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Halloween Crafts for Kids in Elementary School: Fun and Easy

The best Halloween crafts are those that are actually doable, won’t require a trip to seventeen different stores, and that your kids will love. Here is a collection of Halloween crafts for kids in elementary school that won’t drive you batty!

1. Paper Bag Monsters

Papaer craft monsters are easy Halloween crafts for kids in elementary school.

Materials:

  • Paper lunch bags
  • Markers or crayons
  • Googly eyes
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Yarn (various colors)

Instructions:

  1. Give each child a paper lunch bag and have them color or draw monster features on the bottom portion (this will be the face)
  2. Cut small triangular teeth from the fold of the bag opening
  3. Glue googly eyes wherever they look most monstrous
  4. Cut yarn pieces and glue them on for wild monster hair
  5. Let kids stick their hands inside to make their monsters “talk”

You know what’s amazing about this craft? There’s literally no wrong way to do it. These monsters become instant kids’ best friends, and don’t be surprised if they end up sleeping next to their beds for weeks.

2. Mummy Mason Jars

A mason jar crafted as a mummy for Halloween.

Materials:

  • Mason jars (any size)
  • Gauze or medical wrap
  • Googly eyes
  • Glue or double-sided tape
  • LED tealights or battery-operated candles

Instructions:

  1. Starting at the bottom of the jar, wrap gauze around the entire jar, overlapping slightly
  2. Leave some loose ends hanging for that authentic “unraveling mummy” look
  3. Secure the gauze with small dots of glue as you wrap
  4. Glue two googly eyes onto the gauze
  5. Place an LED tealight inside the jar for a spooky glow

Pro tip: Buy the gauze at the dollar store. It’s the exact same stuff they sell at craft stores for three times the price. These mummy jars make perfect nightlights for kids who want a touch of spooky in their bedroom without the nightmares.

3. Glow-in-the-Dark Slime

Glow-in-thedark paint mixed with glue, baking soda and saline solution.

Materials:

  • Clear school glue (4 oz bottle)
  • Glow-in-the-dark paint (2 tablespoons)
  • Baking soda (1 teaspoon)
  • Saline solution (contact lens solution – must contain boric acid)

Instructions:

  1. Pour the entire bottle of clear glue into a mixing bowl
  2. Add glow-in-the-dark paint and mix thoroughly until evenly distributed
  3. Add baking soda and mix well
  4. Slowly add saline solution, one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly
  5. Keep adding saline solution until the slime pulls away from the bowl
  6. Knead with hands until it reaches the perfect stretchy consistency
  7. “Charge” the slime under a lamp or sunlight for 10 minutes, then turn off the lights

Fair warning: this stuff will end up everywhere. I found green glowing fingerprints on my kitchen cabinets three days later. But watching your kid’s face light up (literally) when they discover their creation glows in the dark? Cleaning up was totally worth it.

4. Spider Web Art with Glue and Salt

An spider web made with black construction paper, salt and watercolor paints.

Materials:

  • Black construction paper
  • White school glue
  • Table salt
  • Watercolor paints
  • Paintbrush

Instructions:

  1. Draw a spider web design on black paper using white glue, making thick lines
  2. While glue is still wet, sprinkle table salt generously across the entire design
  3. Shake off excess salt and let dry completely (about 2 hours)
  4. Once dry, lightly brush watercolor paint over the salt-covered web
  5. Watch as the colors spread along the salt crystals in magical ways

This one looks way more complicated than it actually is, which makes you look like the craft genius you always knew you were deep down. The salt creates this amazing texture that makes the spider webs look incredibly realistic.

5. Hanging Bats Mobile

Hanging bat mobiles are fun Halloween crafts for kids in elementary school.

Materials:

  • Black cardstock or construction paper
  • String or fishing line
  • Wooden stick or dowel
  • Scissors
  • Hole punch

Instructions:

  1. Fold black paper in half and draw half a bat shape along the fold
  2. Cut out multiple bats (aim for 6-8 bats of varying sizes)
  3. Punch a small hole at the top of each bat
  4. Cut string into different lengths (6-12 inches)
  5. Thread string through each bat and tie to the wooden stick
  6. Tie a longer piece of string to each end of the stick for hanging

Hang this in a doorway and watch everyone jump when they walk through. My son put his in the doorway to his room, and I’ve lost count of how many times it has scared me. It is just like having a miniature haunted house in your hallway.

➡️If you are buying black cardstock for this craft you might have your kids make some black cat Halloween crafts as well!

6. 3D Haunted House Scene

A 3D haunted house scene crafted by kids in elementary school for Halloween.

Materials:

  • Large piece of cardboard (cereal box works great)
  • Construction paper in various colors
  • Markers or crayons
  • Glue stick
  • Scissors

Instructions:

  1. Cut the cardboard to create a backdrop and base for your scene
  2. Fold the base so it stands up like an L-shape
  3. Cut out haunted house shapes from black construction paper
  4. Cut windows and doors, backing them with yellow paper for “lights”
  5. Create paper ghosts, bats, and other spooky decorations
  6. Glue everything onto your cardboard scene
  7. Add details with markers

This is one of those Halloween crafts for kids in elementary school that becomes an entire afternoon project. The kids get so absorbed in creating their spooky world that you might actually get to finish that cup of coffee while it’s still warm.

7. Pumpkin Yarn Wrapping

Pumpkin yarn wrappings are easy Halloween crafts for kids in elementary school.

Materials:

  • Orange yarn
  • Cardboard (cut into donut shapes with center holes)
  • Green pipe cleaners
  • Scissors

Instructions:

  1. Cut cardboard into circles with holes in the center (about 4 inches across with 2-inch center holes)
  2. Help kids wrap orange yarn around the entire cardboard donut
  3. Keep wrapping until the cardboard is completely covered and the center hole is nearly filled
  4. Carefully slide scissors between the cardboard layers and cut the yarn all around the edge
  5. Tie a piece of yarn tightly around the center between the cardboard pieces
  6. Remove cardboard carefully
  7. Fluff the yarn into a pumpkin shape and add a green pipe cleaner stem

There’s something almost therapeutic about the yarn wrapping, and kids love seeing the transformation from flat cardboard to cuddly pumpkin. Plus, they make great decorations that last way longer than real pumpkins.

➡️ Make sure to check out this post for more pumpkin Halloween crafts for kids.

8. Q-Tip Skeletons

Q-tip skeletons are fun Hallowwen crafts for elementary kids.

Materials:

  • Black construction paper
  • Cotton swabs (Q-tips)
  • White glue
  • White crayon or chalk

Instructions:

  1. Draw a skull shape at the top of the black paper with white crayon
  2. Break Q-tips in half for smaller bone pieces
  3. Arrange Q-tips to form a skeleton body below the skull
  4. Glue each Q-tip piece in place to create arms, legs, ribs, and spine
  5. Add extra details to the skull with white crayon

Kids find this especially amusing because they get to pose their skeletons in ridiculous ways — dancing skeletons, skeletons doing jumping jacks, and more. Often, the most enjoyable crafts are the ones where kids get to be silly.

9. Potion Bottles

Potion bottles prepared by kids as Halloween crafts.

Materials:

  • Small glass bottles or plastic bottles
  • Food coloring
  • Glitter
  • Water
  • Labels or masking tape
  • Markers

Instructions:

  1. Fill each bottle about 3/4 full with water
  2. Add 2-3 drops of food coloring
  3. Add a pinch of glitter
  4. Seal the bottle tightly
  5. Shake gently to mix
  6. Create spooky labels like “Witch’s Brew,” “Dragon Tears,” or “Invisible Potion”

These Halloween crafts for kids en elementary school become treasures that kids want to have in their bedrooms. Fair warning: they will want to make approximately 47 different potions, so stock up on food coloring.

10. Felt Ghost Finger Puppets

Finger puppets made of white felt are easy elementary kids crafts for Halloween.

Materials:

  • White felt
  • Black felt
  • Scissors
  • Fabric glue or regular glue
  • Black marker

Instructions:

  1. Cut out small ghost shapes from white felt (about 3 inches tall)
  2. Cut a small opening at the bottom for fingers
  3. Cut tiny circles from black felt for eyes
  4. Glue eyes onto ghost faces
  5. Use black marker to add small mouths
  6. Let kids slip them onto their fingers for instant puppet shows

These tiny ghosts become constant companions. Sometimes the simplest Halloween crafts for kids in elementary school are the most loved.

11. Handprint Spiders

Handprint spiders as kids Halloween crafts.

Materials:

  • Black paint
  • White paper
  • Googly eyes
  • Glue
  • Black marker

Instructions:

  1. Paint child’s hand with black paint
  2. Press handprint onto white paper with fingers spread wide
  3. Let dry completely
  4. Paint another handprint overlapping the first, creating 8 “legs”
  5. Glue googly eyes onto the palm area
  6. Add a smile with black marker if desired

There’s something so satisfying about handprint crafts. Years from now, you’ll look at these spiders and remember exactly how small those little hands were. Plus, kids love seeing their handprints transformed into something completely different.

12. Toilet Paper Roll Mummies

A Halloween craft made with an empty toilet paper roll, white gauze, googly eyes and black marker.

Materials:

  • Empty toilet paper rolls
  • White gauze or strips of white fabric
  • Googly eyes
  • Glue
  • Black marker

Instructions:

  1. Wrap toilet paper roll completely in gauze, leaving some loose ends
  2. Secure with small dots of glue as you wrap
  3. Glue on googly eyes
  4. Add small details with black marker if desired
  5. Let loose gauze ends dangle for authentic mummy effect
Kids preparing Halloween crafts.

Before you throw away those toilet paper rolls, save them for this craft. These mummies are sturdy enough for actual play, and kids love making them “walk” around the house. You may end up with a whole mummy family living on your coffee table.

Halloween crafts for kids in elementary school don’t need to be Pinterest-perfect to be perfect for your family. Our most treasured craft memories are the ones that went completely sideways—when we were all covered in glitter and laughing until it hurt.

Grab those supplies, crank up the Halloween music, and remember: messy probably means you’re doing it right. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s connection, creativity, and a little spooky fun. And hey, store-bought decorations are totally valid too.

Happy crafting, and may your glue sticks never dry out!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner—check out these fun Thanksgiving crafts for kids!

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