Halloween Crafts for Kids: 20 Non-Scary Projects for Preschoolers and Toddlers

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Here are 20 non-scary Halloween crafts for ages 1-6, grouped by material: paper plates, pom-poms, handprints, recycling-bin finds, and no-carve pumpkins. Each one uses simple supplies and what small hands can actually do: gluing, tearing, dabbing, and stamping.

A quick age guide: only the four handprint and footprint crafts (11-14) suit ages 1-2. The five paper crafts (1-5) and the painted pumpkin faces (20) start at age 2. The other ten start at age 3.

You’ll also find a quick-pick table and small-part safety notes. The printable No-Carve Pumpkin Decorating Kit, with face templates for the pumpkin crafts, is near the end of the page, after the party ideas.

Why the “non-scary” filter? Plenty of toddler Halloween ideas online lean on dripping blood fonts and skulls with glowing eyes. If a three-year-old might ask “is that scary?” and the answer is even a maybe, it didn’t make the list.

In this article (13 sections)

1. All 20 Crafts at a Glance
2. What You Need: The Halloween Craft Supply Stash
3. Paper Plate & Paper Halloween Crafts for Toddlers (Ages 2-5)
4. Pom-Pom & Cotton Ball Halloween Crafts (Ages 3-5)
5. Easy Halloween Handprint and Footprint Crafts for Toddlers (Ages 1-5)
6. Recycled & Household-Item Crafts (Ages 3-6)
7. No-Carve Pumpkin Crafts for Kids
8. When a Craft Still Feels Too Spooky
9. Making It Toddler-Friendly (Under 3): What to Change
10. Setting Up a No-Stress Craft Station
11. Turning These Into a Full Halloween Craft Session or Party
12. Frequently Asked Questions
13. Pick Two or Three and Start Small

All 20 Crafts at a Glance

What You Need: The Halloween Craft Supply Stash

You don’t need a dedicated craft closet for this. The basics below cover every section. Each craft section then opens with its own short “You need” line, with rough amounts for one child, so buy only for the sections you plan to make.

Basics for every section

• Washable tempera paint in orange, black, and white, for paper, plates, and tubes.
• Paint labeled safe for skin or handprints, for any craft where paint goes on hands, fingers, or feet.
• 1 glue stick, white school glue, and tacky glue.
• A wide brush or sponge, and a spare paper plate for a palette.
• A thin black washable marker, tape, and scissors for the adult.

If you keep a craft stash for projects like fall leaf crafts or acorn crafts, you probably have much of this already.

Paper Plate & Paper Halloween Crafts for Toddlers (Ages 2-5)

Paper plates are sturdy, already a circle, and hold up to heavy paint and glue. Two of these projects use paper plates and three use plain paper. An adult does any cutting, and the ghost and bat shapes are easy to draw freehand.

You need: 2 white paper plates (one 9-inch), 1 sheet each of black, white, and blue or purple construction paper, and orange paper scraps. Plus 1 brown or black paper lunch bag and 1 green pipe cleaner. Googly eyes for the bat are optional, and only for ages 3 and up.

Mess level: medium for the two painted plates, low for the three paper crafts. Expect paint on fingers and one glue-stick smear on the table. A damp cloth within reach saves your sanity.

1. Paper Plate Ghost

1. Trim the edge first. Before any paint goes on, an adult cuts the bottom edge of a paper plate into soft, rounded waves. Rounded, not jagged, keeps the ghost friendly rather than tattered.
2. Paint it white. Your child paints the plate white. For a faster version, leave a plain white plate as it is. Let paint dry 20-30 minutes.
3. Add the face. Once the paint is dry, your child glues on two black paper circles for eyes and a small black oval for a “surprised” mouth.

Toddlers can do the gluing solo; preschoolers can paint the plate themselves. Leave the ghost flat until the paint is fully dry. Hang it too soon and the wet paint smears.

2. Paper Plate Pumpkin Face

1. Paint. Paint a 9-inch paper plate orange and let it dry 20-30 minutes.
2. Add the stem. An adult tapes a green pipe cleaner (ends folded over) to the back so it pokes above the top.
3. Make the face. Your child glues on a black paper triangle nose and a big curved smile.

Skip jagged jack-o’-lantern teeth. A simple curved smile keeps this firmly in “cute” territory. The No-Carve Pumpkin Decorating Kit printable has pumpkin face templates if you’d rather trace than freehand.

3. Paper Bag Bat

1. Cut the shape. Flatten a brown or black lunch bag. An adult cuts a bat silhouette with a round head and two curved wings.
2. Or tear it. Toddlers can rip paper into rough bat shapes instead. Preschoolers can trace a template you draw.
3. Add the face. Draw two eyes with washable marker, or glue on paper eyes, and add a rounded white paper smile. For children 3 and up, an adult can glue on two googly eyes instead.

Rounded shapes make a “sleepy cartoon” bat, not a “vampire.”

4. Torn-Paper Pumpkin Patch

1. Set up. Give your toddler a handful of orange paper scraps and a sheet of blue or purple construction paper.
2. Tear. They tear the orange paper into small pieces. It’s great fine-motor practice.
3. Glue. Glue the pieces down with a glue stick into rough pumpkin shapes.

This is process art, so there’s no “right” look. It suits kids who get frustrated by crafts with a set end goal, like the ones in our process art activities for toddlers.

5. Accordion-Fold Paper Ghosts

1. Fold. An adult folds a 2-inch-wide strip of white paper back and forth accordion-style.
2. Open. Your child pulls it open slightly so it stands up.
3. Add a face. Glue on a paper face or draw one with a washable marker.

The folds make a 3D ghost that stands on a shelf or windowsill. It uses very little paper, so it’s easy to send a few home from a playdate or class.

Pom-Pom & Cotton Ball Halloween Crafts (Ages 3-5)

Pom-poms add instant texture and cuteness to anything they touch. They are also small parts, so every craft in this section is for ages 3 and up and follows the small-parts rules in the safety note near the top.

You need:

• Spider: 1 large black pom-pom, 2 black pipe cleaners, 2 googly eyes.
• Ghost: about 10 cotton balls and 1 sheet of white or light gray cardstock.
• Painting: 1 large orange pom-pom, a clothespin or kitchen tongs, 1 sheet of paper, 1 green pipe cleaner.
• Sorting: about 12 jumbo pom-poms (2 inches or bigger) in yellow, orange, and white, plus a muffin tin.
• Mummy: 1 clean plastic jar or small cardboard cup, white paper strips or gauze, 2 googly eyes.

Mess level: low for the spider, ghost, and sort, and medium for the painting and the mummy jar. Fuzz migrates onto every surface either way. Googly eyes pop off easily, so use tacky glue and hold each one for 30 seconds. They also slide around on wet glue, so let each piece dry lying flat.

6. Pom-Pom Spider

Soft and round rather than angular, this spider reads as a friendly cartoon bug. It’s one of the cutest crafts on the list.

1. Make the legs. An adult cuts two black pipe cleaners in half and folds over every end. Each of the four pieces makes two legs, so you get eight.
2. Attach them. An adult lays the four pieces side by side across the underside of a large black pom-pom and glues them down at the middle with tacky glue. Your child can help by holding them in place. Once the glue grabs, bend each leg out and down.
3. Add the eyes. An adult glues two googly eyes on top with strong glue.
4. Let it dry. Give it about 20-30 minutes before anyone plays with it.

The finished spider is a decoration, not a toy for children under 3.

7. Cotton Ball Ghost

1. Draw the outline. An adult draws a simple ghost on white or light gray cardstock.
2. Glue. Your child dabs white glue inside the lines with a brush or glue stick.
3. Fill. Press cotton balls onto the glue, stretching them thin to cover the gaps.

The fluffy texture feels more like a cloud than a spirit. Pulling cotton balls apart is good fine-motor work, but they’re loose small parts, so stay at the table and keep them away from mouths. If your child still mouths objects, use torn white tissue paper instead.

If the cotton won’t stick, use more glue and press for a few seconds. Cotton clings to gluey fingers better than it clings to paper, so keep that damp cloth close.

8. Pom-Pom Pumpkin Patch Painting (Ages 3-5)

An adult grips a large orange pom-pom in a clothespin or a pair of kitchen tongs to make a handle. Your child dips it in orange paint and dabs pumpkins across the paper. Add green pipe-cleaner stems once the paint is dry.

It’s a great first painting tool for kids who can’t yet control a brush.

9. Candy Corn Pom-Pom Sort (Ages 3-5)

1. Set up. Fill a muffin tin with jumbo yellow, orange, and white pom-poms (2 inches or bigger).
2. Sort. Your child sorts them by color, one cup per color, while you sit alongside.
3. Optional craft. Glue them in stripes onto a paper triangle for a giant candy corn picture.

This one is more activity than craft, and it’s a sit-with-me activity from start to finish. Count the pom-poms back into the bag when you’re done. It also works well alongside a sensory bin setup.

10. Mummy Pencil Jar (Ages 3-5)

1. Pick the base. Use a clean plastic jar or a small cardboard cup (never glass).
2. Wrap. Brush white school glue on the jar and wrap it in torn strips of white paper or gauze, leaving a gap for the eyes.
3. Add eyes. An adult glues on two googly eyes. They’re small parts, so this one is for ages 3 and up.

Use the finished mummy as a crayon or pencil holder. It’s a silly, not spooky, desk buddy, and it isn’t food-safe.

Easy Halloween Handprint and Footprint Crafts for Toddlers (Ages 1-5)

Halloween is a good excuse to make a few handprint keepsakes.

You need: Paint labeled non-toxic and safe for skin or handprints, in black, white, and orange. Check the label, because not every washable tempera is made for skin. 4 sheets of paper (2 white, 2 black or purple), plus an orange paper scrap for the bat’s nose. Also a white crayon or chalk, a tray or non-slip mat, wipes, and a bucket of soapy water.

Mess level: medium-high for hand and foot prints, medium for the fingerprint pumpkins. Handprints equal bath time, no exceptions.

11. Handprint Bat

1. Paint the hand. Paint your child’s palm and fingers black.
2. Press. Turn the hand sideways and press it onto paper with the fingers spread. The fingers become the wing points. For a wider bat, print two hands as wings with a palm-sized body between them. Press and lift straight up so it doesn’t smudge.
3. Wipe and dry. Wipe hands right away and let the print dry.
4. Add the face. Draw two eyes with washable marker and glue a small orange paper triangle nose onto the palm print. For children 3 and up, an adult can glue on googly eyes instead.

These make sweet, low-key spooky wall art or cards for grandparents.

12. Footprint Ghost

1. Get set. Put a non-slip mat or tray down. For babies and young toddlers, a seated adult holds the child on their lap and holds the foot.
2. Paint. Paint the sole of the foot white and press it onto black or purple paper. The footprint looks like a rounded ghost body.
3. Clean up. Wipe the foot right away, before anyone stands up.
4. Add a face. Once it’s dry, draw eyes and a mouth with marker.

It’s one of the easiest keepsake crafts for toddlers who can’t yet hold a brush or glue stick. Never leave a child with wet paint on their feet unsupervised.

13. Handprint Spider on a Web

1. Print the first hand. Paint your child’s palm and four fingers with skin-safe white paint. Leave the thumb unpainted and hold it up off the paper, because a thumb print gives you a ten-legged spider. Press the hand onto black paper with the fingers spread and pointing to one side.
2. Print the second hand. Turn the paper around and repaint the palm and four fingers, with the thumb still bare and lifted. Press the same hand again so the palms overlap. The two palms make the body, and four fingers on each side make eight legs. Wipe the hand right away.
3. Draw the web. Once it’s dry, draw web lines around the spider with a white crayon or chalk. Add two eyes with a black washable marker.

14. Fingerprint Pumpkin Patch

1. Stamp. Dip fingertips in orange paint and stamp a row of dots across a sheet of paper.
2. Draw. Add stems and one curvy vine with a thin black washable marker.

The whole patch is built from fingerprints. It scales up easily for a Halloween playdate because each child needs almost no setup or cleanup.

Recycled & Household-Item Crafts (Ages 3-6)

Three of these four crafts cost nothing if you raid the recycling bin first. The egg carton bats are the exception: that carton has to be new and never used. Our recycled art projects for kids use the same bin all year. It’s also the idea behind our recycling bin crafts for St. Patrick’s Day, just in Halloween colors.

You need: 1 toilet paper tube and 1 paper towel tube (clean and dry), and 1 small plastic yogurt cup, washed. Plus 1 new paper-pulp egg carton that has never held eggs (bought empty, not pulled from the recycling bin). Paper: white paper, a strip of white tissue paper, black paper scraps, and 1 sheet of cardstock for a base. Extras: 2 googly eyes, 1 green pipe cleaner, a drop of dish soap, and a paint pen for the adult.

Mess level: medium. Painting tubes and cups means a smock and a covered table. The tube ghost is low-mess if you wrap it in paper instead of painting it.

15. Toilet Paper Tube Ghost

1. Cover the tube. Wrap a toilet paper tube in white paper or paint it white. Let paint dry 20-30 minutes.
2. Add the face. Draw one with a washable black marker.
3. Add a tail. Glue a strip of white tissue paper inside the bottom edge so it trails down.

These stand up on their own, so kids love lining up a row like a tiny ghost parade.

16. Egg Carton Bats

1. Cut the body. An adult cuts a strip of three connected cups from a new paper-pulp egg carton that has never held eggs. Skip any carton from the fridge or the recycling bin.
2. Paint. Your child paints it black. Let it dry 20-30 minutes.
3. Add wings. Glue rounded black paper wings to the two side cups with white school glue.
4. Add the face. An adult glues two googly eyes on the middle cup.

Preschoolers can do all the painting and gluing. The rounded cups make a friendly bat instead of a sharp-pointed one.

17. Cardboard Tube Pumpkins

1. Cut. An adult cuts a paper towel tube into 2-inch rings.
2. Paint. Your child paints the rings orange. Let them dry 20-30 minutes.
3. Assemble. Stand the rings in a cluster and glue them to a paper base.
4. Add a stem. Poke a green pipe cleaner (ends folded over) into the tallest ring.

If your kids already like building with scraps, as in our cardboard box crafts for kids, this is a natural next project.

18. Yogurt Cup Pumpkin Pencil Cup

Wash a small plastic yogurt cup in hot soapy water and dry it. Your child paints it orange with acrylic paint, or with washable paint plus a small drop of dish soap so it sticks. Or skip paint and glue orange paper around the cup.

Once it’s dry, an adult draws a simple smiling face with a paint pen, or children 3 and up can use washable non-toxic markers. Skip permanent markers, and keep marker caps away from mouths because they’re choking hazards. It makes a cute pencil cup afterward, but it isn’t food-safe.

No-Carve Pumpkin Crafts for Kids

Not every pumpkin activity needs a knife or a bowl of stringy pumpkin guts. These two projects skip the carving step entirely.

You need: 2 small pumpkins (real or foam), about 12 pieces of yarn no longer than 6 inches each, white school glue, and dot markers (optional). For finger painting, use the skin-safe paint from the handprint section.

Want more ideas? Our no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas and pumpkin crafts for kids go deeper, and the No-Carve Pumpkin Decorating Kit printable has face templates ready to use. For a harvest twist, try the paper bag scarecrow or a handprint turkey.

19. No-Carve Yarn-Wrapped Pumpkin (Ages 3-6)

1. Prep. Wash and dry a small real pumpkin, or use a foam craft pumpkin for a mess-free version. Skip any pumpkin with a loose stem.
2. Wrap. An adult pre-cuts the yarn into pieces no longer than 6 inches and brushes lines of white school glue from the stem down the sides. Your child takes one piece at a time, lays it over a glue line, and presses it down.
3. Secure. An adult presses down any loose ends with a dab of glue or tape. Let the glue dry 20-30 minutes, and count the leftover yarn back into the bag.

Laying, pressing, and nudging each strand into place is satisfying fine-motor work, and the result looks intentionally crafted rather than carved. Buttons and pom-poms are optional extras for children 3 and up who no longer mouth objects. An adult glues them on and stays close.

20. Painted Pumpkin Faces (Dot Markers or Fingers)

Give your child a small real or foam pumpkin, some washable paint, and either dot markers or their own fingers. For finger painting, use paint labeled safe for skin. Let them paint a face right onto the surface. There’s no cutting, no seeds, and no sharp tools.

Suggest a “silly” or “smiling” face. Most toddlers paint something closer to abstract polka dots, and that’s a fine outcome.

For a more structured version, tape a paper template of eyes, nose, and mouth to the pumpkin first as a guide for where to paint. The face templates in the No-Carve Pumpkin Decorating Kit printable work for this.

Washable paint may flake off a real pumpkin’s smooth skin once it dries, so treat this one as a short-lived decoration.

When a Craft Still Feels Too Spooky

Many young children are still sorting out what’s real and what’s pretend. A friendly paper plate ghost usually reads as silly, but reactions vary a lot, so go by your own child. Signs something is too much:

• They keep asking “is that real?”
• They leave the room, or avoid the room where it’s displayed.
• They bring it up again later in a worried voice.

Making It Toddler-Friendly (Under 3): What to Change

A craft that works for a 4-year-old often needs a few tweaks to work for an 18-month-old. Here’s the quick-reference version:

If your toddler loses interest three minutes in, that’s a completely normal toddler attention span. Save the half-finished project, come back to it after a snack, or just call it done. Nobody’s grading this.

For low-mess options the rest of the year, see our guide to mess-free art activities for toddlers.

Setting Up a No-Stress Craft Station

A few small setup choices make these projects go far more smoothly with young kids.

• Cover the table with a cheap plastic tablecloth or an old shower curtain. “Oh no, paint on the table” stops being a problem.
• Pre-portion supplies into small bowls or muffin tins instead of leaving full glue bottles and paint jars within toddler reach. Less spillage, less “why is the whole bottle empty” moment.
• Have a designated dry towel at the table, not just paper towels. Toddlers wipe their hands on themselves regardless, so a towel draped on their lap catches most of it.
• Do painting projects in play clothes or a smock, and don’t stress about the rest. Washable paint earns its name.
• Let one craft finish before introducing the next. Setting out all 20 projects’ supplies at once overwhelms everyone. Pick two or three per session.

Turning These Into a Full Halloween Craft Session or Party

If you’re hosting a small Halloween playdate or a preschool class party, you don’t need all 20 projects. Three stations are plenty.

Pick one craft of each type, so every kid has something they can do.

• One painting/dabbing project (fingerprint pumpkins) for the youngest kids.
• One gluing/assembly project (paper plate ghost) for the middle group. It has no small parts to watch.
• One open-ended process art project (torn-paper pumpkin patch). It has no “wrong” way to do it, so nobody feels behind.

Set each craft up at its own station with pre-portioned supplies and one adult. Cut the ghosts’ wavy edges and eye circles before anyone arrives, and use plain white plates so there’s no paint to dry. Let kids rotate at their own pace rather than doing all three in lockstep.

Not sure which fit your child? Try the activity finder quiz.

Related: No-Sew Felt Crafts for Toddlers: 15 Glue-Only Ideas · Last-Minute Halloween Costumes for Toddlers Using Home Items · Handprint Turkey Craft for Toddlers: A Foolproof Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is appropriate for Halloween crafts?

Each section above has its own age range, from about 1 year for handprints up to 3-6 for the recycled crafts. Anything that needs pom-poms, cotton balls, or googly eyes is for ages 3 and up, and only for kids who no longer mouth objects. An adult should handle all cutting and small parts and stay within arm’s reach. Child-safe scissors work with supervision from about age 3-4, and independent detailed assembly is more realistic around 4.

How do I keep Halloween crafts from being too scary for young kids?

Stick to rounded shapes instead of jagged ones, and smiling or neutral faces instead of angry ones. Soft materials like pom-poms and cotton balls help too. Watch your child’s reaction as you introduce each craft. If they seem hesitant or start asking “is that real,” swap in a simpler, cuter version.

What household items work best for last-minute Halloween crafts?

Paper plates, toilet paper and paper towel tubes, and washed yogurt cups are the most versatile. They’re already roughly the right shape for a ghost or pumpkin, so there’s little cutting. Egg cartons are the one thing not to pull from the bin: the bats need a new carton that has never held eggs. Add black and orange construction paper and washable paint or markers. That covers most of the projects on this list without a store run.

How do I clean pom-pom or paint mess off carpet and clothes?

Pick up pom-pom fuzz with a lint roller or a strip of tape. Blot wet washable paint with a damp cloth (don’t rub), and soak dried school glue spots with warm soapy water before washing. Check the paint label and spot-test a hidden area first, since washable paint doesn’t come out of every fabric.

Can toddlers use real pumpkins for crafts, or should I use fake ones?

Real mini pumpkins work fine for no-carve projects like yarn-wrapping or painting a face on the surface. They’re a nice sensory experience too (bumpy stem, smooth or ridged skin). A foam craft pumpkin is a sturdier stand-in that takes paint just as well. It’s reusable year after year and survives an enthusiastic toddler. If you use a real pumpkin, wash and dry it first.

How long do these crafts take to make?

Every project takes 10-20 minutes of active crafting. Painted or wet-glued crafts need another 20-30 minutes of drying before you add final details. Glue-stick paper crafts are ready right away. With a child under 3, plan short 5-10 minute sessions rather than one long sitting.

What’s a good first Halloween craft for a child who’s never done crafts before?

The torn-paper pumpkin patch or the fingerprint pumpkin patch are the gentlest starting points. Neither needs tools: your child tears paper and glues it down, or dips a fingertip in paint and stamps. There’s no wrong way to do either, so even a first-timer ends up with something they made themselves.

Pick Two or Three and Start Small

None of these 20 projects need a specialty store, a craft knife, or a tolerance for anything spooky. You just need paper, glue, pom-poms, and whatever’s clean in your recycling bin. Pick two or three that match where your kid is right now. Let the process matter more than the finished product. You’ll end up with a fridge covered in friendly ghosts, pumpkins, and spiders.

Still need a costume? See our last-minute Halloween costumes for toddlers.