Halloween with toddlers is a magical mix of excitement, costumes, and pumpkins. But if you’ve ever tried to keep a 20-month-old busy during spooky season, you’ll know it’s not always simple. Crafts and activities are the perfect way to let little ones join in the fun – without the sugar rush.

At this age, toddlers are curious explorers. They love textures, colours, and anything hands-on. That’s why Halloween crafts and toddler-friendly activities are so brilliant: they build fine motor skills, encourage creativity, and create lasting memories.

If you’re looking for ideas that are safe, easy, and not too messy, this list has you covered. Here are 20 of the best Halloween crafts and activities for toddlers – perfect for children around 18 months, 2 years, and pre-schoolers too.

Best Toddler Halloween Crafts

1. Handprint Ghost Craft

Nothing says “toddler keepsake” like a handprint! Dip your toddler’s hand in white paint and stamp it onto black card. Once dry, add googly eyes or use a felt tip to draw a face.

Why it works: Toddlers love seeing their handprint “magically” turn into a ghost. Parents get a sweet keepsake to treasure.

Top tip: Always use washable paint for quick clean-up

2. Paper Plate Pumpkin Craft

Give your little one a paper plate and some orange paint or crayons. Let them colour it in, then help them stick on a green stalk and leaves cut from card. You can even cut triangle eyes and a smile for a jack-o-lantern face.

Variation: Not keep on paint? Use torn-up orange tissue paper and glue instead.

3. Cotton Wool Ghosts

Draw a ghost outline on thick paper. Hand over a pot of glue and a pile of cotton wool balls, and let your toddler stick them down.

Why toddlers love it: It’s fluffy, sensory, and simple.

Parent hack: For younger toddlers, a glue stick works well and avoids drips.

4. Sticker Pumpkins (Mess-Free)

Cut pumpkin shapes out of orange card and give your toddler a selection of Halloween sticks. Let them decorate to their heart’s content.

Why it works: Stickers are brilliant for fine motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination, plus there’s no mess at all.

5. Footprint Bat Craft

Dip your toddler’s foot in black paint and press it onto paper. When it’s dry, add wings and a pair of eyes. Suddenly you’ve got a cheeky little bat.

Keepsake factor: Just like handprints, this becomes a lovely seasonal memory.

Easy Halloween Crafts for Toddlers Under 2

6. Tissue Paper Jack-o’-Lantern

Cut a pumpkin shape from sturdy card. Let your toddler scrunch and glue pieces of orange tissue paper all over. Add eyes, a nose, and a smile from black paper shapes.

Why toddlers love it: Scrunching tissue is fun, noisy, and easy for little hands.

7. Lolly Stick Spider Web

Glue three lolly sticks into a star shape, then help your toddler wrap white wool around them to create a web. Add a little plastic spider to finish.

Parent tip: Toddlers may need help with the wrapping, but they’ll love sticking on the spider at the end.

8. Halloween Sensory Tray

Fill a shallow tray or plastic box with black beans, orange pom-poms, toy pumpkins, and a few Halloween-themed bits. Give your toddler scoops, spoons, or cups to explore.

Why it’s great: Sensory play builds motor skills and often keeps toddlers engaged for longer than most crafts.

Safety reminder: Always supervise closely to avoid little mouths sampling the contents!

9. Paper Bag Monsters

Hand your toddler a plain paper lunch bag, some googly eyes, pipe cleansers, and felt tips. Let them design their own monster face.

Extra fun: Pop your hand inside and use it as a puppet afterwards.

10. Apple Print Pumpkins

Slice an apple in half, dip it in orange paint, and let your toddler stamp it onto paper. Once dry, draw on stalks and funny faces.

Learning bonus: Talk about fruit, colours, ad shapes while you craft.

Cute Halloween Crafts and Activities for Toddlers

11. Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost Jars

Fill a clean jam jar with cotton wool, then pop in a glow stick or LED tealight. Draw a ghost face on the outside with a black marker.

Toddler role: Stuffing the jar is safe and satisfying.

12. Bat Handprint Craft

Trace round your toddler’s hands on black paper, cut them out, and attach to a small oval “bat body”.

Variation: Add glitter or sequins for sparkly, magical bats.

13. Pumpkin Playdough Fun

Homemade or shop-bought orange playdough works perfectly. Provide cookie cutters, pipe cleaners, and googly eyes so your toddler can create mini pumpkins.

Why it’s great: Encourages imagination and strengthens hand muscles.

14. Window Decorating

Let your toddler decorate the windows with Halloween-themed clings or washable pens.

Clean-up bonus: Wipes off easily with a damp cloth.

15. Cotton Bud Skeletons

Draw a simple skeleton outline on paper and let your toddler stick cotton buds in place to form “bones”.

Why toddlers enjoy it: It’s like a puzzle, and they get to learn about the body in a playful way.

Fun Halloween Activities For Toddlers

16. Paper Plate Witch Craft

Colour a paper plate green, add strands of wool for hair, and pop on a triangular witches hat. Googly eyes finish it off nicely.

Keepsake tip: A perfect decoration for the fridge or wall.

17. Halloween Collage

Offer your toddler a tray of Halloween bits – foam shapes, stickers, bits of card – and let them glue everything onto one big sheet to create a collage.

Why it works: Toddlers love the freedom of sticking wherever they like.

18. Coffee Filter Ghosts

Stuff a coffee filter with tissue, tie it off with ribbon, and draw a little face.

Parent hack: Make a few and string them together for a toddler-made garland.

19. Pumpkin Shakers (DIY Musical Fun)

Fill a small plastic bottle with orange rice or beads. Tape the lid securely ad let your toddler shake along to Halloween songs.

Why toddlers love it: Toddlers adore noisy, musical play.

20. Toddler Halloween Scavenger Hunt

Hide Halloween-themed items around the house or garden – mini pumpkins, toy bats, paper ghosts. Give your toddler a basket and help them search.

Learning bonus: Brilliant for vocabulary building (“Can you find the pumpkin?”)

I’ll be sharing more toddler scavenger hunt ideas and printable clues in next week’s blog post, so keep an eye out!

Tips for Halloween Crafts & Activities with Toddlers

• Stick to non-toxic, washable supplies.
• Keep activities short and sweet – 10 to 15 minutes is plenty.
• Embrace the mess – it’s all part of the fun.
• Celebrate effort, not perfection.

Final Thoughts

From pumpkin crafts to scavenger hunts, these toddler-friendly Halloween ideas are safe, simple, and seasonal. At 18-24 months, little ones are bursting with curiosity, and these crafts and activities are a wonderful way to channel that energy.

Whether you’re making handprint ghosts, exploring a sensory tray, or decorating pumpkins, these crafts and activities will bring joy to your toddler – and plenty of Halloween fun for the whole family.