40 Awesome Halloween Bucket List Ideas

Halloween is finally here! Check out this Halloween Bucket List for kids to see how you can make the most of this season as a family! 

Halloween is such a fun time of year. There are so many great ways to connect with your kids, and this Halloween Bucket List is full of great activities for kids of all ages.

At Jen Bradley|MOMs we’re all about celebrating every season of the year in simple ways that can have a big impact and help you make awesome memories with your kids. 

The importance of family time

Spending time together as a family is linked to at least 10 major benefits for your kids, including:

  • increased confidence
  • better conflict resolution skills
  • increased happiness
  • lower chances of negative behaviors, such as drug abuse and violence
  • improved academic performance
  • stronger family bonds

So keep on reading to get your hands on our Halloween Bucket List. You’ll find tons of ideas to help you spend some great family time together this Halloween!

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40 Great Ideas for Your Halloween Bucket List 

Keep reading to check out our 40 great ideas on our Halloween Bucket List for Kids!

1. Carve pumpkins

Of course, this traditional Halloween activity will be at the top of the list.

After all, what is Halloween without pulling all the goo and guts out of a pumpkin as your kids squeal in the background?!

2. Celebrate October National Days

There are some really fun October National Days to get your family feeling the Halloween spirit!

  • October 1 – National Pumpkin Spice Day
  • October 5- National Pumpkin Seed Day
  • October 28 – National Frankenstein Friday
  • October 29 – National Trick-or-Treat Day
  • October 30 – National Candy Corn Day

To see all of our hand-picked best October National Days for Kids, read this article here!

3. Read Halloween picture books

Our favorite Halloween picture book of all time is Room on the Broom.

Be sure to use a cackly witch voice when you read it!

4. Try a new Halloween finger food

Most finger foods are ideal for kids, so check out this awesome roundup of 50+ Halloween Finger Foods from Rose Clearfield!

She’s curated a list of so many great ideas for fun, easy, and non-gruesome treats that you’ll probably end up with several you want to try. (Our favorite is the chocolate “acorn” recipe made from Hershey kisses and mini Nilla wafers!)

5. Visit a haunted house

The fright level of the haunted house and the maturity of your kids are definitely worth thinking about before going to a haunted house as a family. But if that is your jam, now is the time to go!

6. Make popcorn balls

This easy recipe from I Heart Eating has a cute Halloween version in the “Tips” section!

7. Paint pumpkins

Maybe carving pumpkins isn’t really your thing. That’s perfectly fine!

There are tons of great ideas for painting them instead!

painted pumpkin jack o lantern

Related article: 19 Fun and Easy Pumpkin Carving Alternatives to Try With Your Kids

8. Make homemade pumpkin muffins

Adding chocolate chips to these incredible pumpkin muffins from 100 Days of Real Food is a must!

9. Host a costume party

Invite your neighbors and friends over for a pre-Halloween costume party.

costume party

10. Have a Halloween movie night

Are you a Bewitched, Addams Family, or Charmed type of family?

11. Chili cook-off

Let your kids help you whip up your favorite chili recipe together and enter it in a chili cook-off.

Or make two different types of chili and have your family vote on their favorite in an at-home chili cook-off showdown!

12. Dress up your pet

If you have a family pet, spend some time as a family coming up with a great pet costume!

13. Roast pumpkin seeds

Whether you scoop them out of the pumpkin yourself is entirely up to you!

14. Eat candy apples

Visit your local bakery or confectionary and enjoy some lovely candy apples together!

15. Bob for apples

To keep germ-sharing at a minimum, switch up this old-fashioned game by giving everyone their own container filled with water and a few apples.

Then race to see who can get all of their apples out of their bin the fastest!

16. Go on a hayride

Hayrides are a great way to get out and enjoy a crisp October evening.

(If it’s a haunted hayride, make sure you know if the fright level is appropriate for your kids!)

family hay ride

17. Drink apple cider

Warm up some apple cider and curl up on the outdoor furniture for a cozy evening as a family.

18. Visit a corn maze

Check your local farms to see if any of them have a corn maze.

This is a great way to spend a fun Saturday afternoon in October!

19. Try a new soup recipe

Are you a creamy soup or brothy soup person? Either way, try to add a new soup recipe to your repertoire this fall!

20. Tell Halloween jokes

We’ve got a great list of 99 Halloween riddles and jokes right here that’ll make your kids LOL!

Try sharing a few around the dinner table or on your next car ride.

21. Go apple picking

The quintessential fall activity. Head to the nearest orchard and let your kids pick apples to their heart’s content!

22. Have a Halloween game night

Play games like One Night Ultimate WerewolfCauldron Quest, and Hocus Pocus.

23. Have a firepit/bonfire night

Light up the fire pit and roast some yummy s’mores with your kids.

Then sit around the firepit together and tell funny or spooky stories – it’s up to you!

24. Halloween scavenger hunts

Use our cute, free set of printable Halloween scavenger hunts to spend a fun afternoon with your kids and their friends!

Related post: 5 Free Printable Halloween Scavenger Hunts for Kids

halloween scavenger hunts

25. Attend a trunk or treat

Similar to trick-or-treat, trunk-or-treat is a chance for your kids to walk around a parking lot, collecting candy from parked cars. It’s an especially great activity for younger kids!

26. Go trick-or-treating in your neighborhood

Pull on those costumes, grab a candy bag or a pillowcase, and walk around your neighborhood with your kids and a flashlight.

It’s a good idea to check your community website or message board to find out the official trick-or-treating day and hours where you live.

27. Start the Neighborhood Boo

The Neighborhood Boo is a simple and easy way to spread some friendly cheer throughout your community.

Related post: 5 Amazing You’ve Been Boo’ed Ideas for Your Neighbors

28. Halloween Minute to Win It Games

If you’re hosting ANY type of Halloween event, you’ll definitely want to check out our best ideas for Halloween Minute to Win It games right here!

They’re great for the whole family!

29. Decorate your yard/front porch

Maybe you enjoy the spooky giant spiders and open coffins, or maybe you’re more of a friendly ghost type of family.

Either way, let your kids help decorate for Halloween!

30. Plan matching family Halloween costumes

Maybe your family loves Harry Potter, Marvel characters, or The Wizard of Oz. If so, come up with costumes to represent each person’s favorite character.

Or choose a broad theme, such as zoo animals, food, or the 1980s!

chef family costumes

31. Count your Halloween candy

After all the Halloween candy has been received, let your kids dump their haul on the kitchen table for inspection and counting!

32. Visit a pumpkin patch

Even if you’ve already been to the pumpkin patch this year, head on back to see if there are new Halloween decorations or activities!

Grab your camera and get ready to capture some adorable photos of your kids, too!

33. Make a Halloween playlist

“Thriller,” “Monster Mash,” and “I Want Candy” are basically prerequisites.

34. Invite the Switch Witch

The Switch Witch is a lot like the Tooth Fairy, as she brings a gift in exchange for Halloween candy.

We love her at our house!

Related post: The Switch Witch: Why We Love Her (and How She Makes Halloween Even More Fun!)

35. DIY Halloween decor

Maybe you enjoy the spooky giant spiders and open coffins, or maybe you’re more of a friendly ghost type of family.

Either way, let your kids help decorate for Halloween!

36. Halloween puzzle

This bright and fun 550-piece Halloween puzzle would be great for the whole family!

37. Make a Halloween cookie house

Yep, Halloween cookie houses are now a thing.

Check out this cute Halloween cookie house kit right here!

halloween cookie house

38. Decorate Halloween sugar cookies

If you’re not already sugared out or Halloween cookie houses aren’t your thing, why not spend a Sunday afternoon decorating Halloween sugar cookies with your kids?

This adorable DIY Martial Arts Mummy cookie set is not only hilarious, but it’s also super affordable too.

39. Play Halloween Pictionary or charades

How well do you think your family members could draw a mummy, a haunted house, or a skeleton?

Give them a test by playing a few rounds of Halloween Pictionary.

For extra fun, blindfold the artist!

40. Attend a Halloween festival or city-wide event

Find out if your town or city is hosting a Halloween-themed 5K Fun Run, a fall festival, or anything along those lines. Even if it’s a small event, take your kids and give some support to your community!

Your local Chamber of Commerce website is a great place to look.

Free Printable Halloween Bucket List for Kids

With 40 awesome ideas on the list, you can easily choose the Halloween activities that are the best fit for your kids’ ages and interests!

To download and print your copy of our Halloween Bucket List, simply click on this link right here or on the image below! 

You’ll find two different versions available to you. One is brightly colored and festive and the other is grayscale if you need a more printer-friendly copy. 

halloween bucket list printable

What is a Bucket List? 

First, the term “Bucket List” refers to making a list of things that someone has not done but wants to do during their lifetime. 

Thanks to the 2007 movie called Bucket List with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, the term “bucket list” has become more popular in recent years. 

This Halloween Bucket List for Kids here on Jen Bradley|MOMs are a bit more light-hearted than a typical adult’s lifetime Bucket List. 

Instead, you’ll find tons of great ideas for family Halloween activities that can help your kids feel excited about the season ahead. 

Why Kids Love Bucket Lists

Kids love bucket lists for several reasons:

  1. They have something to look forward to as the seasons begin to change
  2. Kids look forward to the personal interaction with you
  3. Having a list can help kids understand and learn the traditions of the season
  4. They help kids understand the importance of planning
  5. They create lots of fun family memories!

Final thoughts about this Halloween Bucket List for kids

As with all things here at Jen Bradley|MOMs, we are here to help you find meaningful ways to connect with your kids WITHOUT adding a ton of extra work to your already-super-busy life!

We hope you and your kids will enjoy these ideas on the Halloween Bucket List for Kids. If you haven’t had a chance to download it yet, you can do so by joining our Free Printable Library using this link right here.

Related articles about Halloween family fun:

99 Halloween Riddles That Make Your Kids LOL

21 Best Family Costume Ideas for This Year

13 Awesome Halloween Minute-to-Win-It Games for the Whole Family

Pin the image below to return to this article in the future!

halloween bucket list pin

Which Halloween Bucket List activities are you excited to do with your kids this Halloween?

40 Awesome Halloween Bucket List Ideas40 Awesome Halloween Bucket List Ideas40 Awesome Halloween Bucket List Ideas40 Awesome Halloween Bucket List Ideas

Jen Bradley, the founder of Jen Bradley|MOMs

Hi there! I’m Jen and I’m so glad you’re here. I am a mom who believes that meaningful connections with our families can happen in small and simple ways. Read More …

 

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