This collection of frightfully fun ideas for a family Halloween-themed movie and craft night is guaranteed to inspire screams of delight!
Hosting a Halloween party? Make a night of it by pairing your Halloween movie & craft with pumpkin-decorating, a set of our free printable mini Halloween doodle books for favors, and a big bowl of healthy homemade cinnamon apple chips for hungry movie-watchers!
25 Family Halloween Movie and Craft Ideas
Watch Hocus Pocus
MAKE: Hocus Pocus Quote Cookies from Lovely Indeed.
Can you bake cookies over a cauldron? Because these devilishly sweet treats call for extra baking witchery! If you’re seeing a wild Halloween celebration happening in your crystal ball, be sure to bookmark this spell-binding recipe.
Watch Casper
MAKE: A Casper Piñata from Little Button Diaries
The friendliest ghost is also the most festive! This adorable Casper Piñata is a boo-tiful way for little bats & ghouls to celebrate an October birthday or Halloween party.
Watch Goosebumps
You won’t believe what’s hidden inside this ghoulishly green hand, my pretties! Mwuhahaahah! For parents looking to incorporate a little science into play, this eerie and exciting reveal is sure to elicit goosebumps (the good kind!).
Watch The Witches
MAKE: Egg Carton Witches from ART CAMP
The first scary movie I can remember watching was The Witches and it STILL gives me the creeps as an adult – moving oil paintings…chilling! Should you dare to watch this Roald Dahl Halloween classic, ART CAMP’s upcycled egg carton witchery is a perfect way to shake off the hair-raising vibes. Be sure to save up a few cartons so you can create your own creepy coven come October…!
Watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
MAKE: Revelio Charms from Babble Dabble Do
Though the first Harry Potter movie premiered just in time for Christmas, the spirit of the full HP movie catalogue screams Halloween to me! To add a little mystery and magic to your own movie-watching experience, try this intriguing science-based DIY from Anna at Babble Dabble Do! Conjure the series’ imaginative creatures, ghosts, goblins & warlocks with your own magic spells – definitely a trick AND a treat.
Watch Frankenweenie
MAKE: A Zombie Bunny Softie from Oh Creative Day
It’s alive…it’s ALLIIIIIVE….!! Well…sorta. 😉 Animals return to life in this spookily stylish picture, so can you imagine a better craft to pair with it than a zombie bunny softie?! If you’re amazed such a dreadfully delicious DIY even exists, you’ve never met my Uber-creative friend Shannon from Oh Creative Day!
Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
MAKE: A Monster Candy Box from Minted
With so many iconic moments, it was nearly impossible to pick just ONE craft to pair with this Snoopy classic. But who can forget the Peanuts gang trick-or-treating for candy…and rocks?! A delightfully graphic DIY treat box (total pillowcase upgrade!) seemed like the perfect thing!
Watch The Haunted Mansion
MAKE: DIY Haunted Mansion Hatbox Ghost from All for the Boys
From “Grim Grinning Ghosts,” to the actual ride, to the movie re-creation – The Haunted Mansion is a Halloween classic around here. I was absolutely doubled over with cackles of joy when I found this clever DIY for a Hatbox Ghost! I can easily see a collection of these lit with flameless tealights tucked into the corners of a kids bookshelf or on a Halloween table.
Watch Ghostbusters
MAKE: DIY Ecto Cooler from barley & birch
What goes better with an iconic eighties family horror movie than a technicolor beverage served up in a squeezable pack? If you were a kid of the ’80s, you’ll instantly recognize this healthier version of Ecto-Cooler, poured into a Capri-Sun-like reusable pouch – we even recreated the classic Slimer Ecto-Cooler design! Sip and stream this “supernatural spectacular” for a trip back to Halloweens of your youth!
Watch The Addams Family
MAKE: A DIY Wednesday Addams Softie from barley & birch
Beware snugglers…cuddle this sarcastic softie at your own risk! By pairing some adult sewing with kid-painted features & clothing, this is a spooky little sewing project everyone can participate in.
Watch Monsters, Inc.
MAKE: Sulley Pom-Pom Slippers from Studio DIY for Disney Family
Boo! Like the movie itself, this monster flick & fashion paring is kid-friendly and brimming over with cuddly cuteness. Curl up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and these cozy Sully-inspired slippers for a not-so-scary Halloween treat!
Watch E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
MAKE: A Hanging UFO Lantern from WLKMNDY’S
Okay, fellow 80’s kids – pull on your sweatshirts and grab your bikes, we’re going to need to revisit this movie. Even though I rarely see it listed among Halloween movies, it is an absolute must-watch for me – and a viewing just wouldn’t be complete without a DIY UFO sighting (and maybe a box of tissues, because I still tear up every time!).
Watch Hotel Transylvania
MAKE: Pom Pom Bats from Make Film Play
You just never know what you’ll find hanging around in an old hotel..! In this case, it’s a band of silly monster misfits that provides more funny than fright (perfect for little ones). Combine the giggles with a gaggle of these cute pom-pom vampire bats with for a bloody good time…mwuh-ha-haaaa!
Watch Paranorman
MAKE: Black Mystery Playdough from Left Brain Craft Brain
A new stop-motion Halloween favorite of mine, Paranorman has us in [Frankenstein] stitches every Halloween. It’s a little bit strange, a pinch scary, and a tad snarky, making it a great choice for kids who are dying for a Halloween movie that’s more creepy than cute. Add some zombie-inspired jet black playdough for an eye-poppingly eerie project & picture combo.
Watch Monster House
MAKE: A Spooky 3D Paper Haunted House from hello, Wonderful
Here’s another slightly spooky streaming favorite in our household. Little haunted house enthusiasts will scream for Monster House while designing a mini version all their own made from one simple sheet of folded paper.
Watch Nightmare Before Christmas
MAKE: A Nightmare Before Christmas Paper Wreath from Red Ted Art.
What’s this, what’s this..?! It’s a Nightmare Before Christmas extravaganza fit for the King of Halloween Town himself! Make a decorative tribute to Jack Skellington to deck your halls while you watch the movie that turned stop-motion horror into kid-friendly movie magic and made Tim Burton a household name.
Watch Halloweentown
MAKE: Halloween Trick-or-Treater Craft Stick Puppets from Make It Your Own for hello, Wonderful
When it comes to kids Halloween specials, Halloweentown is absolute CANON. The movie features a universe filled with (not-so-scary) witches, warlocks, vampires, werewolves, mummies, ghosts, trolls, zombies, pumpkin heads, and MORE. So if your little one is just discovering costumes and Halloween characters, pair a viewing with DIY costumed popsicle stick puppets for a treat-filled night!
Watch Beetlejuice
Make: Black & White Haunted Dolls House from Mr. Printables
If you haven’t watched Beetlejuice in awhile, you may have forgotten that the beautifully quirky house played a starring role! Make your own black & white (Beetlejuice-styled!) haunted house while you watch – just beware of the Beetlejuice curse…you never know what will happen in your adorable new abode when you invite Beetlejuice in…!
Watch Practical Magic
MAKE: Bubble up your own Magic Potions from Babble Dabble Do.
Forget sticking to the Halloween season – when I was in junior high I watched the spooky sisters of Practical Magic on repeat
Watch Batman (The 1989 Version!)
MAKE: DIY Bendable Bats from barley & birch
Watch The Goonies
MAKE: DIY Treasure Map and Gold from Lil Luna
Watch Coraline
MAKE: Coraline Button Slime from Comic Con Family
Watch Young Frankenstein
MAKE: DIY Paper Frankenstein Masks from Creating Creatives for Red Ted Art
Watch Are You Afraid of the Dark?
MAKE: DIY Kid-Safe Camp Lanterns from barley & birch
Watch Edward Scissorhands
MAKE: Edward Scissorhands Topiary Paper Art from barley & birch
DYING for more fab Halloween crafts? These playdough Jack-O-Lanterns are hands-on fun for the whole family! And you can use our free printable features for a set of upcycled cereal box jack-o-lanterns too – a little velcro lets you arrange and re-arrange all October long!
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