Advice for Schools Advice for Clubs

25 Fun Halloween activities for schools, clubs & childcarers

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Halloween isn’t just about sweets and scary costumes - it’s a chance to spark creativity, teamwork, and fun for children in your care.

Whether you run a breakfast club, after-school club, holiday camp, or wraparound care, here are high-value, easy Halloween ideas for kids you can bring to life this October.

(If you’re wondering how many days until Halloween, it’s just around the corner!)

Don’t let admin haunt your Halloween. Streamline your club bookings, payments and registers with MagicBooking - book your free demo today.

According to recent MagicBooking data, 93% of schools and clubs reported improved organisation, and 86% saw lower stress levels after switching from manual systems. During busy seasons like Halloween, that means less time on spreadsheets and more time creating memorable experiences for children.

Fun Halloween activities that don’t break the budget

Running a Halloween activity doesn’t have to cost much. These fun Halloween activities are perfect for schools, clubs and childcare providers working with limited time and budgets.

Creative Halloween crafts

• Halloween drawings: Let children design their own creepy crawly, spooky scenes using orange, black and white chalk.
• Halloween crafts: Try paper plate pumpkins, DIY Halloween masks, or making spider webs from string.
• Halloween decor: Turn your setting into a mini haunted house with recycled materials.
• Halloween wallpaper: Create a “spooky wall” with everyone’s artwork. Perfect for photos.

Running extra Halloween sessions? Let MagicBooking handle the bookings, payments and staff scheduling - see how in a free demo.

Halloween pumpkin ideas

Nothing says Happy Halloween like a pumpkin display!

• Use easy Halloween pumpkin carving ideas like friendly faces, stars, or initials.
• Try scary Halloween pumpkin ideas for older kids - monsters, bats, and creepy cats.
• No mess? Paint pumpkins instead.
• Display them with battery candles for a safe Halloween background glow.

Age Group	Pumpkin Activity	Difficulty	Materials Needed
Under 5s	Paint a mini pumpkin	Easy	Washable paints, brushes
6–9 yrs	Paper pumpkin crafts	Medium	Paper, glue, scissors
10+ yrs	Carve scary pumpkins	Advanced	Pumpkins, carving tools, marker

While you plan fun Halloween activities, we’ll handle the admin nightmares. Try MagicBooking free and simplify your club management.

Halloween costume ideas for clubs and schools

From kids Halloween costumes to funny Halloween costumes, dressing up is half the fun. Encourage children (and staff!) to join in.

Easy and affordable Halloween outfits

• Easy Halloween costumes for kids: Mummies made from toilet roll, cats with face paint, or DIY ghosts.
• Baby Halloween costumes: For nursery settings - pumpkin rompers or animal onesies.
• Halloween outfits / Halloween pjs / Halloween pyjamas: Perfect for Halloween themed sleepovers or relaxed activity sessions.

Retail tip: ASDA Halloween costumes and Tesco Halloween costumes are affordable and easy to mix with DIY touches.

Activity tip: Collect some materials and help the children create their own Halloween outfits or accessories. For example, you could cut some black cat ears from an old poster and staple them to a headband, or create a witch hat from a painted plastic cone.

Don’t forget Halloween makeup and Halloween face paint this spooky season - safe, hypoallergenic paints work best.

This Halloween, treat yourself to stress-free bookings. No tricks - just smarter management with MagicBooking. Book your demo now.

Halloween food and sweets kids love

Make snack time magical with Halloween food ideas that double as activities.

• Halloween cupcakes: Let children decorate with icing spiders or monster faces.
• Halloween sweets: Try healthy versions - fruit skewers or popcorn “brains.”
• Halloween food: Use cookie cutters to make ghost sandwiches or bat-shaped cheese toasties.

Pro tip: Combine snack prep with trick or treating games, and Halloween jokes - “Why did the vampire need mouthwash? Because he had bat breath!”

MagicBooking turns scary admin into child’s play. Automate registers, payments and schedules - get your free trial today.

Halloween games and activities for every age

When planning your Halloween childrens activities, keep sessions inclusive and energetic.

• All Halloween games: Ghost bowling, eyeball spoon races, or pumpkin ring toss.
• Halloween games for kids: Team scavenger hunts or a “monster freeze dance.”
• Halloween fun activities: Face-paint relay, apple bobbing, making jack o lanterns, and spooky storytelling.

Business tip: It could also be lucrative to throw a one-off party on Halloween night e.g. ‘Trick or Treaters Disco’. Make it family-friendly and free or cheap to attend, but charge small fees for classic Halloween activities like apple bobbing and tasty refreshments like candy corn.

These Halloween ideas build teamwork and confidence while giving everyone a laugh.

Halloween crafts and decor that last beyond October

Go beyond one-day fun with sustainable Halloween ideas about Halloween.

Inspired by Tops Day Nurseries’ sustainable Halloween guide, reuse decorations and fabrics instead of buying new each year.

• Create cloth Halloween masks instead of disposable ones.
• Store decorations for next year’s club events.
• If you do carve pumpkins, the innards can be used for compost or cooking.
• Any costumes or toys you don’t wish to reuse can be sold next year at a Halloween fair or donated to a charity.

Running extra Halloween sessions? Let MagicBooking handle the bookings, payments and staff scheduling - see how in a free demo.

Halloween events in London (perfect for field trips)

If you’re based near the capital, Halloween events London offers great group outing options.

TimeOut’s Halloween in London for Kids lists local haunted trails, pumpkin patches, and kid-friendly shows.

Check event access and costs early - some sell out fast.

Combine trips with MagicBooking, your club and school scheduling software to manage sign-ups easily. Claim a free trial to see how it works.

Shine Clubs, who use MagicBooking, reported a 40% increase in term-time bookings and a 60% reduction in payment collection time after streamlining seasonal sessions and more with MagicBooking.

Plan and manage your Halloween sessions smoothly

Halloween can be your busiest time. Using a school and club booking system like MagicBooking helps you stay organised.

With a school and club management software, like MagicBooking, you can:

• Create themed events like “Spooky Friday” or “Pumpkin Day.”
• Manage staff rotas with school and club scheduling software.
• Track attendance for your club and school booking system in real time.
• Collect payments for parties or trips directly online (with MB, even HMRC TFC payments are automated as detailed in our previous blog).
• Send mass SMS and email messages to parents or set up automated notifications.
• Use automated registers and streamline safeguarding, child notes, and injury reports.

Simplify bookings so you can focus on the fun, not the admin. All you need is MagicBooking. Get your free demo now.

Funding tip to share with parents: Use tax-free childcare for Halloween sessions

Did you know some parents can use Tax-Free Childcare to pay for your sessions?

In 2023, HMRC confirmed over 570,000 families used Tax-Free Childcare to cover childcare costs - including clubs and wraparound sessions - showing strong demand for affordable childcare during seasonal peaks like Halloween

As HMRC’s announcement explained, families can save up to £2,000 a year - helping them afford extra club time around Halloween.

Make sure your club is registered, so parents can use this scheme for your events.

There have also been changes to the UK’s free childcare scheme, whereby parent are now entitled to double the moment of childcare hours, and for a wider age range of kids.

Read our previous article: ‘How 30 hours free childcare and best start hubs impact clubs.’

86% of our clubs & schools increased their savings with MagicBooking in 2024, and 73% saw boosted cash flow. Save money on admin costs, automate financial reports, and simplify financial forecasting with MagicBooking. Get a free demo here.

Useful Halloween resources for educators and clubs

• Twinkl Halloween Resources - ready-to-use printables and lesson ideas
• Club Hub Halloween Activities - event inspiration
• Out of School Alliance Halloween Guide – seasonal tips for wraparound providers

Make this a happy Halloween with MagicBooking

With these Halloween ideas for kids, you can make this season fun, inclusive, and unforgettable - all while keeping things affordable and stress-free.

Whether you’re counting down how long till Halloween, or already decorating your Halloween pumpkins, remember: the goal is simple - create some magic.

While you’re busy planning fun Halloween activities, let MagicBooking handle the scary part - the admin.

Schools and clubs using MagicBooking report up to 75% admin time saved, 60% faster payments, and a 9/10 satisfaction rating from parents. That means less stress and more time for what matters - creating unforgettable experiences for children.

Book your free demo today and see why over 90% of clubs and schools say MagicBooking made them more organised, accessible, and financially secure.

"Give [MagicBooking] a try and you’ll see for yourself how quickly and efficiently you’ll save time and hopefully save money, and it will just make the administration of running your school, your clubs, all your enrichment programmes, a lot more easy to facilitate.” – Daniel Amos-Phillips, Director, Holiplay. Full case study here.

86% of our clubs & schools increased their savings with MagicBooking in 2024, and 73% saw boosted cash flow. Save money on admin costs, automate financial reports, and simplify financial forecasting with MagicBooking. Get a free demo here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What can schools and clubs do at a kids Halloween party?

You can run simple Halloween games like pumpkin bowling, mummy wrapping, or a spooky treasure hunt.

Add crafts, cupcakes and a costume parade to make it fun, active, and inclusive for all ages.

How can clubs and schools plan last-minute Halloween activities?

Focus on quick wins: printable Halloween crafts, easy costume contests, or themed snack-making.

Use your school and club booking system to communicate plans quickly to parents and manage numbers efficiently.

What do kids usually dress up as for Halloween at clubs or after-school sessions?

Popular kids Halloween costumes include witches, superheroes, pumpkins, and friendly monsters. Encourage creative, homemade outfits to keep costs low and make children feel proud of their ideas.

How can teachers or club leaders throw an easy Halloween party?

Keep it simple with themed decorations, Halloween food ideas, and short interactive games.

Use a club and school management software like MagicBooking to organise sign-ups, payments, and staff scheduling stress-free.

Which Halloween party games are best for younger children?

Classic, safe games like apple bobbing, musical monsters, and pass-the-pumpkin are always a hit. These all-Halloween games encourage teamwork, laughter, and help children burn off that sugar rush.