf and thread them onto a string.
Hang the garlands around the house to decorate. Once they’ve dried out, you can compost them or burn them on the fire.
You May Also Enjoy 15 Easy And Eye-Catching Leaf Craft Ideas For Kids
Make Bats & Ghouls
Gather a pile of old bed linen and clothes, then cut out bats, ghouls and other Halloween favourites for great reusable decorations.
You May Also Enjoy 10 Fun Fabric Scrap Crafts and Activities for Kids
Make Your Own Wig
Need a wig for your Halloween costume? Use an old hat and sew on wool or cloth strips to make one. Get creative!
Bake Some Barm Brack
Why not try Lorraine’s special tea barm brack recipe? Traditionally, barm brack contained items such as a pea, a stick, a piece of cloth, a small coin (originally a silver sixpence) and a ring. Nowadays, if you buy barm brack, you may find a toy ring baked in instead.
You May Also Enjoy 10 MORE Incredibly Easy Pumpkin Recipes to Make at Home
Go Nutty
Using honey or syrup, “glue” different types of nuts together to make little nut people or decorative ornaments.
Mmm Chocolate…
Dip fruit and dried fruit in melted chocolate for yummy treats. Melt it gently in the microwave (careful not to overdo it) or in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Use skewers to dip the fruit into the chocolate.
You May Also Enjoy 11 Easy Halloween Cookie Recipes The Kids Will Adore
Make Scary Hands
Decorate an old pair of gloves by adding “claws” to the fingertips, or sew on extra fingers from another glove! A perfectly horrible addition to a Halloween costume, or just something to spook your friends.
You May Also Enjoy 20+ Frighteningly Easy Ideas for Halloween Nails
Greet Your Guests With a Spook!
Decorate around the front door with some spooky touches and give the place a “haunted house” feel to spook guests and trick-or-treaters.
You May Also Enjoy 12 Halloween Hairstyles for Kids to Spook, Scare and Delight!
This article was adapted from an article by Jen Wallace, originally published on Mama’s Blog.
Have you got any more green Halloween ideas? Leave a comment below and let us know — we’d love to hear from you!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a “green” Halloween?
A green Halloween simply means celebrating with less waste and less spending — reusing what you already have, making decorations and costumes from household materials, and choosing natural, seasonal touches like leaves, conkers and squash instead of buying new plastic decor every year.
How can I do Halloween on a budget?
Focus on activities and crafts that use things you already own — old clothes for costumes, cardboard and newspaper for masks, string and apples for games. Homemade treats like toffee apples or chocolate-dipped fruit also work out cheaper than shop-bought sweets.
Are these ideas suitable for younger children?
Yes, most of these ideas — like leaf garlands, decorating paper bags, and apple bobbing — are easy to adapt for younger children. Just make sure an adult supervises any activity involving melted chocolate, string, or small parts.
Related Articles
- 13 Easy (and Eerie!) Ideas for LEGO Halloween Fun
- 50 Fun Halloween Activities for Kids
- 20 Ghoulishly Great Halloween Party Games for Kids
- Boo! 12 Colourful and Creative Homemade Halloween Costumes
- 16 Spooky Halloween Party Food Ideas For a Scary Feast
Looking for more seasonal inspiration? Browse our full collection of Halloween ideas and save your favourites for later.
Don’t miss our best content straight to your inbox! Sign up now for our FREE newsletter packed with fun family ideas, recipes, and things to do together.
