Halloween Bucket List: 30 Family-Friendly Ideas
Make spooky season special with this Halloween bucket list, full of ideas and inspiration to do all October long!
30 Halloween Bucket List Ideas
Get ready for a spooktacular October with our ultimate Halloween bucket list, packed with family-friendly activities guaranteed to build excitement all month long!
From baking deliciously sweet treats and embarking on outdoor adventures, to unleashing your creativity with spooky craft ideas, we’ve gathered everything you need to make this Halloween season unforgettable for all ages.
Dive in and discover new Halloween traditions that will have your family counting down to the big night!
1. Visit a Haunted House
If you’re planning a spooky little Halloween, it doesn’t get any better than a haunted house! Check your local social media or newspapers early to see what’s planned for your area!
2. Carve Jack-O-Lanterns
This was always one of my favorite Halloween traditions! Last year we tried something new: carving pumpkins with cookie cutters. It created a cool stenciled look!
3. Decorate for Halloween
This is also one of my favorite parts of spooky season…all of the decorations! This year I’m decorating a fall and Halloween tree for the first time!
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4. Tell Ghost Stories
Grab a flashlight and a good book of ghost stories! If you’re looking for a collection of spooky stories, Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark is a classic!
5. Watch Scary Movies
Watch a different movie each night of the month! I put together this list of 25+ Family Friendly Halloween Movies – enjoy!
6. Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Whether you’re picking a pumpkin to take home, or just looking for festive photo opportunities, a pumpkin patch is a fall must-do!
7. Make Candy Apples
Candy apples are a classic fall treat and they can be made and decorated so many different ways! If you’re looking for inspo, check out our Candy Corn Candy Apples – they are dipped in orange, white, and yellow candy to look like candy corn!
8. Roast Marshmallows
Here are some of our favorite s’mores recipes that will help you plan the perfect menu for spooky season:
9. Make Halloween Crafts
Get into the spooky season spirit and spend quality time together making Halloween crafts with the kids! I put together a BIG list of pumpkin crafts for kids – check it out!
10. Play in the Leaves
If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere where the autumn season brings falling leaves, pile them up and have some active fun!
11. Go to a Costume Party
If you need a quick and easy costume idea, we made this cell phone costume using a recycled cardboard box and simple craft supplies. It turned out so cute and could work for kids or adults!
12. Take a Cemetery Walk
Of course, you always want to be respectful and go to places where you have permission. I recommend looking for scheduled events in your area, rather than just wandering around a cemetery by yourself!
13. Make a Spooky Playlist
Our family has a Halloween playlist that we add to every year. When we go trick-or-treating, we take a portable speaker to bring the spooky songs with us as we walk around the neighborhood! It’s also perfect for a Halloween dance party! Some of our favorites include classics like Thriller, Monster Mash, as well as some newer favorites the kids added. What are yours?
14. Go Trick-Or-Treating
There’s no such thing as too old for trick-or-treating! I love that it is an activity our whole family can enjoy together.
15. Make Halloween Playdough
For some spooky sensory fun, try our Halloween playdough! There are three different recipes in vibrant colors and we added fun mix-ins like candy eyeballs!
16. Have a Halloween Baking Party
Halloween season is all about the sweets! We love to make and bake treats, from pumpkin spice to Hocus Pocus themed!
- Hocus Pocus Cookies (filled with witches brew frosting)
- Pumpkin Cake Mix Cookies
- Jack Skellington Pull-Apart Cupcakes
- Spooky Slime Cookies
- Peanut Butter Candy Corn Treats
- Creamsicle Flavored Mini Halloween Cupcakes
- Spiderweb Cookies
- Frankenstein Halloween Cake Pops
- Halloween Graveyard Cake
- Halloween Pretzels
- Halloween Blondies
- Slime Monster Cupcakes
- Blood Spatter Cookies
- 2-Ingredient Halloween Cookies
17. Make Apple Cider
Check out our yummy crockpot apple cider recipe. It will make your whole house smell amazing too!
18. BOO! Your Neighbor
BOO-ing someone at Halloween is a fun tradition where you anonymously leave a basket of treats on the front porch of a neighbor or friend. You also leave a note, encouraging them to “pass it on” and BOO someone else, to spread the joy!
More Halloween Bucketlist Ideas To Try:
- Visit a corn maze
- Go on a haunted hay ride
- Roast pumpkin seeds
- Have a Halloween scavenger hunt
- Plan a spooky photo shoot
- Attend a trunk-or-treat
- Have a bonfire
- Bake pumpkin pie
- Read Halloween books
- Go to a local fall festival
- Draw Halloween pictures
- Decorate your trick-or-treat bags
Printable Halloween Bucket List
Follow this link for the printable PDF version of the Halloween bucket list graphic shown at the top of the post!
You might also like our Fall bucket list ideas:
- Grinch Charcuterie Board - November 11, 2025
- Candy Christmas Tree Craft - November 10, 2025
- Thanksgiving Meal Deals for 2025 - November 9, 2025
