Conjure Halloween fun with PBS KIDS

October 10, 2023 Tawny Morrison Leave a Comment

Looking for Halloween ideas for kids without all the tricks? PBS KIDS is packed with activities, games, costume ideas and more. Get into the Halloween spirit with some of our festive favorites!

Carve your own PBS KIDS pumpkin

Make your pumpkins pop with your favorite PBS KIDS characters. Free printable templates feature characters like Arthur, Daniel Tiger and Pinkalicious. With helpful tips and instructions included on each template, the only hard part is picking which one to make!

While you’re carving out your gourd-eous masterpiece, keep younger children busy with simple math activities, like estimating how many seeds you’ll scoop out or comparing the sizes of your pumpkins. More math inspiration is available in English and Spanish on the PBS KIDS for Parents website. 

Transform into a PBS KIDS character

DIY costumes don’t have to be tricky! No-sew instructions make it easy to turn your little pumpkin into their favorite PBS KIDS character. 

Felt, yarn and a red sweatshirt magically come together to make an adorable Daniel Tiger costume. Grown-ups can join the fun with simple instructions for Mom and Dad Tiger costumes. Combine clothes you already own with an easy-to-make tiger headband and you’re ready to hit the trick-or-treating route.

PBS KIDS for Parents has more costume ideas and inspiration, from butterflies and robots to Curious George and Pinkalicious.

Festive fun with digital games

PBS KIDS is full of fantastic ad-free games that are always free to play! Kids can have a scary good time playing “Arthur’s Tricks and Treats” as they help sort and hand out treats on Halloween night. But beware, sneaky spiders and other spooky creatures might try to steal the fun.

Keep the fun rolling with “Party at Alma’s,” available in English and Spanish. Players see what each guest would like to do at Alma’s Halloween party and help get what they need. From playing dance music to preparing snacks to setting up games, party guests are sure to have a great time!

Roll up your sleeves for squishy, slimy playtime 

For hands-on fun, make your own “Monster Swamp Sensory Bin.” Fill a plastic bin with various objects of different textures for your child to sort, count and play with. Start with foods like peeled grapes and cooked noodles. Then, add items like plastic bugs or fidget toys.

Invite your child to close their eyes, reach into the bin and see what they can identify. Challenge them to come up with different words to describe the items. Are they cold or warm? Smooth or bumpy? Hard or squishy? 

Creepy crawly crafts

There are countless ways to spark creativity with Halloween-inspired art and decorations. Make “Watercolor Resist Spider Webs” with rubber cement and watercolor paints. First, draw a web shape on paper with rubber cement and let it air dry. When your child paints over it, they’ll see how the rubber cement resists the paint, creating a beautiful and not-so-scary spider web.

Not a fan of bugs? Try these “Glowing Ghost Jugs”! Recycled plastic milk jugs and permanent markers are all you need to make fantastic phantoms to brighten your Halloween night. To make them, simply draw ghost faces on clean milk jugs and place a tea light or glow stick inside each one. 

Use them to light up your driveway or sidewalk for trick-or-treaters or place them inside to give your home a ghoulish glow on Halloween night. Instructions are available in English and Spanish.

Discover more ways to brew up Halloween fun on the PBS KIDS for Parents website, including a list of “Monstrously Good Books for Kids” and instructions to make “Secret Message Pumpkins.”

PBS Kids Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Arthur Halloween Alma's Way