5 Easy Halloween Crafts to do with the Grandkids

Celebrating Halloween has so many benefits, whether that’s spending time with your family or getting a group of friends together. It’s the perfect opportunity to share joy, have a laugh and create meaningful connections with those you love. And even though it can feel childish, having fun on Halloween builds a sense of belonging, boosts your mood, encourages your creativity and creates lasting memories you can cherish.

There are lots of ways to have enough fun to raise the dead, from hosting a spooky Halloween movie night, telling your spookiest ghost stories, to having a dress up!

Is it even Halloween if you don’t carve a pumpkin?

There’s something so nostalgic about this activity. Pumpkin carving is a cherished tradition, rich with memories, whether it's the joy of carving your first pumpkin as a child, sharing the experience with your own kids, or creating new moments of laughter and creativity with your grandchildren.

Let your grand-goblins choose a template they like and draw the face on the pumpkin, supervise (or take over) the cutting of the pumpkin and let the children get messy de-gutting the insides.

Place the pumpkins outside with a candle to stop any spirits from entering your home.

You will need:

• Pumpkins
• Carving Knife
• Spoons to scoop
• Candle

Remember you can bake the seeds for a delicious snack!

The spookiest way to add a ghoulish spin to your decorations. These Mummy Mason Jars are super easy to make and add so much character to your Halloween decorations. They’re a cherished memory you can display year after year or even gift to a friend.

Lightly paint your mason jar with PVA glue and wrap stretch bandage around the jar, leaving a gap just above halfway for the googly eyes. Add an electric candle inside and watch your Mummy come to life.

You will need:

• Mason Jars or Plain Glasses
• PVA Glue
• Stretch Bandage (Can be found in your local supermarket)
• Googly Eyes
• Any other spooky accessories

For an extra spooky effect, pre paint the outside of the jar in a glow-in-the-dark paint.

If you’re entertaining younger children, toilet roll monsters are a super fun and imaginative way to bring their Halloween to life. Whether they create their own colourful monstrosity or take inspiration from classic Halloween characters, including Witches, Mummys, Frankenstein’s Monster, bats and spiders.

Paint your toilet tube holders, add eyes, arms, feet and teeth.

You will Need:

• Toilet Roll Tubes
• Paints and Paint Brushes
• Coloured Paper
• PVA Glue or Glue Sticks
• Coloured Pencils or Felt Tip Pens
• Other Arts and Crafts Bits (Googly Eyes, Pipe Cleaners…)

Instead of heading out and buying a Halloween costume for your grandkids, why not let them have a go at making their own?

There’s lots of ways to decorate your own masks, shops and art stores have kits, you can papier-mâché or use cardboard and string, or paper plates.

For the papier-mâché way, you will need:

• Newspaper
• Papier-mâché
• 1 Balloon or base mask
• Scissors to cut into desired shape
• Decorations and paint

Cut the newspaper into strips, dip into the papier-mâché and layer them over the balloon or mask. Let everything dry, paint and decorate.

If you’re using cardboard or a paper plate, you will need:

• Cardboard or Paper Plate
• String
• Scissors
• Decorations and Paint

Cut the cardboard or plate into the desires shape, puncture holes on the sides to tie the string around the head and decorate.

Crafting your own Halloween garlands and buntings is a wonderful way of adding your grandchildren’s creative touch, whilst making cherished memories and having a keepsake you can display year after year. To create our ghost garland, we suggest using an old book and ripping the pages out for a spooky effect, but you can use whatever you have on hand or colourful paper too.

Make yourself a ghostly template (or a few templates for variety), use the template on the paper and cut out. Draw on the eyes and mouth, puncture a hole at the top and thread string through. Hang up and admire your homemade Halloween decoration!

You will need:

• Pages from an old book
• Black Pen
• Scissors
• String, Twine or Yarn

Our 5 easy Halloween Crafts are the perfect activity to do with grandchildren of any age. Whether you try one or them all, your time together will be full of laughs, joy and a sense of pride.

Use this time to watch a scary movie (or not-so-scary movie if your grandchildren are young), make up your own spooky stories and play Halloween themed music.

For more seasonal Craft ideas, visit our Feel Good Hub.

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