Halloween Activities for Older Kids & Teens: 12 Budget-Friendly Ideas
Looking for Halloween activities for older kids and teens? Try these 12 budget-friendly ideas, from scary books and movies to games and murder mysteries.
9/25/20266 min read
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Halloween fun doesn’t have to end as kids get older—it can simply change.
In my last Halloween post, I shared ways families with younger children can celebrate throughout October. While putting that list together, I kept coming up with Halloween activities for older kids and teens that weren’t quite right for us yet but might be fun as Brayden gets older.
Some are a little spookier. Others give older kids and teens more independence and a chance to take the lead.
We haven’t tried most of these activities yet, but they’re ideas I’d like to keep in mind as our own Halloween traditions change over the years.
If you’re looking for budget-friendly Halloween ideas for older kids, here are 12 activities to try at home or in your community.
1. Make a Halloween-Themed Dinner
Turn an ordinary dinner into a Halloween activity by giving familiar foods spooky names or making a themed meal together.
Older kids and teens can help plan the menu, cook or even take charge of dinner for the night.
It doesn’t need to be elaborate. A regular family meal with a little Halloween creativity is enough to make it feel different.
2. Tell Spooky Stories
Turn down the lights, grab some flashlights and take turns reading or making up spooky stories.
This isn’t something we do with Brayden right now because he gets scared easily, but I could see it being fun when he’s older.
The stories don’t have to be truly frightening, either. Adjust the level of spooky to what your family actually enjoys.
3. Read a Scary Book
Halloween movies get plenty of attention, but October is also the perfect time to curl up with a creepy book.
I love to read, so this is one activity I can definitely get behind.
Older kids and teens can choose an age-appropriate mystery, thriller, ghost story or horror book, while adults choose something of their own.
Check the library first to make this a free Halloween activity.
Coming soon: I’ll be sharing some of my own spooky book recommendations for anyone looking for something creepy to read this fall.
4. Have a Scarier Halloween Movie Night
As kids get older, your Halloween movie choices can change with them.
Make popcorn, turn down the lights and choose something that would have been a little too spooky when they were younger.
You could even let a different family member choose the movie each week throughout October.
5. Have a Costume Contest
Challenge everyone to create costumes using clothes, accessories and other things you already own.
Give out silly awards for the funniest, most creative or best homemade costume.
Making the costumes from what’s already in the house can be part of the challenge—and keeps this Halloween activity inexpensive.
6. Have a Halloween Game Night
Give your usual family game night a Halloween twist.
Try Halloween trivia, charades, mystery games or Halloween versions of games your family already enjoys.
Older kids can even create their own trivia questions or challenges for everyone else.
7. Create a Halloween Escape Room
Hide clues and puzzles throughout a room or the house and challenge everyone to solve the mystery before time runs out.
You can make the clues yourself or use an inexpensive printable version.
Older kids and teens could also create the escape room for the adults, giving them a chance to plan the activity instead.
8. Have a Halloween Baking Challenge
Turn Halloween baking into a friendly competition.
Start with cookies, cupcakes or another simple dessert and challenge everyone to create the funniest, creepiest or most creative design.
Use ingredients and decorations you already have whenever possible to keep the cost down.
9. Have a Pumpkin Carving or Decorating Contest
Pumpkin decorating can become more challenging as kids get older.
Create categories such as funniest, spookiest or most creative pumpkin and let everyone come up with their own design.
If buying several pumpkins gets expensive, work in teams or use smaller pumpkins.
10. Host a Halloween Murder Mystery
This is one Halloween activity for older kids I would love to try when Brayden is older.
Everyone can dress as a character, follow clues and work together to solve a mystery.
You can purchase a ready-made game, find a printable version or create your own. And it doesn’t necessarily have to involve a murder. For younger players, the mystery could be something like “Who Took the Halloween Candy?”
11. Take a Halloween Flashlight Walk
Bring flashlights or glow sticks and take an evening walk to look at Halloween decorations.
This one probably won’t become a tradition for us because we live near the woods and nighttime walks aren’t ideal with the wildlife around us.
But for families in walkable neighborhoods, it could be an easy and inexpensive way to make an ordinary evening feel more like Halloween.
12. Look for Halloween Activities in Your Community
Older kids may outgrow some of the Halloween events they enjoyed when they were little, but there may be other options as they get older.
Check your library, recreation department and local community calendar for teen Halloween activities, movies, costume contests, festivals and other seasonal events.
Some may be free, while others might charge admission, so you can choose what works for your family’s Halloween budget.
Let Your Halloween Traditions Grow With Your Kids
I don’t know which of these activities will eventually become traditions in our house.
Maybe we’ll have scary movie nights. Maybe Brayden will love horror books as much as I enjoy reading. And I still really want to try a Halloween murder mystery someday.
Or he may have completely different ideas about how he wants to celebrate.
That’s part of the fun of watching family traditions change.
You don’t have to keep doing an activity simply because you’ve always done it. As kids get older, let them have more input, keep the traditions everyone still loves and make room for new ones.
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Halloween Activities for Older Kids
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.
You don’t need to buy a bunch of new stuff to make Halloween fun for older kids and teens. Many of these activities can be put together with things you already have at home.
But if you’re looking for a few supplies you can reuse for Halloween activities—or throughout the rest of the year—these are some practical options.
Cozy Blanket
Perfect for Halloween movie nights, spooky story time, or curling up with a good mystery book. A cozy blanket is also something your family can use long after Halloween is over.
Flashlight
Useful for telling spooky stories, indoor treasure hunts, Halloween games, or adding a little atmosphere to an evening activity. Of course, flashlights are also handy to keep around the house year-round.
Reusable LED Candles
Create a spooky atmosphere for a murder mystery, Halloween movie night, or puzzle challenge without using real flames. Pack them away with your Halloween decorations and bring them out again next year.
Baking Sheets
A basic kitchen staple that works for Halloween cookies, roasted pumpkin seeds, and plenty of everyday baking throughout the year.
Silicone Baking Mats
Pair these with your baking sheets for Halloween cookies and other treats. They’re washable and reusable, making them a practical alternative to repeatedly using parchment paper.
Halloween Cookie Cutters
Use them for Halloween cookies, but don’t stop there. They can also be used to cut sandwiches, shape snacks, or even as templates for simple Halloween crafts.
Pumpkin Scooper
Helpful for cleaning out pumpkins before carving or decorating them. It can make the messy part of pumpkin prep a little easier, especially when older kids want to work on their own pumpkin designs.
More Halloween Ideas for Families
Budget-Friendly Halloween Activities for Families All Month Long
Halloween Games to Play as a Family (Coming Soon)
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