Non-Scary Halloween Craft Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Halloween is one of the most exciting times of the year for little ones—but not every child is ready for spooky skeletons or frightening decorations. My little one was very nervous around spooky decorations (even just seeing them in stores), so we made it a priority to create a fun space for her to enjoy this holiday season without any spooks! If you’re homeschooling toddlers or preschoolers, you may want to keep the holiday fun, festive, and lighthearted. That’s where non-scary Halloween crafts come in.

In this post, you’ll find a collection of simple, age-appropriate Halloween crafts that are more sweet than spooky. These projects are perfect for little hands, encourage creativity, and use inexpensive materials you probably already have at home.

Why Choose Non-Scary Halloween Crafts?

Toddlers and preschoolers are still developing their sense of imagination and security. Scary images—like monsters, ghosts, or witches—can feel overwhelming. Non-scary crafts allow kids to:

• Celebrate Halloween playfully without unnecessary fear.

• Build fine motor skills (cutting, gluing, painting, threading).

• Enjoy sensory play with textures like cotton balls, tissue paper, and paint. (Check out The Power Of Sensory Play In Childhood Development on Forbes.com)

• Bond with parents during seasonal homeschool activities.

• Decorate the home or classroom with cheerful, child-made creations.

Think smiling pumpkins, friendly bats, and silly spiders instead of anything dark or frightening.

Check out these 10 Easy Apple Crafts for Toddlers for more fall craft inspiration!

Supplies to Keep on Hand

Before you get started, gather some basic craft supplies.. Really, these are a great foundation for any type of craft! Here are some of our favorite supplies to have on hand:

• Construction paper (black, orange, purple, green)

• Googly eyes (we love these ones from Amazon!)

• Cotton balls or pom-poms

• Washable paint and paintbrushes

• Glue sticks and liquid glue

• Safety scissors (we love these ones from Amazon!)

• Pipe cleaners (we love these ones from Amazon!)

• Paper plates

• Popsicle sticks

• Tissue paper

Most of these are budget-friendly and versatile enough to use across all the projects below.

Non-Scary Halloween Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Here are 15 easy and cheerful Halloween craft ideas your little learners will love.

1. Friendly Ghosts

Supplies: White paper, cotton balls, glue, googly eyes

1. Cut a ghost shape out of white paper.

2. Cover it with cotton balls for a fluffy look.

3. Add googly eyes and a big smile.

💡 Tip: Hang ghosts from string to make a cheerful “ghost garland.”

2. Paper Plate Pumpkins

Supplies: Paper plate, orange paint, green construction paper

1. Paint the plate orange.

2. Cut a green stem and glue it to the top.

3. Add googly eyes and a happy mouth.

💡 Tip: Create a “pumpkin patch” with multiple plates.

3. Handprint Bats

Supplies: Black paper, scissors, googly eyes, glue

1. Trace your child’s hands on black paper.

2. Cut them out and glue side by side for bat wings.

3. Add a small oval body with googly eyes.

💡 Tip: Hang bats upside down from a string for fun décor.

4. Tissue Paper Pumpkins

Supplies: Orange tissue paper, glue, cardstock

1. Draw a pumpkin outline on paper.

2. Tear tissue paper into small squares.

3. Crumple and glue them inside the pumpkin outline.

5. Popsicle Stick Mummies

Supplies: Popsicle sticks, white paper strips or gauze, googly eyes

1. Glue popsicle sticks side by side.

2. Wrap white strips around like a mummy.

3. Add eyes peeking out from the “bandages.”

💡 Tip: Paint sticks black or purple before wrapping.

6. Smiling Spider Craft

Supplies: Black paper, pipe cleaners, googly eyes

1. Cut a circle for the body.

2. Attach 8 pipe cleaners as legs.

3. Add big googly eyes and a smile.

💡 Tip: Use colorful pipe cleaners for a silly twist.

7. Candy Corn Collage

Supplies: Orange, yellow, and white paper; glue; scissors

1. Cut a large candy corn shape.

2. Tear paper into small pieces and glue in color order (yellow bottom, orange middle, white top).

3. Display as cheerful wall art.

💡Tip: Practice sequencing colors for a math tie-in.

8. Footprint Monsters (Friendly Ones!)

Supplies: Washable paint, paper, googly eyes, markers

1. Paint the bottom of your child’s foot with fun colors (green, purple, orange).

2. Press onto paper.

3. Add eyes, smiles, and silly hair with markers.

💡 Tip: Date and save for your child’s memory box, because this one doubles as a keepsake!

9. Jack-o’-Lantern Sun Catchers

Supplies: Contact paper, tissue paper, black paper

1. Cut a pumpkin shape from black paper.

2. Stick onto contact paper.

3. Fill inside with orange tissue paper pieces.

4. Hang in a window for glowing effect.

10. Cupcake Liner Owls

Supplies: Cupcake liners, googly eyes, glue, construction paper

1. Flatten cupcake liners for the owl’s body.

2. Add wings, beak, and eyes.

3. Perch your owl on a branch cut from brown paper.

💡 Tip: Use Halloween-colored liners (orange, purple, black).

11. Cotton Ball Spiders

Supplies: Cotton balls, black paper, googly eyes, glue

1. Glue cotton balls into a circle.

2. Add paper legs around the sides.

3. Top with googly eyes and a smile.

12. Halloween Nature Wands

Supplies: Small sticks, ribbon, glitter (or these glitter glue sticks for less mess), glue

1. Collect sticks on a nature walk.

2. Wrap with colorful ribbon.

3. Add a touch of glitter for “Halloween magic.”

13. Pumpkin Seed Art

Supplies: Pumpkin seeds, paint, glue, cardstock

1. Dye pumpkin seeds with food coloring.

2. Arrange seeds to form pumpkins, bats, or candy corn shapes.

3. Glue down to make a textured craft.

💡 Tip: Talk about where seeds come from.

14. Paper Bag Pumpkins

Supplies: Paper lunch bags, newspaper, string, markers

1. Stuff a bag with newspaper.

2. Twist top and tie with string for stem.

3. Color orange and draw happy faces.

💡 Tip: Line several on a shelf as “mini pumpkin patch.”

15. Ghost Footprints

Supplies: White paint, paper, markers

1. Paint your child’s foot white and press onto paper.

2. Once dry, add eyes and a smile.

3. Label with their name and year.

💡 Tip: Collect one each year to see growth.

Looking for more fall fun? Check out these 19 Easy Fall Leaf Crafts for Kids!

Tips for Crafting with Toddlers and Preschoolers

• Keep it short: Little attention spans thrive on 10–20 minute projects.

• Embrace the mess: Lay down a plastic tablecloth for easy cleanup.

• Let them lead: Focus on process, not perfect results.

• Rotate crafts: Spread projects out across the month for sustained fun.

Check out these 7 Ways to Enjoy Being Crafty With Your Toddler by Toddler Approved.

Pair Crafts with Non-Scary Halloween Books

Make your crafting time cozy by pairing it with cheerful Halloween read-alouds:

• Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson (silly, not scary)

• Five Little Pumpkins by Dan Yaccarino

• Click, Clack, Boo! by Doreen Cronin

• Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas

• Pete the Cat: Trick or Pete by James Dean

Final Thoughts

Halloween doesn’t have to be filled with fright for little ones. With these non-scary Halloween crafts, you can create a festive, fun atmosphere that toddlers and preschoolers will love. From fluffy ghosts to smiling pumpkins, each project brings out the joy of the season while building important skills.

So grab your googly eyes, pull out the glue, and enjoy a Halloween full of giggles, creativity, and memory-making—no scares required.

Latest on the blog