You know how kids get around Halloween – energy through the roof, costumes half on, and candy already on their minds. That’s where Halloween crafts for elementary kids save the day.
These aren’t your usual boring worksheets or messy paint splatters.
Nope. I’ve pulled together simple Halloween crafts that are fun, hands-on, and don’t need a craft store haul.
Think of this as your survival kit for keeping kids busy, creative, and still in the Halloween spirit.
1. Glow Stick Ghost Jars
Grab a mason jar, pop in a glow stick, and wrap the outside with tissue paper.
Add some googly eyes, and suddenly your kid’s got a glowing little ghost they can carry around.
It’s quick, it’s cool, and best part – it doubles as a nightlight when they’re too spooked to sleep. This is the type of kids craft for Halloween that kids actually want to show off.
2. Pipe Cleaner Spiders
All you need are black pipe cleaners, a pom-pom, and some tiny beads for eyes.
Bend the pipe cleaners into eight creepy legs, stick them on the pom-pom, and you’ve got a spider. My son made one last year, and honestly – it scared our dog.
These little guys can hang on windows, bookshelves, or even sneak into lunchboxes as a prank. That’s Halloween art and craft with a little dad-approved mischief.
3. Paper Plate Jack-O’-Lantern Masks
Sometimes the simplest stuff is what gets the biggest laughs.
Cut eye holes in a paper plate, paint it orange, and let your kid design their own Jack-O’-Lantern face with markers or construction paper cutouts.
Strap a string to the back, and suddenly you’ve got a spooky mask. This is a simple Halloween craft that’s perfect for classrooms or a last-minute costume fix.
4. Haunted Toilet Roll Bats
Don’t throw away those toilet paper rolls. Paint them black, fold down the top to make bat ears, and add wings from construction paper.
Stick on some eyes, and you’ve got a haunted little bat ready to hang from the ceiling.
My kid taped a whole army of them in his room last October – it looked like a bat cave. If you want Halloween crafts for elementary kids that make a room pop, this is gold.
5. Witch’s Potion Bottles
This one gets messy, but kids love it. Use clear bottles, fill them with water, and drop in food coloring, glitter, and tiny plastic spiders or eyeballs. Shake it up, and it looks like a bubbling witch’s brew.
This kids craft for Halloween is equal parts spooky and science experiment – and trust me, they’ll shake that bottle until dinner time.
6. Monster Bookmark Corners
You know kids love to flip through Halloween books this time of year.
Take a square piece of colored paper, fold it into a corner shape, and let them decorate it like a monster – sharp teeth, googly eyes, horns, the whole deal.
My son made one that looked like it wanted to eat the book itself. It’s an easy Halloween craft that sneaks some reading into the fun.
7. Popsicle Stick Haunted House
Line up popsicle sticks to form the base of a house, glue them together, then add windows, doors, and even a crooked roof with extra sticks.
Paint it black or purple and stick a little ghost inside. It’s one of those Halloween art and craft projects where the messier it looks, the spookier it feels.
Bonus: it keeps kids busy for a good chunk of time.
8. Cotton Ball Spider Webs
Stretch cotton balls out until they look like webbing, then glue them onto black cardstock.
Toss in a little plastic spider, and suddenly you’ve got a creepy web scene.
This is a simple Halloween craft that works great for classrooms because each kid can make their own spooky web.
Plus, no one complains about getting glue on their fingers – it’s half the fun.
9. Egg Carton Pumpkins
Cut out the little cups from an egg carton, paint them orange, and stick a green pipe cleaner on top for the stem.
They look like mini pumpkins and can sit in a basket or line a windowsill.
My kid lined them across the kitchen counter, and it looked like a pumpkin patch in miniature. It’s a quick kids craft for Halloween that turns trash into treasure.
10. Shadow Puppet Monsters
Cut monster shapes out of cardboard – think fangs, claws, horns – and tape them to popsicle sticks.
Turn off the lights, grab a flashlight, and project the shapes on the wall.
You’ll have kids howling with laughter and maybe even making up their own spooky stories.
This is Halloween crafts for elementary kids at its best: simple, cheap, and it sparks imagination.
11. Pumpkin Paper Lanterns
Take orange construction paper, fold it into a tube, and cut slits halfway down to create the lantern effect.
Tape or staple it together, then add a green paper strip on top for the stem.
Drop in a battery tea light, and boom – you’ve got a glowing mini pumpkin lantern. Kids love seeing their work light up.
It’s one of those simple Halloween crafts that doubles as spooky decor.
12. Skeleton Q-Tip Art
This one is surprisingly fun. Glue Q-Tips onto black paper in the shape of a skeleton – long ones for arms and legs, shorter ones for ribs.
Use a small circle of paper for the skull and draw a goofy or scary face on it.
My kid’s ended up looking more like a breakdancing skeleton, but that made it even better. This Halloween art and craft idea is quick, cheap, and always a hit.
Final Thoughts
To be honest, I’ve tried plenty of Halloween crafts for elementary kids, and I’ve realized something: the best ones aren’t about perfect results.
They’re about giving your kids the freedom to make something creepy, weird, or just plain goofy while you’re right there with them.
These moments stick. Ten years from now, your kid won’t remember the glue mess or the crooked pumpkin – they’ll remember you sitting there, making monsters out of pipe cleaners.
So go for the fun, not the flawless. That’s how you win Halloween as a parent.
