Get wildlife activities delivered to your door
Our family membership helps you enjoy nature all year round with children's activity packs, our member magazine and a handy tree ID guide.
Find out more about family membership13 Halloween nature crafts and activities for kids
Content manager
Get set for spooky season! Woods and wildlife provide heaps of inspiration for young thrillseekers. So, we’ve put together our best Halloween activities for kids to ensure you and your family have a spooktacular time. Read on… if you dare!
1. Make friendly leaf ghosts
This nature craft is cute, not creepy, so it's fun for all ages. Dig out some white paint, a brush and a marker pen, then get ghost-making.
- Gather up some fallen leaves on your next autumn walk.
- Place the leaves in a heavy book for a couple of days to flatten them out. This makes it easier for kids to paint them.
- Paint the leaves white and let them dry.
- Draw funny faces on them.
Ghost leaves make brilliant Halloween decorations. You can even make monsters, zombies or vampires - let your imagination run wild!
Love your woods
Please don't leave pumpkins in woods and parks. They can make wild animals poorly and cause harm to habitats as they rot down. Pop any pumpkin leftovers in your compost heap instead.
2. Create a leafy Jack-o'-lantern
Instead of carving a pumpkin this year, why not make one using fallen leaves? (And save your seasonal squash for pies or soups!)
Pumpkin-coloured leaves fall from deciduous trees in autumn, so go on a leaf hunt and search for dazzling oranges and yellows. Arrange them in a pumpkin shape on the ground and use dark brown leaves to create glaring eyes and a grinning mouth. Finish your Jack-o'-lantern by adding a couple of green leaves on top to make a stalk.
3. Paint mini pumpkins
Transform shiny conkers into miniature pumpkins! Simply paint them orange and add spooky faces to make cute decorations you can place around your home.
4. Make a magic wand
Young witches and wizards will enjoy making their own magic wand from a stick. Choose an unusual twig and decorate it with paint, ribbons or wool. Older children can try whittling – peeling off the bark, shaping the stick with a craft knife and carving patterns into the wood. Make sure you supervise children at all times and follow our whittling tips for beginners.
Don't forget, every witch or wizard needs a twig broomstick too. It's essential for a quick game of Quidditch!
5. Stir up a woodland potion
Potion-making was a favourite pastime of mine growing up. I would spend hours foraging for magical ingredients and making up spells. Try it with your kids this Halloween:
- Take a plastic container on a woodland adventure, add a splash of water and find a special stick for stirring.
- Look for woodland treasures to add to your potion, such as brightly coloured leaves, fluffy feathers, glossy berries and scented pine needles. Please don't pick wild plants – look for things that have fallen naturally to the ground.
- Use your stick to stir everything up, then find a special spot to pour out your potion and make a wish.
6. Create spider web bunting
Take your spooky décor to the next level with this web-tastic leaf craft. Start by gathering fallen leaves – maple leaves are ideal. Paint them black, then draw along the veins in white or silver pen to create intricate spider webs. Tie ribbon around the leaf stalks and hang up your bunting with the rest of your Halloween decorations.
7. Make a handprint spider
This simple craft is ideal for tiny tots who want to join in the Halloween fun.
- Paint one of your child's hands black – just the palm and fingers, not the thumb.
- Press their hand onto a piece of card to leave a print.
- Apply more paint and overlap another handprint, making sure the fingers point the opposite way to the first.
- Add some googly eyes and meet your new friend – a not-so-scary 8-legged spider!
8. Make a loo roll bat
For this brilliant bat activity, all you need ia a cardboard tube and a fallen leaf.
- Paint the loo roll tube and leaf black. Leave to dry.
- Glue the leaf to the back of the tube to create wings.
- Fold the top of the tube down to make pointy ears.
- Finish off by adding a friendly face.
9. Build a stick skeleton
Did you know there are 206 bones in an adult human body? Children have even more because some of their bones haven’t fused together yet!
To make your own spine-tingling skeleton, gather natural materials and lay them out on the ground:
- Make a skull from a large leaf and eye sockets from conkers.
- Use leaves to make collarbones and a pelvis.
- Twigs are perfect for legs, arms, a spine and a ribcage.
- Twigs or catkins work well for fingers and toes, while conkers are great for kneecaps and elbows.
You could even film a stop-motion video of your skeleton strolling along on a woodland walk!
10. Go on a Halloween scavenger hunt
Woods are wonderful places for spooky exploration. Let your imagination run wild on your next woodland walk and keep your eyes peeled for…
- a stick used to stir potions
- a lacy leaf skeleton
- silky strands from a spider's web
- a goblin's eyeball (a conker)
- a leaf the colour of a pumpkin
- slender twigs from a witch's broomstick
- a leaf shaped like a bat's silhouette.
What other hair-raising treasures will you discover...?
11. Explore on a spooky nature hunt
Have you ever been on an after-dark adventure? It feels shockingly different to daytime and all your senses are heightened. If your family’s up for the challenge, grab a torch and go on a nature hunt with a difference.
- Can you spot twinkling stars, glowing animal eyes, or spooky shadows and silhouettes?
- Can you feel wispy spider webs, a chilly breeze, or leaves brushing against you?
- Can you hear hooting owls and cawing crows, twigs snapping under your feet, animals rustling in the undergrowth, or trees creaking in the wind?
Stay safe. Make sure kids are in sight at all times and keep an eye out for trip hazards.
12. Search for faces in the trees
Next time you're in the woods, take a closer look at the trees. Can you spot forest folk peering back at you? Watch out for eyes, ears and noses hidden in tree trunks and roots. Don't forget to say hello!
13. Find frightful fungi
Lots of weird and wonderful fungi pop up in autumn. They often have unusual names too, such as ghost bolete, dead man's fingers and witches' butter (also known as yellow brain!).
Go on a fungus hunt in the woods. Look for glistening toadstools and slimy blobs, then make up strange names to match their intriguing appearances.
Stay safe. Some fungi are toxic, so it's best to explore with your eyes, not your hands.
Keep the fun going all year round
We hope you have a very happy Halloween and enjoy these spooky ideas. If you love exploring woods with your family and would like to receive regular nature activities for kids, take a look at Woodland Trust family membership.
When you join, you'll receive activity packs stuffed to the brim with outdoor ideas, wildlife facts, nature crafts, recipes and puzzles. It's ideal for families who love wildlife. Plus, as members, you'll help us plant trees and protect woods, creating a healthier planet for future generations.