Top 20 Halloween Party Ideas, Activities for Kids & Things to Do

Halloween is one of the most thrilling times of the year, where spooky decorations meet creative costumes, and families come together for unforgettable celebrations. Whether you're planning a frightfully fun party at home, searching for exciting activities to keep the little ones entertained, or looking for special things to do around the UK, Halloween offers endless possibilities for magical memories. From pumpkin carving competitions to haunted bounce houses, the season is brimming with opportunities to embrace the spooky spirit whilst creating laughter and joy for children and adults alike. 

The key to a successful Halloween lies in mixing traditional festivities with fresh, exciting ideas that cater to all ages. Whether you're hosting a small gathering in your garden or planning an elaborate celebration, there's something wonderfully special about seeing children's faces light up with excitement as they don costumes and dive into Halloween adventures. So, whether you're planning a spooky bash at home or looking for fun places to go, here are the top 20 Halloween ideas that will make this October unforgettable for your family.

Top 20 Halloween Party Ideas

1. Spooky Themed Party at Home

Transform your home into a haunted haven with classic Halloween decorations. Drape artificial cobwebs across doorways, hang paper bats from the ceiling, and place carved pumpkins with flickering LED candles throughout your rooms. Create atmospheric lighting using orange and purple bulbs, and set up a spooky soundtrack featuring creaking doors, howling wolves, and ghostly whispers. Encourage guests to arrive in full costume regalia, from witches and vampires to superheroes and friendly ghosts. Don't forget to create different zones within your party space—a dancing area with monster music, a quiet corner for storytelling, and a refreshments station adorned with Halloween-themed tablecloths and decorations.

2. Inflatable Halloween Fun

Take your Halloween celebration to extraordinary heights with inflatable entertainment that will have children bouncing with excitement. Haunted-themed bounce houses, obstacle courses adorned with spooky graphics, and giant slides provide hours of active entertainment whilst keeping youngsters safely engaged. These inflatables create a focal point for your party that combines physical activity with festive fun. Looking for a professional inflatable hire? Visit Wacky World Hire to explore an impressive range of Halloween-themed inflatables, from towering slides to challenging obstacle courses. Their expert team ensures safe delivery, setup, and collection, taking the stress out of party planning whilst delivering maximum fun for your guests.

3. Halloween Movie Night

Create a cosy cinema experience in your lounge or garden with a Halloween movie marathon. Select family-friendly classics like Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hotel Transylvania, or Casper that offer just the right amount of spookiness without frightening younger viewers. Set up blankets and cushions on the floor, prepare popcorn in Halloween-themed containers, and dim the lights for an authentic cinema atmosphere. For outdoor screenings, hire or borrow a projector and create a magical under-the-stars experience complete with fairy lights and warm blankets.

4. Pumpkin Carving Contest

Host a competitive yet friendly pumpkin carving session where participants can unleash their creativity. Provide pumpkins in various sizes, safe carving tools for children, and plenty of design templates ranging from traditional jack-o'-lanterns to intricate patterns. Set up newspaper-covered tables in your garden or garage, distribute aprons to protect clothing, and establish categories for judging, scariest, funniest, most creative, and best traditional design. Display all finished pumpkins with tea lights inside for a spectacular glowing exhibition as darkness falls.

5. Haunted House Setup in Your Garden

Transform your outdoor space into a walk-through haunted experience that neighbours and guests will remember for years. Create winding pathways using rope or garden lights, position spooky props like skeletons and tombstones strategically, and recruit volunteers to dress as ghosts or zombies for surprise appearances. Add atmospheric effects with fog machines, eerie sound effects played through outdoor speakers, and motion-activated decorations that spring to life as visitors pass. Keep the scares age-appropriate and ensure younger children have a "not-too-scary" daytime option to enjoy the decorations without frightening effects.

6. DIY Halloween Food & Drinks

Elevate your party refreshments with creatively spooky treats that taste as good as they look. Prepare "mummy" hot dogs wrapped in pastry strips, create "witches' fingers" from breadsticks, and serve "monster punch" with floating eyeball ice cubes (made from lychees and blueberries). Decorate cupcakes with spider web icing, create ghost-shaped sandwiches using cookie cutters, and serve crisps in cauldron-style bowls. Label each dish with clever Halloween names like "vampire venom juice" or "goblin grub" to enhance the themed experience.

7. Disco & Games Night

Combine energetic dancing with traditional party games for an evening of non-stop entertainment. Set up coloured disco lights, create a Halloween playlist featuring songs like "Monster Mash" and "Thriller," and organise games such as musical statues, pass-the-pumpkin, and Halloween bingo. Include prizes for game winners—small toys, sweets, or Halloween-themed stickers that children will treasure.

Halloween Activities for Kids

8. Costume Parade & Contest

Organise a spectacular costume showcase where children can strut their stuff and display their imaginative outfits. Create a makeshift catwalk using a hallway or garden path, play upbeat music, and encourage each child to show off their costume whilst you announce their character. Establish inclusive categories ensuring every child receives recognition—most original, best handmade costume, scariest, funniest, and best group costume for siblings or friends who've coordinated their outfits.

9. Treasure Hunt with Trick-or-Treat Clues

Design an engaging treasure hunt that combines problem-solving with sweet rewards. Write age-appropriate clues with Halloween themes, hide them throughout your home or garden, and include small treats or toys at various checkpoints. The final treasure could be a basket filled with sweets, small toys, or Halloween party bags. Tailor difficulty levels to your guests' ages, ensuring younger children can participate with picture clues whilst older kids enjoy more challenging riddles.

10. Face Painting Station

Set up a dedicated face painting area where children can transform into their favourite spooky creatures. Stock up on hypoallergenic face paints in Halloween colours—black, white, orange, green, and purple. Offer popular designs including pumpkins, ghosts, vampires, witches, cats, and spiders. Display reference pictures to help children choose their preferred design, and ensure you have makeup removal wipes and mirrors available. If you're not confident in your artistic abilities, consider hiring a professional face painter who can create more intricate designs.

11. Halloween Crafts Corner

Establish a creative station where children can craft Halloween keepsakes to take home. Provide materials for making paper masks, decorating trick-or-treat bags, creating bat mobiles from black cards, or assembling paper lanterns. Pre-cut shapes for younger children whilst allowing older kids to design from scratch. Supply glue, glitter, markers, googly eyes, and various craft embellishments. This activity serves double duty—keeping children entertained whilst creating party favours they've personalised themselves.

12. Spooky Storytime

Create a cosy corner with cushions, blankets, and atmospheric lighting for sharing age-appropriate Halloween tales. Select stories that offer gentle spookiness without causing nightmares—books like Room on the Broom, The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything, or Go Away, Big Green Monster! work wonderfully for younger audiences. For older children, introduce slightly scarier stories or encourage them to create their own spooky tales in a round-robin storytelling session where each child adds a sentence to an evolving story.

13. Soft Play Adventure

For families with toddlers and younger children, supervised soft play provides safe, age-appropriate entertainment during Halloween festivities. Dedicated soft play centres offer secure environments where little ones can climb, slide, and explore without the overwhelming excitement that might frighten them. These venues often run Halloween-themed sessions with gentle decorations and activities suitable for under-fives, ensuring even the youngest family members can participate in seasonal celebrations.

14. Inflatable Obstacle Fun

Challenge older children with thrilling inflatable obstacle courses that test their agility, speed, and competitive spirit. These impressive structures combine climbing walls, tunnels, barriers, and slides into one action-packed experience. Visit Wacky World Hire to explore professional-grade obstacle courses perfect for Halloween parties. Their equipment meets rigorous safety standards whilst delivering the excitement factor that makes your party the talk of the neighbourhood.

Things to Do on Halloween

15. Visit a Pumpkin Patch or Farm

Embrace the traditional autumn experience with a family trip to a local pumpkin patch. Many UK farms offer "pick your own" pumpkin experiences where children can wander through fields, select their perfect pumpkin, and enjoy additional activities like hay rides, corn mazes, and meeting farm animals. This outing combines fresh air, physical activity, and seasonal celebration whilst providing pumpkins for your home carving activities. Photograph your children amongst the pumpkin displays for treasured Halloween memories.

16. Go Trick-or-Treating Safely

Plan a neighbourhood trick-or-treating route that prioritises safety whilst maximising fun. Coordinate with neighbours beforehand, ensure children carry torches or wear reflective accessories, and accompany younger children throughout their journey. Establish clear boundaries, set return times for older children, and remind everyone of road safety rules. Consider organising a group trick-or-treating expedition with neighbouring families, creating safety in numbers whilst building community spirit.

17. Attend a Halloween Event at Local Venues

Many family entertainment centres throughout the UK host special Halloween events featuring decorations, themed activities, and seasonal entertainment. These professionally organised celebrations offer hassle-free fun where parents can relax whilst children enjoy supervised activities. Look for venues offering combination packages including soft play, party food, and entertainment—everything you need for a memorable Halloween outing without the preparation stress of home hosting.

18. Book an Inflatable Party Package

Rather than hosting at home, consider hiring a complete party package from professional entertainment companies. These comprehensive solutions include inflatable hire, delivery, setup, and collection, removing logistical headaches from your celebration planning. Wacky World Hire offers tailored packages combining multiple inflatables, creating party experiences that would be impossible to replicate independently. Their experienced team ensures equipment arrives on time, is safely installed, and meets all current safety regulations, giving you peace of mind to enjoy the celebration alongside your guests.

19. Join a Family-Friendly Disco or Glow Party

Seek out organised children's disco events featuring Halloween themes, where professional DJs play age-appropriate music, organise party games, and create exciting atmospheres with special lighting effects. These events often incorporate costume competitions, dancing contests, and prize giveaways. Glow parties add an extra dimension with UV lighting, glow sticks, and fluorescent decorations creating a magical, other-worldly environment that children absolutely adore.

20. Halloween Laser Tag or Games Night

For older children and teenagers, laser tag venues offer thrilling Halloween-themed sessions combining physical activity with strategic gameplay. Many centres create special Halloween scenarios with themed arenas, spooky sound effects, and seasonal lighting. These high-energy activities provide supervised entertainment perfect for birthday parties or group celebrations, keeping older children engaged and excited throughout the Halloween season.

Essential Tips for Halloween Success

Safety First

Prioritise safety throughout your Halloween celebrations. Ensure outdoor areas are well-lit to prevent trips and falls, check that costumes don't create hazards (trailing fabrics, masks that obscure vision), and supervise all activities involving candles, using battery-operated alternatives where possible. When serving food, consider allergies and dietary requirements, clearly labelling dishes and providing allergen-free alternatives. Establish clear adult-to-child supervision ratios for activities, particularly when inflatables or water features are involved.

Indoor & Outdoor Celebration Ideas

Weather in the UK during late October can be unpredictable, so prepare contingency plans for both scenarios. For outdoor parties, have gazebos or covered areas available, and consider hiring marquees for larger gatherings. Indoors, rearrange furniture to maximise space, protect floors with coverings if messy activities are planned, and ensure adequate ventilation. Hybrid celebrations work brilliantly, outdoor inflatables and physical activities during daylight hours, transitioning to indoor movie marathons and cosy activities as evening approaches and temperatures drop.

Balancing Kids' Fun with Adult-Friendly Vibes

Create distinct zones at family parties accommodating different age groups. Designate high-energy areas for children's activities whilst establishing quieter spaces where adults can supervise whilst enjoying their own conversations. Consider timing, schedule peak children's activities during early evening hours, planning for younger guests to leave before later entertainment that might appeal more to teenagers and adults. Serve adult-friendly refreshments alongside children's treats, and include playlist segments featuring nostalgic Halloween hits that parents will enjoy.

Conclusion

Halloween offers the perfect opportunity to create magical memories combining spooky celebrations, creative activities, and family bonding. Whether you choose to host an elaborate home party, enjoy outdoor autumn adventures, or visit professional entertainment venues, the key lies in selecting activities that match your family's interests and energy levels. From thrilling inflatable obstacles to cosy movie marathons, traditional pumpkin carving to innovative treasure hunts, these 20 ideas provide inspiration for celebrations that children will remember for years to come.

The beauty of Halloween lies in its versatility, celebrations can be as simple or elaborate as you wish, accommodating any budget whilst delivering maximum enjoyment. Don't feel pressured to incorporate every idea; instead, select a few that genuinely excite you and your family, then execute them brilliantly rather than attempting everything and feeling overwhelmed.

Make your Halloween unforgettable with professional inflatable rentals from Wacky World Hire and Jungle world. Their extensive range of Halloween-themed equipment, combined with expert delivery and setup services, transforms ordinary parties into extraordinary celebrations. Browse their website today to discover how their inflatables can become the centrepiece of your Halloween festivities, creating laughter, excitement, and treasured memories for your family and guests.

This Halloween, embrace the spooky season with open arms, creative costumes, and activities that bring smiles to faces young and old. Whether you're trick-or-treating through your neighbourhood, carving pumpkins in your garden, or bouncing on themed inflatables, the most important ingredient is spending quality time together celebrating this wonderfully fun holiday. Happy Halloween!