The best Halloween decorations for kids are more fun than frightening. Whether you go for a glam Halloween look or decide to ham up the horror with something truly ghoulish will largely depend on the age of your kids, but there's something here to suit everyone.

On the one hand, kids are excited by the idea of dressing up in spooky costumes and eating lots of sweets and Halloween treats, but some of the ghoulish stuff they see in the shops and on TV can also give youngsters the creeps. One way around this is to indulge in simple fun stuff like Halloween crafts and home-made Halloween food plus decorating your house in ways that little ones won't find too scary.

If you want to have some fun with spooky decor for kids, it goes without saying that you'll need to go easy on the gore. Here's our pick of 12 of the best Halloween decorations for a family-friendly fright night at home.

1. Halloween Pumpkin Leaf Bags

How about a quick garden tidy-up while you prep your house for Halloween? Fill these pumpkin bags full of garden leaves and pop them at your front door or in the garden to set a spooky - yet practical - scene for visitors.

VIEW AT AMAZON | £3.99

2. Giant Spider

This is definitely one for older kids and even then, probably best if they've never seen the classic Halloween movie Arachnophobia. The perfect prop for turning your home into a spooky setting for Halloween, it's likely to ward off a few unwanted guests too. Only the bravest trick-or-treaters will surely set foot past this hairy monster.

VIEW AT AMAZON | £10.99

3. Create your own terror train

Little ones who aren't big fans of Halloween might enjoy colouring in this terror train decoration. (Just perhaps don't call it that.) Reminiscent of a Haunted House ride at the funfair, this has lots of space to colour the spooky designs so it's a good choice for siblings or friends to decorate together - and play in afterwards!

VIEW AT THE RANGE | £14.99

4. Vampire face Halloween door stickers

Door decor is all the rage these days but if that's a bit much for your budget - or energy levels -  how about some spooky door decals instead? We love these ones from Not On The High Street and reckon even the postie will approve.

VIEW AT NOT ON THE HIGH STREET | £8 

5. Ghost inflatable

If you're going all-out with a Halloween lawn display, this friendly inflatable ghost definitely won't terrify the toddlers. It's ultra-durable and weather-resistant so you can use it again year after year, with glowing internal LED lights. It self-inflates in minutes and plugs into any standard outlet. Definitely one of the best Halloween decorations we've found if you want to go large without breaking the bank.

VIEW AT WAYFAIR | £25.99

6. Cute Halloween paper plates

What better way to take the fright out of fright night than with a pink iridescent ghost-shaped paper plate for your Halloween party food?! Happy customers are raving about them, with one mum writing: "Adorable, shipped quickly - using for a cute ghostie-themed birthday party for my daughter".

VIEW AT ETSY | £7.65

7. Halloween Party Draping Gauze Decoration & Glitter Bats Kit

If you want to ramp up the spook factor for older kids, this bat gauze decoration is brilliantly effective. Add a toy spider or two and get the kids to cut out bats from black paper and voila - a frightfully spooky fireplace or staircase. It comes with 8 glitter bats included.

VIEW AT AMAZON | £9.30

8. Felt Happy Halloween Banner 

The best Halloween decorations are ones that you can reuse again and again every year. But no one wants to buy more plastic which is why we love this felt Happy Halloween banner - perfect for hanging in your hallway or window to welcome your Halloween visitors and trick-or-treaters. 

VIEW AT JOHN LEWIS | £5

9. Black wood bat happy Halloween wreath

Put the happy into Halloween with this spooky sign for your front door. You get the door wreath which is a decent size at 40 cm wide as well as four hanging wooden bats in two different sizes. Bargain for little more than a tenner!

VIEW NOW £7.79

10. Ghost Micro Fairy Lights

If you want to invest in some Halloween decorations but don't want to risk frightening the kids, fairy lights are a good compromise. These cute ghost fairy lights cast a ghostly glow without being scary. 

You get 20 mini white LED ghosts along the 2-metre bendy wire, so you can style and shape them to suit your Halloween decor. Just don't forget the batteries - you'll need 3 x AA batteries.

VIEW AT NOT ON THE HIGH STREET | £11.99

11. Halloween Tape

If decorating for Halloween really isn't your thing but the kids are desperate to bring a touch of trickery to the house, this pack of Halloween tape is just the ticket. it's easy to attach the doors or windows and just as easy to remove. Perfect for creating a spooky atmosphere without going to town on tacky decor!

VIEW AT THE RANGE | 99p

12. Coffin & Zombie Arms Donut Stand

We just love this creepy Coffin & Zombie Arms Donut Stand - the best Halloween decoration for showing off some spooky Halloween party snacks. Pop this coffin in the middle of your party table and see who dares to take a donut from the zombie hands! A spectacular way to serve up your Halloween treats and snacks.

VIEW AT PARTY PIECES | £10.49

Halloween decorations: how to transform your home

“If you’re getting into the Halloween festivities this year, dressing your windows is a really easy way to achieve all the spooky season vibes," says Jess Martin, decoration expert at party supply store Ginger Ray. "Simply grab some candles (ideally battery-powered) and place a few at each end of your windowsill - the flickering lights will create a spooky ambience in the evenings."

Jess also recommends adding some novelty stickers to your window to tie in with your theme. "Try to build up a scene with your chosen stickers - for example, create a colony of black bats by arranging them in an arch that gradually gets bigger from one corner of your window to the other - or just get sticker-happy and place them anywhere,” she says.

Adam Pawson, Head of Digital at windows and door company Safestyle UK recommends giving your windows a once-over before you adorn them with Halloween decorations. “Before using any window-safe stickers, you’ll want to give your windows a quick clean in preparation," he says.

"Choose a dry, overcast day and use some soft cloths and warm water with some washing-up liquid, and gently wipe down your windows. Once they are completely dry and you’ve applied your stickers, you can even add some decorative aerosol glass frosting to imitate mist and fog - this is easily available online or in your local DIY shop - and wipes away easily once the Halloween festivities are over.”

You could also take inspiration from cinema and Halloween movies for kids and adults! Go for a homage to Scooby Doo or classic film, Gremlins with your decor.

Video of the week 

As we gear up to celebrate Halloween by locating last year's costumes and choosing the best pumpkins, many are wondering why we celebrate Halloween and the origins of the tradition. 

Halloween is undoubtedly one of the nation's favourite annual celebrations. For those planning a party for the mini ghosts, witches and other spooky little ones in your life, there's a multitude of fun Halloween games that'll keep them entertained for the duration. There's also no shortage of Halloween food ideas to keep energy levels high for the fun and games - everyone needs some witches fingers and cheesy broomsticks to munch on. 

The celebrations don't just extend to the kids, and any parents getting involved in the dressing up might be looking for the best couples Halloween costumes to try out. And after Halloween is over, we have all the answers to the inevitable who is Guy Fawkes? questions.

 While modern-day Halloween activities focus on trick or treating and visiting your local pumpkin patch, there are actually historic and religious meanings attached to the holiday. We've shared details surrounding the reasons why we celebrate Halloween, and the origins attached to its popular traditions.

Why do we celebrate Halloween?

Halloween is a long-held tradition in the UK dating back over 2000 years to Celtic times and their ancient festival of Samhain. It was believed that on that day, the souls of the dead returned to their homes, so people dressed in costumes and lit bonfires to ward off spirits.

During the time Celts were living across areas now divided into Britain, Ireland and northern France, a pre-Christian Celtic year was defined by the growing seasons of the predominantly agricultural people. Samhain marked summer's closure and the harvest, and winter beginning, when days would be cold and dark. The Samhain festival was started to symbolise the boundary between the worlds of the living and the  dead. The Celts celebrated their new year on November 1, believing that on the eve of this day - Samhain then and October 31 now - the boundary between the living and dead worlds opened up and ghosts returned to Earth.

On the night of 31st October when Celts believed the ghosts would visit, large bonfires would be lit in each village to ward them off. Celtic priests, or Druids, would lead Samhain celebrations, ensuring each house had their fire lit from the embers of the sacred bonfire - this would symbolise both the protection from spirits, and keeping warm during the long winter months.

Later in the eighth century, in a bid to remove pagan religion from the country, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a day to honour all the saints and martyrs of Christianity. Known as All Souls' Day, people celebrated in a way that was very similar to Samhain. There were huge bonfires, costumes and allusions to angels, devils and saints. The celebration was also called All Hallows' Day and the night before it was called All Hallows Eve - which is where the word 'Halloween' comes from.

How do we celebrate Halloween today?

In recent times, we follow a lot of the spooky Halloween traditions associated with modern ways of celebrating it, such as dressing up, trick or treating, and pumpkin picking. 

People celebrate Halloween all over the world, with many cultures having their own take on the spooky time of year. For example, in Mexico, they have an annual The Day of the Dead (el Día de los Muertos) festival which runs between October 31st - November 2nd. During this celebration, families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a reunion that includes food, drink and celebration.

Meanwhile, in Japan, there's a large parade for those wanting to celebrate Halloween. The most famous one is Kawasaki Halloween Parade, which has a different theme each year to encourage others to dress up. There's even a reward for the best costume! For Japanese people, the costume is arguably the biggest part of their Halloween celebrations.

And in the Czech Republic, people place chairs by the fireside on Halloween night. There is one chair for each living family member and one for each family member's spirit, and this is their way of honouring the deceased during the Halloween period. The country also has their own All Souls’ Day, on November 2nd. This is referred to as dušičky, meaning little souls. 

This tradition has been compared to Halloween, but Dušičky is more of a quiet time where people visit the graves of deceased family members to light candles, and place flowers and wreaths. During this time, most cemeteries will be flooded with twinkling lights from the candles. 

What is the true meaning of Halloween?

While it doesn't have much of a religious significance in the UK anymore, Halloween was once the symbol of the end of summer and an important day in the pagan calendar.

It was also the Feast of the Dead. This might sound scary, but death wasn't feared by the pagans. They accepted it as just another part of life and used the occasion to respect and honour the dead. During celebrations, spirits of the recently departed are invited to take part in the feast. There's also dressing up, dancing and bonfires.

In addition to this, Samhain was a way to welcome the harvest in the 'darker time of the year', and could be similar to the harvest festivals we're familiar with today.

Is Halloween a religious celebration?

In Christianity, Halloween is All Hallows' Eve. It's the day before All Hallows' Day, which is otherwise called All Saints' - or All Souls' - Day. The name derives from the Old English 'hallowed', meaning holy or sanctified. This is where we got the modern-day name of 'Halloween' from.

The Western Church now observes All Saints' Day on November 1, after Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel to all the saints in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in the 8th Century. Traditionally, the Church held a vigil on All Hallows' Eve where worshippers would prepare themselves with prayers and fasting prior to the feast day itself.

Modern Halloween however, is secular. Anyone maintaining a celebration of the festival in a religious context would not refer to it as Halloween, with the modern practices associated with the day secular celebrations mostly deriving from folklore. 

Halloween traditions and their origins

Why do we wear Halloween costumes?

Samhain inspired Halloween costumes, as dressing up was a key part of the festivities for pagans. Traditionally, Celts would dress as animals and monsters so that fairies wouldn't kidnap them. The Celts believed the barriers between worlds broke during the celebration.

People also used masks and costumes to trick spirits into thinking that they were one of them, as a form of protection so people could enjoy the festival without fear. In modern times, we have plenty of great costumes to choose from.

Some people choose to go as iconic horror characters, others go as pagan symbols like cats, witches and monsters. There are Halloween costumes for kids and with no reason why expectant mums should miss out on the fun, pregnant Halloween costume ideas exist to let everyone join in - it's a great time of year to get creative!

Why do we go trick or treating?

Trick or treating might be a strange concept, but it was very common for children to do this during Samhain. Trick or treating evolved from a ritual where people dressed in spooky costumes, performed dances and received treats to appease the evil spirits.

By the time Christianity had spread into Britain, a new practice had developed. During this time, poor people would visit the houses of the rich and receive pastries - called soul cakes - in exchange for promises to pray for the homeowners' dead relatives.

The soul cakes were sweet buns decorated with a pattern across the top similar to hot cross buns. They were thought to represent a trapped spirit being released from purgatory. As the festival became less about religion, sugary treats and money replaced soul cakes, and the act of praying for the dead disappeared. 

In Scotland and Ireland, young people would visit houses and sing, recite a poem or perform another sort of 'trick' before receiving a treat of nuts, fruit or sometimes coins. This is likely where the term 'trick or treating' came from, as we know it in the modern day.

Why do we carve pumpkins?

Pumpkin carving originates from an Irish myth about a man named Stingy Jack, who tricked the Devil for his own monetary gain. When Jack died, he couldn't get into either Heaven or Hell, and had to roam the Earth for all eternity.

Jack's wandering soul scared people, so they'd carve scary faces into turnips to scare him away. When Irish immigrants moved to the US, they started to use pumpkins instead as they grow naturally there. The story of Stingy Jack is why Americans often call carved pumpkins Jack o'Lanterns.

What are the rules for trick or treating in the UK?

Trick or treating is legal in the UK and although there are no specific rules attached to it, police have authority to tackle disruptive behaviour and unwanted disturbances caused by it. 

If a child under the age of 16 is involved in antisocial behaviour while trick or treating, parents can be held responsible for any ensuing fines. There is also no minimum age attached to trick or treating in the UK, unlike some areas in the US who have set a minimum age of 12. Despite the lack of rules surrounding age limits, it is always advised that young children are supervised when out trick or treating.   

Those taking their children out for some Halloween fun should stick to neighbourhoods they're familiar with. It is usually acknowledged that those with pumpkins placed outside their homes welcome trick or treaters - houses without them, or clearly displaying signs they wish to remain undisturbed, should be respected and avoided. 

In related news, if you're after some Halloween jokes - look no further. For those staying in and wanting a more quiet evening, grab some popcorn and check out these Halloween movies. If you're expecting a baby near the popular festival, one of these Halloween inspired baby names could be for you. You might be interested to know why we celebrate Bonfire Night too.

When it comes to Halloween costumes for kids, there are so many options from scary skeletons to wicked witches and more.

While many people choose to make outfits as one of the many Halloween crafts for kids you can get stuck into over the autumn season, sometimes it's just easier to buy a costume online. As well as super easy, often-next-day delivery, there's always so much more choice when picking out a costume online. Of course, traditional monster costumes are still the most popular designs but we reckon that newer costume ideas, inspired by kids' films and television shows, will be among the top choices this year.

So whether you're planning on a family Halloween costume for a seasonal party, or need some Halloween costume ideas for babies to compliment your couples Halloween costume, these are the kids' Halloween costumes that we're loving this year. 

'Here's a tip for choosing the best Halloween costumes for kids,' adds Goodto.com Consumer Editor Heidi Scrimgeour. 'To get the best value for money, pick something that fits the spooky Halloween theme but which your child will be happy to wear again and again. A Hogwarts cloak is the perfect example - it fits the brief for fitting in at the Halloween disco at school or for trick-or-treating with friends but your child can also get hours of dressing-up fun from it all year round, instead of it costume languishing at the back of the wardrobe until next Halloween when it probably won't fit.'

She adds: 'Factor in that not all kids like dressing up, especially not as something spooky. This fancy dress mask (£5.99, H&M) is a good alternative, or this Halloween-themed top (£2.99, H&M)is a good idea for kids who don't like the idea of Halloween costumes - my daughter will be rocking an orange hoodie adorned with pumpkins that we found it H&M.'

Best Halloween costumes for kids 2022

1. Spiderman costume - View at Amazon

RRP: £24.99 | Delivery: Next day/Standard | Sizes available: 3-10 years

Summer 2022 saw the hugely popular Spiderman: No Way Home hit streaming services, so it's no surprise that Spiderman costumes are a hit for this Halloween. This costume includes a red and blue printed muscle chest jumpsuit and a matching red fabric mask with white mesh eyes, so your little one can enjoy a head-to-toe Halloween dress up this year.

• View Rubie's Official Marvel Spider-Man Deluxe Costume | Amazon

2. Captain America costume - View at Matalan

 RRP: £18.50 | Delivery: Next day/Standard | Sizes available: 4-9 years 

Captain America is another classic Marvel character, a franchise which has this year brought out the highly anticipated Thor: Love and Thunder and Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.  Any child invested in the adventures of these super heroes will love one of the Marvel-inspired costumes, and while we've picked out the Captain America option, kids can also choose from Iron Man, Black Panther and many others on the Matalan website. 

• View Marvel Captain America Fancy Dress Costume | Matalan

3. Pumpkin costume - View at Amazon

 RRP: £10.99 | Delivery: Next day/Standard | Sizes available: 0 months - 3 years

This pumpkin costume is a real Halloween classic! If your kids love going pumpkin picking, it's definitely the one to go for - not scary but just spooky enough to fit in with the seasonal theme. The one we've picked out is ideal for babies up to one year old but you can buy pumpkin costumes for older children from Amazon too. And of course a pumpkin is a great pregnant Halloween costume idea for expectant mums too.  

• View Miyanuby Halloween Costume Pumpkin | Amazon

4. Catwoman costume - View at Very

RRP: £23.99 | Delivery: Standard | Sizes available: 3-10 years

For all fans of superheroes, cat woman should certainly be on the list of Halloween costume ideas. This costume from Very is the complete set, including the iconic black jumpsuit, boot tops, belt, eye mask and a headpiece with cat ears attached. For sizing references, age 3 to 4 is a small, age 5 to 7 is a medium and large is for those 8 to 10 years old. 

• View Catwoman Child's Costume | Very

5. Buzz Lightyear Costume - View at Argos

RRP: £15.00 | Delivery: Next day/Standard | Sizes available: 2-10 years

Another costume inspired by this year's best kids movies,  Buzz Lightyear is back in popular demand following the release of Disney's Lightyear. This costume includes a Buzz Lightyear all-in-one with padded details and one touch fastenings to the back, a pair of removable soft wings that one-touch fasten to the back of the outfit, and a matching Buzz mask to finish the look.

• View Disney Toy Story Buzz Lightyear Costume | Argos

6. Harry Potter costume - View at Matalan

RRP: £18.50 | Delivery: Next day/Standard | Sizes available: 5-12 years 

Harry Potter has become a staple of the kids' Halloween costume ideas list over the years. Practical and easily recognisable, all you need is the iconic black cape and badge, wand and black round glasses to transform into the boy wizard himself. It's also a great family or group costume to try out, with others going as Ron and Hermione to complete the trio. 

• View Harry Potter Fancy Dress Costume | Amazon

7. Spider costume - View at Amazon

 RRP: £15.99 | Delivery: Next day/Standard | Sizes available: 0 months - 5 years 

For a creepy crawly yet surprisingly cute costume, go for this spider outfit from Amazon. It includes this jumpsuit with attached shoes, a hood and four detachable legs. 

• View Little Crawly Spider Halloween Fancy Dress Costume | Amazon

8. Baby Yoda costume - View at Amazon

RRP: £19.41 | Delivery: Standard | Sizes available: 0 months - 9 years 

Baby Yoda, aka The Child, captured hearts as soon as they appeared on screens last in Disney +'s The Mandalorian. This costume is simple but effective, featuring a Baby Yoda hat and cape, for a Halloween costume that is definitely all treat.

• View Star Wars Yoda Baby Yoda Jedi Master Alien | Amazon

9. Ghostbusters costume - View at Very

RRP: £31.99 | Delivery: Standard | Sizes available: 4-12 years 

Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! Enter the world of ghosts and ghouls as one of the eccentric parapsychologists from the Ghostbusters film. And with the classic 80s hit enjoying a resurgence following the release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, now's as good a time as any. This jumpsuit costume from Very comes with an inflatable backpack too.

• View Ghostbusters Costume | Very

10. Mary Poppins costume - View at Amazon

RRP: £21.99 | Delivery: Next day/Standard | Sizes available: 3-12 years 

This Mary Poppins costume is truly magical! The set includes a hat, blue dress, bow tie and ruffled collar for a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Halloween idea. While it's a popular costume idea for World Book Day, we reckon this would be a great one for Halloween too. 

• View Rubie's Official Disney Mary Poppins Costume | Amazon

11. Minions costume - View at Argos

RRP: £14.00 | Delivery: Next day/Standard | Sizes available: 1-10 years 

In 2022 it felt like minions took over the world after the release of Minions: The Rise of Gru, and their popularity is unlikely to wane now that Despicable Me 4  has been confirmed for 2024. Get in on the action with this easy costume from Argos, suitable for kids of all ages.

• View Minions Yellow Costume | Argos

12. Cruella De Vil costume - View at Tu

 RRP: £15.00 | Delivery: Next day/Named day/Standard | Sizes available: 3 - 10 years 

The new Cruella film starring Emma Stone had tails wagging last year and now's the chance for your child to dress up as the film's super villain herself. This costume from Tu includes the recognisable red, white and black dress and a monochromatic wig.

• View Disney 101 Dalmatians Cruella De Vil costume | Tu

13. Frozen Elsa costume - View at H&M

RRP: £18.99 | Delivery: Standard | Sizes available: 2-10 years 

 Elsa is another modern Halloween staple! The two Frozen films have had kids hooked for years now and this is their chance to live out the Elsa fantasy. This set from H&M has all the glittery embellishments and a subtle snowflake print - a definite favourite on the list of Halloween costumes for kids. If you've got a pair of kids heading off trick or treating this year, try this Anna costume from Argos and the two of them can go together as the sisters from the movies.

• View Frozen fancy dress costume | H&M

14. Witch costume - View at Matalan

RRP: £14.00 | Delivery: Next day/Standard | Sizes available: 1 - 9 years

Witches have been a Halloween staple since the dawn of trick or treating, and after The Witches starring Anne Hathaway was released in 2020 - based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name - they're all the more popular. With this dazzling costume from Matalan, kids can get their spook on in a colourful neon style dress. 

• View Witch Halloween Fancy Dress Costume | Matalan

15. Dinosaur costume - View at John Lewis

RRP: £25.00 | Delivery: Next day/Named day/Standard | Sizes available: 3 - 4 years 

This adorable dinosaur costume makes the perfect Halloween dress up for dino obsessed kids. The costume features a red and orange plush jumpsuit with a golden belly and yellow fabric claws. With an attached tail covered in fabric plates, the 'clawed' gloves and a plush dino head hood will give them a tricera-top look wherever they're scaring people!

• View Travis Designs Dinomite Dinosaur Costume | John Lewis

16. Mermaid costume - View at Matalan

RRP: £16.50 | Delivery: Next day/Standard | Sizes available: 4-9 years 

 This Princess Ariel costume is styled with beautiful glitter and sequin embellishments for a sparkly, luxurious appearance, and finished with a matching headband for great coordination. Perfect for princess parties and dress-up play all year round, you'll get plenty of use out of this Halloween costume.

• View Disney Princess Ariel Fancy Dress Costume | Matalan

17. Ghost costume - View at Amazon

RRP: £16.57 | Delivery: Next day/Standard | Sizes available: One size 

 Ghosts are one of the simplest Halloween costumes out there and sure, you could just use an old sheet, but this Halloween costume will save time and effort and look equally as spooky. It's already complete with large black eye and mouth holes and particularly great for younger kids as it's easy to take on and off - and one size fits all too.

• View Halloween Ghost White Hooded Cape Fancy Dress Costume | Amazon

 18. Pokemon Pikachu costume - View at John Lewis

RRP: £22.00 | Delivery: Next day/Named day/Standard | Sizes available: 4-8 years

This Pokémon Halloween costume is a great idea for kids this autumn. Straight from the franchise, fans will know exactly who this yellow creature is. The costume is a onesie, so it's easy to pull on and off and still suitable to wear around the house when spooky season is over. 

• View Pokémon Pikachu Children's Costume | John Lewis

19. Pirate costume - View at Amazon

RRP: £14.00 | Delivery: Next day/Standard | Sizes available: 3 - 8 years 

Another Halloween classic, we couldn't leave the pirate costume off this list. This set comes with all the trimmings, complete with a jumpsuit including a vest and belt and a pirate hat, making this Halloween staple as easy to pull off as it can be.

• View Deckhand Pirate Fancy Dress Costume | Amazon

20. Frankenstein costume - View at Tu

RRP: £13.00 | Delivery: Next day/Named day/Standard | Sizes available: 3-12 years 

Frankenstein' monster is another Halloween classic, but there's no need for green face paint or screws in this get up as the mask comes included, along with the top and trousers featuring chain detail and hologram panels. For babies, Tu also has a Frankenstein sleepsuit suitable for children aged 0-24 months.

• View Halloween Frankenstein's Monster costume | Tu

Read more:

• 15 best family Halloween costumes
• Best couples Halloween costumes
• Baby Halloween costumes
• Pregnant Halloween costumes

Video of the Week

Are you carving a pumpkin for Halloween? Don't throw it away – make the most of it with our quick and easy leftover pumpkin ideas, tips, and recipes.

In the UK, we buy a staggering 40 million pumpkins every Halloween – and over half of them go to waste. Research from environmental charity, Hubbub showed that, last year, 22.2 million pumpkins went to waste – that's around £32 million worth. And during the current cost of living crisis, we all need to reduce food waste – not add to it. The survey also revealed that 56% of pumpkins bought for carving are not eaten and are used only for decoration. 

"Imagine yourself at a farm to pick your own pumpkin. There are pumpkins of every size as far as the eye can see. What is shocking is that one in two of those pumpkins will end up in the bin. That is the same weight as 180,000 hippos. Imagine that. 180,000 hippos worth of pumpkins are being thrown away. And that’s in the UK alone," says Imogen Tinkler, an expert in seasonal and foraged produce for Bangers and Balls. 

Another Hubbub survey found that although four in five people said they wanted to reduce their food waste, more than half admitted they do not actually see pumpkin as food – yet it’s a vegetable packed full of immune-boosting vitamins.

"We have all forgotten that the pumpkin we carve into a jack-o-lantern is actually food. Going to supermarkets at this time of year, it's not uncommon to see people buying pumpkins to carve as well as jars of pumpkin puree to cook with. It seems like madness to me," says Imogen. "The good news is that the rise of the 'pumpkin patch' means people have access to tastier pumpkins and different varieties, including squashes like the blue Crown Prince with its honey-sweet, nutty flavour. Not all pumpkins are created equally, so experiment and see which flavours you like the best."

What can you do with leftover pumpkin?

Pumpkin's earthy-yet-sweet flavour is delicious when cooked - from pumpkin curries and soups to sweet dishes like pumpkin cheesecake and an all-American pumpkin pie. 

And lest we forget the seeds once you’ve scooped them out, as they deliver brilliant bursts of flavour and nutrients to salads and soups, and even on top of your morning granola bowl. They're tasty and packed with protein, antioxidants, healthy fats, magnesium, and vitamin K, so should never go to waste. On guide on how to cook pumpkin seeds reveals more.

Pumpkin is also a member of the squash family which means it can be prepared, cooked, and eaten in the same way as the more popular butternut squash.

"The thought of cooking the pumpkin after you have gone to all the effort of carving a scary face into it can be overwhelming. But pumpkin freezes really well, both raw and cooked, so you don’t have to do all the work at once," says Imogen Tinkler. "If the pumpkin is bought from a proper farm or supplier, then it shouldn't be watery and bland, but instead have a vibrant coloured and deeply flavoursome flesh that is exceptionally versatile, delicious and nutritious."

And even if you decide not to cook with your pumpkin, it should never be binned – instead, get it back into the food chain and stop waste; pumpkins make a great snack for birds or they can be composted.  

How to prepare a pumpkin for cooking

1. Cutting and peeling: The skin is tough so you need to use a sharp peeler, or you could peel using a large, sharp knife – but be very careful (plus you may lose more of the flesh than with a peeler). Never peel towards you and cut on a flat surface on top of a board (using a damp cloth underneath the board will stop it from moving too much). 
2. The easiest option, though, is to roast the flesh with the skin on. "There is no need to peel the pumpkin before roasting, as the skin will soften and is edible," says Imogen Tinkler.
3. Deseeding: Next, pull out all the seeds and pith, with either a spoon or your hands. "Try to separate them as much as possible, but you don’t need to worry too much. The pith makes great compost, and you can cook pumpkin seeds," advises Imogen. 
4. "Next, scoop out a load of the flesh in order to make carving easier. Instead of throwing it away, put it straight into a baking tray with a little salt and oil. If you know what you are going to do with the pumpkin flesh, you might want to flavour it accordingly, but if you're just going to shove it in the freezer and work it out later, leave it plain."

Top tips for preparing pumpkin

If you opt for a pumpkin small enough to fit in your oven, you can save yourself the bother of unnecessary chopping. "Cut around the stalk as if you are carving it, remove the seeds and pith, and then stuff it. You can put anything you like inside, from curry to shepherd's pie (the pumpkin taking the place of the potato). Just put the stalk lid back on and roast it at 180°C (350°F) until soft," says Imogen.

"If the pumpkin in question is too big to fit in the oven whole then simply chop it up into roast potato-sized chunks, toss them in oil and salt, and perhaps a bit of garlic and rosemary, and roast at 200°C (400°F) for about 45 minutes."

How to cook pumpkin

1. Cook the seeds: "Put the pumpkin seeds straight into a roasting dish and into a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about ten minutes, or until they have dried out and gone crunchy," recommends Imogen. "I like to do ‘trick or treat’ pumpkin seeds by seasoning half of them with salt and chilli flakes, and the other half with sugar and spices like cinnamon or mixed spice." The sweet seeds are brilliant as a topping for a granola bowl, the savoury ones scattered over an Autumnal soup, or either just as a nutritious snack on their own. 
2. Roast the flesh: Drizzle the pumpkin with olive oil and scatter over some sage leaves, salt, and pepper, and roast at 200°C/Gas 6 until cooked. The cooking time will depend on how small the pieces are but it will usually take 25-45 mins. Smoked paprika, sumac, or thyme work as great flavours to go with the pumpkin – you could try sprinkling these over instead of sage. "With your oven still on at 180°C (350°F) from toasting the seeds, throw your baking tray of pumpkin flesh into the oven and let it roast. It should be ready in about 45 minutes to an hour. Don’t forget to turn it occasionally," says Imogen.  
3. Puree the flesh: Either eat the roast pumpkin straight away or make pumpkin puree with a potato ricer or masher or blitz in a food processor (you could also boil the flesh for around 15 minutes until just tender and puree it instead) – either way, it makes a wonderful side dish for roast chicken or a delicious Autumnal pie. "With the puree, simply heat it up, add a knob of butter and black pepper and serve it as ‘Monster Mash," suggests Imogen. "You could also use it to make a fabulous soup, a pumpkin pie, Harry Potter’s favourite pumpkin pasties, or even pumpkin bread."
4. Cook the peel: If you do decide to boil the pumpkin flesh, you will have to peel it first (as we've established, you don't need to do this before roasting). And even discarded pumpkin peel needn't go to waste as it can be used to make tasty baked crisps. Sprinkle the peel with salt and a drizzle of olive oil and bake for around 25 mins on the top rack of the oven at 200°C until crisp.

How do you store leftover pumpkin?

"If you are not carving the pumpkins and simply displaying them whole, then they will last in a cool dry place for weeks. But if you are carving, cut a round hole around the stalk, revealing at least an inch of fabulous flesh that can easily be cut from the skin. 

Put this straight into either a freezer bag or a roasting tin I prefer to freeze pumpkin cooked and pureed as it takes up less space and is easier to use when you need it," says Imogen Tinkler. 

"Put it into freezer bags and store in the freezer for up to three months." Once defrosted at room temperature, use it in your recipe of choice, or even as it is, as baby food for your little one when you're weaning them.

If you've done your best carving work for Halloween, after displaying your pumpkin, it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. After that, it may start to show signs of mould or begin to soften, at which point it should be put out for the birds or composted.

Pumpkin FAQs

Leftover pumpkin recipes

1. Classic pumpkin pie

Serves: 10 | Skill: Medium | Total time: 2 hrs 25 mins

The most iconic of all pumpkin recipes, an all-American sweet pie, delicious with a generous scoop of whipped cream or ice cream, drizzled with maple syrup. Carving pumpkins tend to have a higher water content, which makes them perfect for pureeing. 

This pumpkin pie recipe needs 450g of pumpkin flesh, which is steamed and pureed to make the spiced pie filling. You can store the flesh in a sealed container in the fridge so you can make the pie the next day.

Get the recipe: Classic pumpkin pie

2. Pumpkin soup

Makes/serves: 4 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 45 mins

This easy and nutritious soup makes a tasty family meal any day of the week, but you can add a spider’s web on top for Halloween, made from natural yogurt (though you could always use creme fraiche or sour cream), and using a cocktail stick for a similar effect to feathered icing on cakes. 

Get the recipe: Halloween pumpkin soup

3. Pumpkin and maple cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 50 mins

For life, not just for Halloween, these cupcakes work well all over the Autumn season. The addition of pumpkin to the cake mix makes for a really moist sponge, and the topping is a lovely twist on the usual cream cheese frosting. 

Made with mascarpone and maple syrup, the flavour is elevated to something quite special. Top with orange sprinkles if you want to appeal to young kids, or don’t if you want them all to yourself! These easy cupcakes would be just the ticket for a bonfire night celebration, too, or an October or November birthday bash. 

Get the recipe: Pumpkin cupcakes with maple icing

4. Pork and pumpkin curry

Makes/serves: 4 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 2 hrs 45 mins

A slow-cooked curry with fresh Thai flavours, this is a labour of love that will be well worth the wait on an Autumnal evening, maybe after a spot of family trick or treating on the chilly streets. As well as the pumpkin, this recipe features baby squash, potatoes and courgettes, and easily be made into a satisfying vegan dish by omitting the pork.   

Get the recipe: Pork and pumpkin red curry

5. Pumpkin bread

Serves: 10-12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 45 mins

Vowed never to make banana bread again after that lockdown overload? Here's a welcome twist for you – a similar recipe but using leftover pumpkin, as well as the clever addition of a glug of maple syrup. Dust it with icing sugar and eat still slightly warm from the oven, with a frothy coffee or a milky tea.

Get the recipe: Pumpkin bread

6. Pumpkin lasagne

Serves: 8 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 1 hr 25 mins

The addition of your leftover pumpkin will elevate your classic lasagne to a different level, using it thinly sliced as a replacement for pasta sheets. This ups the veg content, reduces the calories, and makes it gluten free for anyone who needs or wants to cut out the carbs. Simply delicious.

Get the recipe: Pumpkin lasagne

7. Pumpkin cheesecake

Serves: 10-12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 20 mins, plus chilling time

A classic cheesecake with the unusual addition of pumpkin puree in the mix, which pair perfectly with the ginger biscuits in the crumbly base. Topped with whipped cream and cinnamon, it would also be wonderful drizzled with maple syrup.

Get the recipe: Pumpkin cheesecake

8. Cheshire cheese and pumpkin salad

Serves: 4 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 45 mins

A wonderfully tasty Autumnal salad, providing a perfectly balanced nutritious lunch. The crumbly cheese (which could be substituted for Lancashire cheese, a Greek feta, or even a toasted goat's cheese) pairs beautifully with the earthy pumpkin, the red onion and the toasted pine nuts (which could, of course, be substituted for pumpkin seeds…). Tossed with green beans and spinach, and drizzled with a sesame oil and Dijon mustard dressing. Delicious.

Get the recipe: Cheshire cheese and pumpkin salad

9. Gnocchi with pumpkin and pancetta sauce

Serves: 2| Skill level: Easy | Total time: 20 mins

Pumpkin might not be the first ingredient you'd think to put in a pasta sauce, but this recipe is made comforting and creamy thanks to the pumpkin puree. The fresh sage, pancetta (skip for a veggie version) and nutmeg, bring the flavour and, while it's perfect with gnocchi, it could also work wonderfully with a tortellini or a ravioli. Bellissimo. 

Get the recipe: Gnocchi with pumpkin and pancetta sauce

10. Pumpkin, mushroom and pea risotto

Serves: 2| Skill level: Easy | Total time: 30 mins

Eat the rainbow with this gloriously colourful risotto, where the pumpkin puree brings a comforting, creamy texture, making it perfect for dinner on a chilly mid-week evening. It's vegan (so long as you opt for veg stock), but a generous grating of salty Parmesan or Grana Padano wouldn't go amiss if you're a cheese lover.  

Get the recipe: Pumpkin, mushroom and pea risotto 

11. Gordon Ramsay's pumpkin soup

Serves: 6 | Skill level: Med | Total time: 1hr 30 mins

This is one of our most popular pumpkin recipes and is certainly worth the wait. The sweetness of the pumpkin and the earthiness of the wild mushrooms pair perfectly together. A thick, creamy textured soup just perfectly served with crusty buttered bread. 

Get the recipe: Gordon Ramsay's pumpkin soup with wild mushrooms

12. Pumpkin muffins

Serves: 9 | Skill level: Med | Total time: 30 mins

A great way to use up leftover pumpkin, particularly leftover pumpkin puree. It takes just 20 minutes to bake a batch of these mouthwatering muffins which are soft and spongey with a sweet pumpkin flavour and glowing orange appearance. The perfect treat after all the Halloween madness.

Get the recipe: Pumpkin muffins

Once Halloween is over, not only will you have an epic amount of pumpkin left, but you may also have lots of sweets left too. We've got plenty of inspiring ways to use up those leftover sweets including this impressive pick & mix chocolate and sweetie cake - and these Maltesers chocolate brownies - the Maltesers can easily be swapped for other chocolate too. 

And for those looking for autumnal comfort foods - have a browse through our slow cooker recipes.

Video of the Week

From a Halloween pizza made with a shop-bought base to cheesy broomsticks made with your little ones' favourite cheese, here are the best Halloween food ideas to whip up this October.

“Imagination is the only limit to food creativity, and Halloween food is a great opportunity for children to get involved in the kitchen, whether you’re throwing a fancy dress party or stocking up for trick-or-treaters,” says Michaela Hanna, a chef who offers private cooking lessons and has appeared on MasterChef: The Professionals. 

“You can be as retro as you like when it comes to Halloween recipes – cover a grapefruit in tin foil, use black olives on cocktail sticks for eyes, and thread different coloured gummy worms onto skewers to make a Medusa-style head as a centerpiece for a table. Cut discs out of puff pastry, spread with tomato puree, sprinkle on some cheese, and use olives and strips of salami to make a spider snack perfect for handing out to hungry guests. Make a cauldron of green gooey dip by hollowing out a small pumpkin and filling it with guacamole – strips of pepper or breadsticks and nachos will make the ideal dipping accompaniment.”

Michaela is full of ideas for sweet treats, too. “Decorate squares of chocolate brownie with white coated biscuits, with red smarties in the center and black and red icing to make eyeballs,” she suggests. “Whatever your Halloween occasion, your guests will be thrilled with some tasty, themed food, delicious drinks, and spooky costumes.”

Sausage mummies, spooky sandwiches, spider web tart, Mini Roll bats, witch's brew mocktails - the Halloween buffet food list goes on. And don’t forget to stock up on Halloween-themed tableware and decorations alongside all this spooktacular food so you can throw the ultimate Halloween party this year. 

Halloween food ideas

1. Halloween cookies

Makes/serves: 18 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 22 mins

These spooky cookies make ideal treats for trick-or-treaters or are great for kids at Halloween parties. Ideally, invest in some Halloween cookie cutters, then you can cut out bats, ghosts, pumpkins, and tombstones though if you’d rather not fork out, whatever cutters you have in the cupboard will suffice – a skeleton can be piped onto a gingerbread person cut-out, for example, or draw a spooky face on to a round cookie. The biscuits are super simple with only four ingredients and decorated with thinly rolled-out coloured fondant. 

Get the recipe: Halloween cookies

2. Halloween muffins

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 1 hr

A simple one for the less adept bakers amongst us, these muffins are flavoured like a carrot cake with, well, carrots obviously, as well as cinnamon and walnuts. Piped with an orange buttercream, you can then just mix and match with whatever toppings you fancy, from spooky jelly sweets to sprinkles in Halloween hues.

“These muffins offer a great orange alternative to pumpkin at Halloween – perfect if you want something a bit different than the usual on the dessert table. To get really vibrant colours for your icing, use a colouring paste or gel rather than colouring liquid and let the kids go wild with gummy sweets and chocolate eyeballs to decorate,” says professional baker Naomi Boles.

Get the recipe: Halloween muffins

3. Spooky Halloween pizza

Makes/serves: 6 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 35 mins

This spooky Halloween pizza recipe is the perfect ghoulish treat and just too cute, if you ask us. Use a cookie cutter to cut out different shapes of Mozzarella cheese including ghosts, bats, and pumpkins. You could also make shapes out of slices of pepperoni and, it might be a little fiddly, but you can also create spiders out of whole black olives. Making extra large pizzas for a party, so there’s plenty of space to show off your toppings is the best idea (and means there’s plenty for guests to scoff, of course). 

Get the recipe: Halloween pizza

4. Halloween traybake

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 55 mins

This jammy sponge is super easy for the unconfident bakers amongst us, and you don’t even need to make icing as it’s topped with that American classic, marshmallow fluff. This sticky, messy sugary topping is the perfect surface for sticking all manner of crowning glories – jelly worms and other spooky sweets, as well as M&Ms, Smarties and jelly beans in Halloween hues. 

Get the recipe: Halloween tray bake

5. Halloween eggs

Makes/serves: 24 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 30 mins

Is your mind  boggling as to how the tie-dye effect in these brilliantly gruesome-looking eggs is achieved – well, it is created using blueberries. The eggs are boiled with them, and then the shells are slightly cracked and soaked overnight in the fruity water – so you need to work ahead on this one. They taste as wonderful as they look, too, filled with an avocado mousse.

“This is a fantastic recipe – it has the visual wow factor, can be made ahead of time and is easy to eat as a nibble with drinks. Serving on a black plate will make the colours pop even more. The lemon will help to keep the avocado green,” says chef Michaela Hanna. 

Get the recipe: Halloween eggs

6. Jelly worms

Makes/serves: 100 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 10 mins (plus time to chill)

Super as a cake topper, or just as a big bowl of slimy worms, these are super easy to make – all you need is some party straws and some good old-fashioned packets of jelly. Make them multi-coloured and decorate your cake plates with them. Simple but very effective. 

Get the recipe: Jelly worms

7. Witch’s fingers

Makes/serves: 45 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 20 mins

Giving a whole new meaning to the term ‘finger food’, these impressive and seriously gruesome witch’s fingers are made using a biscuit base with blanched almonds as nails and jam as blood. You could even add a little green food colouring to the biscuit mix for a witchy hue. And why not serve them with a sweet dip, like Nutella or dulce du leche? 

“Brace yourself because these biscuits look very realistic! Ideal for making with children and simple to decorate, plates of these spooky biscuits are sure to get a reaction. To keep the biscuits snappy, don’t over mix the flour, just bring it together gently and, if you’re making ahead of time, store the biscuits in an air-tight container,” says Michaela Hanna.

Get the recipe: Witch's fingers

8. Pumpkin shaped cake

Makes/serves: 24 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 1 hr 35 mins

A perfect centrepiece for your Halloween table. Made in a Bundt tin, this cake both contains pumpkin and also resembles that most seasonal of fruits. Also featuring other Autumnal flavours like cinnamon and ginger, the cake is topped with orange icing, bronze glitter and finished off with a fondant stalk. It would be equally wonderful served on Bonfire night, or for an October/November birthday party. 

Get the recipe: Pumpkin shaped cake

9. Halloween fairy cakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 1 hr 10 mins

These simple fairy cakes are a godsend for those who are challenged on the cake decorating front. A brilliant one to do with kids, this recipe features ready-to-use icing and icing pens for you to draw spooky designs with - try spider’s webs and ghostly faces, and if they’re a little rough around the edges, that’s ok because the kids did them, right? (even if it was you, really, wink wink).

Get the recipe: Halloween fairy cakes

10. Pumpkin biscuits

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 2 hrs 15 mins

These biscuits are next level tasty, featuring ground almonds, orange zest and runny honey, and the toppings are basically stamped on with a cut-out apple dipped in food colouring (think the potato stamps you did harking back to school days). An excellent Halloween party bag treat or to serve amongst your Halloween party food spread on a large tray so each biscuit can lie flat. They’re too good to give away in the trick or treating stampede, if you ask us.

Get the recipe: Pumpkin biscuits

11. Halloween lasagne

Makes/serves: 6 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 1 hr 35 mins

Give your classic lasagne a Halloween makeover with this vegetarian butternut squash, spinach and ricotta version, featuring all the requisite seasonal colours and flavours.  Make a pumpkin shaped topping out of pieces of the squash. 

“Easy to scale up for larger numbers of guests, or cook extra to have at a later date, this is a great recipe that caters for vegetarian guests,” says Michaela Hanna. “Some shredded chicken or cubes of chorizo can be added if you would like to make this a meat version. Line the tray for the butternut with baking parchment to prevent sticking and make the washing up easier!”

Get the recipe: Halloween lasagne

12. Halloween pumpkin cake

Makes/serves: 8-10 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 1 hr 15 mins

A classic carrot cake is a very Autumnal affair, so perfect for Halloween, topped with these very cute fondant pumpkins (that are pretty easy to make, even if you’re an amateur at the old cake decorating). Cream cheese frosting, a moist sponge delicately-spiced sponge, and a cake that hits the spot all across the seasons, not just for Halloween. Though to make it extra spooky, add some green food colouring to the frosting, and decorate the plate with other creepy delights.  

Get the recipe: Halloween pumpkin cake

13. Halloween toffee apples

Makes/serves: 6 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 20 mins

An iconic treat for this time of year, these toffee apples will also go down a storm for Bonfire Night. Dip your Granny Smiths into the toffee mix, made from golden syrup, sugar and butter (we concede it’s not the healthiest way to eat your daily apple, but hey ho). You could then dip half the mix into different toppings – flaked almonds work brilliantly or you could try some orange and green sprinkles or chocolate vermicelli. 

Get the recipe: Toffee apples

14. Cheesy broomsticks

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 10 mins

These savoury snacks are so adorable and will be a party talking point, despite being super easy and containing only three ingredients – pretzel sticks for the broom handle, sliced cheese for the broom, and chives to wrap around for colour. We’d serve these with some nice dips - think a nice ‘bloody’ salsa with a kick of chilli and onion. That’ll do nicely. 

Get the recipe: Cheesy broomsticks

15. Halloween cake pops

Makes/serves: 20 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 1 hr 30 mins

This one takes a wee bit of time and skill, but, boy, is it worth it. These pumpkins and skeletons are achieved by using candy melts that you dip your cake balls into. Make them a day or two ahead of your party, and they’ll make a spooky smasher of a centerpiece on your Halloween food table. They’re almost too good to eat. Though we must emphasise the ‘almost’ there.

Get the recipe: Halloween cake pops

16. Witch's hat cookies

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium |  Total time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ice cream cones and biscuits, stuck together and covered with melted chocolate, they’re so simple and brilliant, especially with the brightly coloured fondant belts and buckles. “These are a visually brilliant, sweet treat for any Halloween party. Children will love to see how they can transform a few simple ingredients into fun chocolate treats. If you do not have a microwave, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water – just make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water,” says Michaela Hanna.

Get the recipe: Witch hat cookies

17. Halloween whoopie pies

Makes/serves: 20 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 1 hr 10 mins

That most American of cakes, these whoopie pies (apparently the name comes from the Amish folks who would say ‘whoopie’ when one appeared in their lunch boxes) are given a seasonal twist. The filling is scattered with orange and black sprinkles, and topped with pics of spooky skeletons attached to cocktail sticks – get the kids crafting for this one.

Get the recipe: Halloween whoopie pies

18. Halloween pumpkin soup

Makes/serves: 4 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 45 mins

Because pumpkins aren't just for carving… This healthy, nutritious, comforting, lightly spiced pumpkin soup has an impressive spider web topping made from natural yoghurt (though you could always use creme fraiche, or sour cream). If you really want to go all-out, you can ladle it into mini cauldrons for your guests. 

“Delicious, seasonal and batch-cook friendly, make lots of this pumpkin soup so you can freeze some and have it later. If you can’t find turkey rashers, then shredded chicken or ham would make a good alternative,” says Michaela Hanna.

Get the recipe: Halloween soup

19. Creepy cheese faces

Makes/serves: 4 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 5 mins

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. To make these sinister cheese faces, you will need a packet of English muffins, tomato puree and cheese slices. Cut the muffins in half, toast the outsides, then flip them over, very lightly toast, then spread with a layer of tomato puree. Take the cheese slices and carve out scary faces. Place onto the muffin and grill. Until bubbling and toasted. 

20. Eyeball cake pops

Makes/serves: 10 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 2 hrs 20 mins (plus chilling time)

Vanilla sponge balls, dipped in buttercream and white chocolate melts, you’ll  need to use your artistic skills to draw on the blood red veins around a black fondant eyeball. Suitably sinister, these will have your trick or treaters or your party guests highly impressed. It’s a shame to actually eat them, really. 

Get the recipe: Eyeball cake pops

21. Zombie-bread men

Makes/serves: 18 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 32 mins

Make up a batch of these zombie-bread men with your small party guests. They can decorate them however they like – and eat them afterwards, of course. Do a batch of classic gingerbread and decorate with red, white and black icing, making eyes out of white and black fondant. A deliciously spooky twist on a classic. 

22. Terrifying trifles

Makes/serves: 3 | Skill level: Medium |  Total time: 1 hr 20 mins

These five-layered individual trifles are given a Halloween twist, and can be as easy or as tricky as time and skill allows. Make your own sponge for the bottom level, or just buy one, then add custard with a splash of green food colouring – again homemade, ready-made, or with good ol’ fashioned custard powder – before a layer or crushed biscuits of your choice (we think Oreos work particularly well). After this, add orange jelly and top with whipped cream. Then decorate with spooky faces. Glassware for presentation is essential - buy the jars from Lakeland, or you could make one big, scary trifle in a traditional glass dish. 

Get the recipe: Terrifying trifles

23. Halloween marshmallow pops

Makes/serves: 16 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 30 mins

Taking your kid’s marshmallow love to the next level – toasting them round the campfire will have nothing on the excitement of these creepy creations. Kinda like cake pops without having to make or shape actual cake, marshmallows are turned into ghost, pumpkin and mummy and – our favourite – Frankenstein pops, thanks to the addition of ingredients like candy melts; pretzel sticks and white choc. The variation looks amazing, but if you’re short on time, just focus on one or two of the spooky options.

Get the recipe:  Halloween marshmallow pops

24. Bloodbath cocktail

Makes/serves: 1 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 5 mins

Vampires will love this bloodbath cocktail made with pomegranates and vodka, and a dash of lemon juice. Double or quadruple the recipe to make enough for punch, and, for a really impressive presentation, serve it in a fake cauldron. Add some lemon slices and enjoy, safe in the knowledge that you’re getting your superfoods in alongside a cheeky bit of booze.

Get the recipe: Bloodbath cocktail

25. Spooky chocolate-covered apples

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 15 mins

All you need to make these spooky treats is chocolate, apples and food colouring/writing icing. Simples. Melt 200g of white chocolate, either in the microwave or in a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water and allow to cool slightly. Swirl through a few drops of orange food colouring for the pumpkin option. 

Pierce your apples with a wooden skewer and dip into the chocolate. Spoon over the white chocolate, over the bowl, to ensure the apple is fully covered. Leave to dry in the fridge, on a piece of greaseproof paper. Once set, draw sinister faces on your apples with black writing icing.

26. Ssssnake rolls

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 40 mins

Basically, very long, skinny, and slightly spooky sausage rolls, to make them you need ready-made shortcrust pastry, sausage meat, an egg and a few slices of red pepper. Roll out the pastry, dusted with flour, cut strips of around 25 cm in length and 10 cm wide and place a thin line of sausage meat down the middle. Glaze one edge of the pastry with beaten egg and roll the other one over the meat, pressing the edges of the pastry together. Curve into a snake-like shape and glaze with beaten egg. Bake in the oven (200C, gas 6) for 15-20 mins until golden brown. Make eyes and a snaky tongue with a slit in the end from chunks of the pepper, and stick them on with the remaining egg wash. 

27. Chocolate Mini Roll bats

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 20 mins

An ideal no-make treat to put together with the kids. You’ll need two packets of chocolate mini rolls, black and white fondant and some icing sugar. Draw a small bat wing stencil on a piece of paper, place it over black fondant and cut out two wings for each ‘bat’. Make a 'glue' from a little icing sugar and a few drops of water and stick the wings around the mini rolls. You can make each one look different, wrapping some around the ‘body’ and leaving each other’s flat. Make eyes by placing small black balls of fondant onto larger white balls and glue these onto the rolls with your icing sugar mix. Spookily cute.

28. Pumpkin carrot face

Makes/serves: 10 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 10 mins

Merely piling your crudites up in bowls will never do for Halloween – get creative with your veggies by making this pumpkin carrot face with mini carrots, courgette or cucumber, and a selection of dips. All you have to do is arrange the carrots in a pumpkin shape and cut the courgette/cucumber into a jagged  shape for the mouth, cut out a big chunk for the top of the pumpkin and add bowls of dips for the eyes. Tzatziki and guacamole work well, or give it a twist by using salsa for a suitably seasonal bloodshot look.

29. Lily Vanilli's undead gingerbread cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium |  Total time: 55 mins

Create your own graveyard with these spooky tombstone cupcakes with a tasty gingerbread twist. These are brilliantly effective and, while there are a lot of elements involved, the end result is pretty rustic so you don’t have to be a piping perfectionist to have a go. The choc cupcakes are made with a recipe featuring sour cream and espresso coffee, and you make your own gingerbread with treacle, lemon zest and a variety of spices (of course, you could cheat and buy some, but it may not be easy to cut to the shape of tombstones…).  “Not only do they look awesome, but the gingerbread gives an extra autumnal taste,” says pro baker Naomi Boles. “You don’t have to complete everything in one day with these cupcakes, you can back and store your gingerbread gravestones in an airtight container for up to 7 days.”

Get the recipe:  Lily Vanilli’s undead gingerbread cupcakes

30. Skele-mallow zombie

Makes/serves: 5 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 15 mins

To make these marvellous-looking marshmallow zombies, you need large and mini marshmallows, wooden skewers, food writing icing and fondant. Thread three large marshmallows onto a wooden skewer, add a couple of mini marshmallows at the top for the neck, then add the 'head'. Stick two smaller skewers out of the top 'body' marshmallow and thread mini marshmallows on for the 'arms' and large marshmallows for the 'hands'. Repeat this process for the legs. Add black and white fondant eyes and decorate with red writing icing for that bloody effect. The kids will go bonkers for this one.

31. Pumpkin cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 38 mins

These cupcakes aren't just topped with a pumpkin face, there's pumpkin puree inside them too, as well as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. In fact, could they be any more autumnal? You’ll need to make a big batch of cream cheese frosting, split it into separate bowls, and dye them orange, green, and black, before piping on the pumpkin faces. It’s an ideal one to do with kids, as they don’t need to be all uniform and perfect – rustic is the word we would use here.

Get the recipe: Pumpkin cupcakes

32. Ice 'scream' sundaes

Makes/serves: 6 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 10 mins

A wonderfully retro and super simple dessert that little kids will go batty over. Good ol’ fashioned jelly and ice cream, with chunks of chocolate brownie and some jelly snakes and bats (found in most supermarkets around this time of year). Buy the brownies, or make your own, for that extra bit of worthwhile effort. 

Get the recipe: Halloween ice cream

33. Hollow heads

Makes/serves: 4 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 15 mins

To make these hollow heads you will need to buy some fresh coconuts, red food colouring, black marker pen. Carefully cut a lid into the coconut and decorate  the top of it with the food colouring to look like blood and draw creepy faces, like ghosts or spooky cats with marker pen. Add black, red, green and orange straws (ideally reusable and non plastic) and drink the coconut milk or serve your spooky cocktails in them. To take it to the next level, draw vampire faces onto the coconuts and wrap them in a cloak made from black - and even purple – satin.

34. Puking pumpkin dip

Makes/serves: 10 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 30 mins

We’ve never before come across delicious vomit, but there’s always a first time. Carve your pumpkin with a very wide, low mouth and closed eyes, scoop out all the seeds, pop it on a display plate and pile your dip high around the mouth area to give the effect of, well, puke (only at Halloween, eh?).  We highly recommend guacamole here, for its seasonal colours and, erm, realistic texture. 

35. Slimey tarts

Makes/serves: 20 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 30 mins

A seasonal riff on a good ol’ jam tart, using lime curd (you might need to swap for a jar of lemon curd if you don’t want to make your own – it’s much easier to get hold of). Add a few drops of green food colouring to your curd, roll out shortcrust pastry (you can always buy that ready-made too) to a cm or so thick, grease a muffin tin with butter, and add circles of pastry cut with round cookie cutters. Spoon the curd into the pastry and bake in the oven (200°C/gas 6) for 15-20 mins until the pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool before decorating with spooky sweets and fondant eyes.

36. Sausage mummies

Makes/serves: 8 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 50 mins

Bringing a whole new meaning to a sausage roll, get a selection of full sized sausages (veggie sausages will work as well as pork) and mini cocktail sausages, roll out some shortcrust pastry and cut into strips. Wrap your sausages in them, leaving the tops clear to decorate, and cook them in the oven (200°C/gas 6) for around 20 mins until golden brown. Let them cool a little, then decorate with spooky faces from a few blobs of black food colouring (this can be pretty rustic). Then you’ve got some very creepy party guests ready to be eaten, drizzled with some bloody ketchup.

 “This recipe is great for children to help with. Perfect to make ahead of time, pastry always rises and cooks better when it’s chilled, so once you’ve prepared them, pop them in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before baking them in the oven. A little egg-wash will give a lovely shine to the pastry,” says Michaela Hanna. 

37. Iced ghouls

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 10 mins

Simple, effective and no oven needed, so nice and cheap, too. To make these iced ghouls you will need biscuits (any biscuits, homemade or shop-bought – digestives, HobNobs or other round biscuits work best), buttercream icing, fondant and a piping bag. Fill a piping bag with buttercream and pipe mini ghosts onto each biscuit and decorate with fondant eyes. Give them an extra spooky (and tasty) twist by placing a dollop of jam on the biscuit before piping to make the ghosts 'bloody'.

38. Treacle toffee

Makes/serves: 10 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 50 mins

An essential part of a traditional bonfire night celebration, treacle toffee works a treat for Halloween celebrations too (just double up your quantities and it will last for both events). Heavier and slightly less sweet than more common toffee, it’s made from sticky black treacle, muscovado sugar, butter and condensed milk. The joy is cracking pieces off the big slab, with a toffee hammer.  “This toffee is so versatile, and fantastic for party treats – I love the colour and the rich flavour. Use a rolling pin to help break it up if you don’t have a toffee hammer. This sugary concoction is great to nibble, or sprinkle over ice-cream for an autumn taste sensation,” says Michaela Hanna.

Get the recipe: Treacle toffee

39. Pumpkin pie

Makes/serves: 10 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 2 hrs 35 mins

An icon of American baking and a staple on Thanksgiving tables across the land, this comforting pumpkin pie works equally well for Halloween. Made with shortcrust pastry and a filling of mashed pumpkin (or you can use squash) with seasonal spices, raisins and sugar. Once baked, brush with maple syrup, dust with icing sugar and cinnamon and serve with whipped cream. Utterly mouthwatering.

Get the recipe: Pumpkin pie

40. Witch's brew punch

Makes/serves: 6 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 15 mins

A lovely livener on a chilly night, this non-alcoholic mocktail, would work well for Bonfire night, too. The cinnamon stick (which acts like a cocktail stirrer) and the ginger ale make it as punchy by nature as it is by name, and the apples deliver the vitamins and keep the doctor away. Bottoms up.

Get the recipe: Witch's brew 

41. Chocolate cobweb tart recipe

Serves: 8 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 20 mins

Looks fancy, really isn't so much, and will look super impressive and effective on your Halloween table. Buy a ready-made pastry case, mix together melted choc and cream, pour over, set in the fridge, and then here comes the messy bit – warm the marshmallows and pull them into string across the top of the tart, for a sweet and truly delicious spider's web effect. A buffet table hit, or a top-notch dessert for a spooky dinner party. 

Get the recipe: Chocolate cobweb tart recipe

42. Spooky sandwiches

Makes: 20 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 10 mins

Use cookie cutters on your bread to make inventive shapes of your kid's buffet sandwiches (and ensure they eat something savoury with a passing vitamin, to boot). Do your sarnies shaped like coffins, ghosts, pumpkins, and witches, and fill with ham or cheese, before adding a dollop of beetroot coleslaw for a blood-stained effect (it's super easy to make your own, as the recipe shows, and leftovers are great for the next day with a Ploughman's, on a burger or with some grilled chicken). Finish off with blobs of ketchup for an even bloodier effect. 

Get the recipe: Spooky sandwiches

43. Pumpkin-spiced Espresso Martini

Serves: 1 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 5 mins

One for the adults only at the more mature end of scary gatherings. Made with coffee liquor, the seasonal twist comes from the addition of pumpkin puree, which can either be made fresh or bought, US style, in a can (it's available in Sainsbury's, Ocado, and Waitrose these days). This cocktail also contains pumpkin spice syrup, which is sold online by syrup brand Monin. Shake it in your shaker, strain it into a martini glass, and decorate it with coffee beans. Cheers to that. 

Get the recipe: Pumpkin spiced Espresso Martini

44. Poison apples

Makes/serves: 10 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 20 mins 

Seasonal apples have always featured heavily on Halloween, from those messy games of apple bobbing to toffee apples as treats, and this recipe takes those toffee apples to the next level, by adding the spook factor. Learn how to make your own crimson blood-coloured toffee and prep your apples for a dunking. The toffee will be incredibly hot, so best left to adults, but the kids could add some toppings like crushed sweets or sprinkles (not pastel coloured candy ones though, guys, this is Halloween…) to the top while the toffee is still sticky.  

Get the recipe: Poison apples

45. Nadiya Hussain's Halloween cake

Serves: 20 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 2 hours

Brilliant for anyone with a late October birthday or equally great for any spooky gathering, Nadiya has made this wonderful bake perfectly seasonal by including grated pumpkin – or butternut squash, should you prefer – in the cake batter, much as you would with carrot in a carrot cake. It's similarly seasoned too, with autumnal spices like cinnamon and ginger in the mix and a cinnamon-flavoured frosting. 

And then there are those very fun and equally delicious spiders, made from Oreos topped with melted chocolate with liquorice laces for legs. A great choice of bake for big kids and little ones in equal measure.

Get the recipe: Nadiya Hussain's Halloween cake

46. Red velvet cheesecake cups

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 30 mins

If there's one thing that interests us more than a cheesecake or a red velvet cake, it's a fusion of the two together. These red velvet cheesecake bites are ideal for classy yet fun canapes or buffet finger food at your Halloween party. Topped with a blob of whipped cream and a solitary blueberry for a spooky-looking eye effect, we highly doubt you or your guests will be able to stop at one (making a double batch therefore coming highly recommended).

Get the recipe: Red velvet cheesecake cups

47. Halloween drip cake

Serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 2 hrs 10 mins

This drip cake is ideal for a Halloween party, particularly if you're having a more grown-up, altogether more refined bash, and perfect for anyone with a birthday during the gory season, too. It might be a straightforward vanilla sponge with a buttercream filling, but there's nothing straightforward about how it looks. As well as the chocolate drip effect, it is covered with a 'blood' drizzle, made from strawberry puree, that runs down the sliced cake for dramatic effect. Ghoulish, but with plenty of class.

Get the recipe: Halloween drip cake

Looking for more Halloween inspiration? We've got you covered! Think Halloween cupcakes, Halloween cocktails, and even the best Halloween movies to watch if you're having a low-key Halloween this October.

Video of the Week

It only comes once a year so what better way to have some fun with your other half or best friend with these Halloween couple costumes?

Why do we celebrate Halloween in the UK? The excuse to dress up, obviously! With 31 October just around the corner, it’s time to have a serious think about who you’ll go as – the most popular Barbie doll and your other half Ken, perhaps? Mums-to-be, we’ve also got you covered – check out our collection of the best pregnant Halloween costumes – all you need is a top and some pens. 

So, whether you’re staying in to watch reruns of your favourite Halloween movies or heading out-out to party, we've done all the hard work for you and rounded up the best Halloween couple costume ideas to copy. 

Best Halloween couple costumes

1. Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott 

There aren’t many families who do Halloween better than the Kardashians/Jenners. In 2022, Kylie dressed her whole clan as angels, complete with wings and halos. Adorable! 

GET THE LOOK

View Three Piece Angel Costume - £12.95 | Amazon

2. Shrek and Princess Fiona

Model Heidi Klum and her musician husband Tom Kaulitz pulled out all the stops for their 19th Annual Halloween Party in 2018. Whilst the prosthetics may be a bit of a stretch - a bit of green body paint and some funny ears are sure to transform you and your partner into these beloved animated ogres.

GET THE LOOK

View Smiffys Women's Shrek Fiona costume - £53.75 | Amazon

View Shrek Costume - £79.99 | Amazon

3. Mario and Luigi from MarioKart

The Mario brothers are instantly recognisable and one of those perfect matchy-matchy Halloween couple costumes ideas. Take inspiration from funnyman Seth Rogen and his wife Lauren Miller who dressed up as the video game icons in 2016.

GET THE LOOK

View Super Mario Luigi Bros Fancy Dress Outfit - £32.99

4. The Joker and Harley Quinn

The Halloween costume suited for all troublemakers this October. Rapper Nicki Minaj and husband Kenneth Petty dressed up as the Joker and his girlfriend Harley Quinn, best known from the Batman and Suicide Squad movies.

GET THE LOOK

View Womens Deluxe Harley Quinn Costume - £41.99 | Smiffys

View Joker Fancy Dress Costume - £28.00 | Boohoo Man

5. Chrishell Stause and G Flip

Wearing a skeleton bodysuit, Selling Sunset’s Chrishell Stause nailed low-key spooky vibes at a party with her partner G Flip, who was also channelling that quiet Halloween energy.

View Women's Skeleton Bodysuit - £24.99 | Amazon

6. Ghostbusters

Desperately in need of Halloween costume inspiration? Then there's only one call for it. Buddy up as two of the infamous Ghostbusters gang for a look that's funny and comfortable. Cobble together some trainers, a rucksack and a boiler suit each, add a little ghost-like embellishment and you're good to go.

GET THE LOOK

View Ghostbusters Adult Costume - £44.99 | Party Delights

7. Buzz Lightyear and Jessie from Toy Story

Channel some childhood nostalgia this Halloween by dressing up as everyone's favourite characters from the beloved Toy Story films. It's also the perfect costume if you do need to add another member - think mini Woody like Justin Timberlake and wife Jessica Biel. Or a little Mr Potato Head, Bo Peep or Rex the dinosaur would work well here too.

GET THE LOOK

View Toy Story's Jessie Classic Women's Costume - £45.30 | Amazon

View Buzz Lightyear Costume - £58.99 | Smiffys

8. Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf

Kim Kardashian and best friend Johnathon Cheban attended Heidi Klum's Halloween party in 2010 as these iconic fairy tale characters. Copy their look with a red cape and a few furry accessories.

GET THE LOOK

View Red Riding Hood costume - £13.49 | Amazon

View Big Bad Wolf Costume - £54.43 | Fancydress.com

9. Marty McFly and Doc from Back to the Future

Make like actors Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr and dress up as the instantly recognisable Doc and teen duo from the hit sci-fi film franchise. For Marty's outfit, all you need is a red gilet, denim jeans, a pair of trainers and a skateboard and you're ready!

GET THE LOOK

View Back to the Future Doc Brown Costume - £53.99 | Halloweencostumes.co.uk

10. Cruella De Vil and a Dalmation

"Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil, if she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will..." Copy Glee's Darren Criss and wife Mia Swier by dressing up as one of Disney's meanest villains for Halloween 2022.

GET THE LOOK

View Smiffys Evil Madame Costume - £26.09 | Amazon

11. Sally and Jack from the Nightmare before Christmas

Arrive as a fully fledged member of Halloween town and his troubled love interest this October - two characters known for the Tim Burton classic The Nightmare Before Christmas. US actress Vanessa Hudgens and her ex-beau Austin Butler delighted as the pair for Halloween 2019.

GET THE LOOK

View Sassy Sally Costume - £53.99 | Halloweencostumes.co.uk

View Jack Skellington Costume - £37.99 | Halloweencostumes.co.uk

12. Killer Clowns

Give your fellow party-goers a fright with this double clown costume from Amazon. We think you'll agree that for £25 each you get a lot for your money, with this set including the full male and female outfit, plus a red nose, bloody knife, fake blood, face paint and two wigs.

GET THE LOOK

View Killer Clown Couples Halloween Costume - £44.99 | Amazon

13. Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee

No words, just an applause. Actor-musician couple Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly did this iconic 90s duo so well, with Megan sporting a blonde wig and her singer-songwriter husband wearing a signature Tommy Lee white vest. 

GET THE LOOK

View Women's White Blonde Long Wave Wig - £42.99 | Amazon 

View 3 Pack Men's White Undershirt Vests - £14.99 | Amazon

14. Minions from Despicable Me

You'll need a whole lotta yellow paint and a trusty pair of dungarees to recreate these cute creatures. For inspiration, look no further than Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton during Halloween week on Strictly Come Dancing 2018.

GET THE LOOK

View Minions Costume - £13.38 | Ali Express

15. Eleven and Mike from Stranger Things

Modern Family's Sarah Hyland and fiance Adam Wells killed it as the supernatural Eleven and pal Mike in Halloween 2017. The hit Netflix series has proven popular for couple costume ideas in years gone by.

GET THE LOOK

View Eleven Adult Costume - £46.99 | Party Delights

16. Chucky and Bride of Chucky

The self-proclaimed queen of Halloween, Kourtney Kardashian Barker and husband Travis Barker stepped out as Chucky and Bride of Chucky to a party in 2022. 

GET THE LOOK

View Bride of Chucky Costume - £58.99 | Smiffys

View Men's Chucky Costume - £55.46 | Amazon

17. Cher and Sonny 

Is there anyone Kim can’t morph into? Looking like the spit of Cher while her best friend Jonathan donned a purple suit and dressed as Sonny. 

GET THE LOOK

View Glitter Sequin Criss Cross Jumpsuit - £26.69 | TEMU

View Mens 2 Piece Jacquard Tuxedo Suit - £75.99 | Amazon

18. Spiderman and Black Cat

Another comic themed Halloween couple costume courtesy of model Gigi Hadid and singer Zayn Malik. Dress up as Spiderman and his sometime enemy/love interest Felicia Hardy a.k.a. the Black Cat.

GET THE LOOK

View Spiderman Costume - £21.99 | Amazon

19. Day of the Dead couple

Pay tribute to the Mexican holiday that falls days after Halloween itself and copy Ashley Tisdale and Christopher French by dressing up as a Day of the Dead couple this Halloween.

GET THE LOOK

View Day of the Dead Adult Jacket - £26.99 | Party Delights

View Day of the Dead Senorita Adult Costume - £32.99 | Party Delights

20. Skeleton and Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction

British actors Gemma Chan and Richard Madden were snapped looking frightful at a Halloween bash in 2019. Gemma clearly took inspiration from Tarantino's classic Pulp Fiction for her costume, looking a dead ringer for Uma Thurman's character Mia.

GET THE LOOK

View Pulp Fiction Mia Wallace Costume - £63.99 | Halloweencostumes.co.uk

21. Frankenstein and his bride

Winnie Harlow and ex-partner Kyle Kuzma took the crown for their Halloween couple costumes in 2020. The model looked ethereal as Frankenstein's bride, whilst Kyle nailed his interpretation of the infamous green monster.

GET THE LOOK

View Men's Frankenstein Halloween Costume - £32.99 | Fancydress.com

View Dead Ghost Bride Costume - £35.99 | Fancydress.com

22. Princess Jasmine and Aladdin

The Saturdays and JLS singers Rochelle and Marvin Humes looked adorable as the heroines of Disney's much-loved film Aladdin in 2014. And when it comes to accessories the magic lamp is non-negotiable - but the magic carpet we can take or leave.

GET THE LOOK

View Men's Aladdin Costume - £30.99 | Fancydress.com

View Womens Princess Jasmine Costume - £39.99 | Fancydress.com

23. Hercules and choir Goddess

Disney provides further inspiration with this Strictly Halloween look. Have your man show off his rippling physique in a toga and cloak, just like Jamie Laing. Partner Karen Hauer dazzles as one of the muses who narrates the hit film. But you could always swap for Meg if that's more to your liking.

GET THE LOOK

View Disney Hercules Costume - £57.99 | Halloweencostumes.co.uk

View Athenian Goddess Costume - £34.99 | Halloweencostumes.co.uk

24. Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz

Bella Hadid and the Weeknd mesmerised as the two famous characters of the 1988 classic, originally portrayed by Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder.

GET THE LOOK

View BeetleJuice costume - £26.99 | Party Delights

View Beetle Bride Women's Costume - £63.99 | Halloweencostumes.co.uk

25. Priest and Nun

Halloween celebrates some of the most sinful characters on our screens. So why not surprise as a holier-than-though alternative? This couple's costume includes the priest's robe and purple scarf. Whilst the accompanying nuns outfit features the tunic and cowl with a belt and gold cross.

GET THE LOOK

View Couples Priest and Nun Costumes - £25.99 | Amazon

26. Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia from Star Wars

Look to a galaxy far far away for inspiration this Halloween. US talk show hosts Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan made a perfect pair as Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia from the hit franchise back in 2015.

GET THE LOOK

View Princess Leia Costume - £54.99 | Party Delights

View Adult Jedi Costume - £45.99 | Halloweencostumes.co.uk

27. Danny and Sandy from Grease

Model Kate Upton and her baseball star husband Justin Verlander were the ultimate teenage sweethearts - Danny and Sandy - for Halloween 2016. Fairly cheap and easy to recreate, you'll need a simple white t-shirt, black jeans and leather jacket for Danny. And a tight off the shoulder top and jeans for Sandy - plus BIG hair.

GET THE LOOK

View Grease Sandy Final Scene Costume - £38.99 | Smiffys

View Grease T-Birds Jacket - £33.49 | Smiffys

28. Devils

It wouldn't be a proper Halloween couple costumes round-up without some trusty devil outfits. Here's Strictly Come Dancing 2017 semi-finalists Mollie King and AJ Pritchard painting the dance floor red with their racy looks.

GET THE LOOK

View Women's Devil Costume - £40.99 | Halloweencostumes.co.uk

29. Zombie Bride and Groom

This seriously spooky ghost couple costume set will have you party ready come October 31st.  The ghost groom kit includes the jacket, bow tie, trousers and bow-tie. Whilst the wedding dress, veil and choker make up his gruesome other half.

GET THE LOOK

View Adults Ghost Bride and Groom Outfit - £42.99 | Amazon

30. Barbie

Ode to the Barbie movie, right? Rebel Wilson and Ramona Agruma did their best doll impressions and went all out with a box and everything, but if you want to make it a bit cheaper, just go for a pink cowboy costume. Let’s go, Barbie. 

GET THE LOOK

View Barbie Star Box Costume - £50.99 | halloweencostumes.co.uk

31. Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake

2000's Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears was a mood. And who could forget that iconic double denim pairing? US Model Devon Windsor shows how it's done with husband Johnny Barbara.

GET THE LOOK

View Women's Denim Zip Front Boiler Suit - £30.00 | Boohoo

32. Carole Baskin and Joe Exotic

Our lockdown obsession - tv show Tiger King - was a huge Halloween hit with celebrities in 2020. Here's Kim K and her children giving you her best Carol Baskin and tiger cubs impression. With best friend Johnathon Cheban stepping in as arch enemy Joe Exotic.

GET THE LOOK

View Not Your Average Joe Costume - £25.99 | Fancy Dress Ball

33. Cavewoman and Caveman

Take a walk on the wild side this Halloween in a matching caveman and cavewoman set. You can stick to the basic kit: tunics, belt, headband, armband and inflatable club. But we recommend getting creative and customising it for a Fred and Wilma Flintstone double act.

GET THE LOOK

View Couples Caveman and Cavewoman Fancy Dress Costume - £22.99 | Amazon

34. Dorothy and Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz

Head down the Yellow Brick Road for Halloween 2022. We love this Dorothy and Tin Man couple costume from US actors Beanie Feldstein and Ben Platt.

GET THE LOOK

View Kansas Girl Long Dress Costume - £34.99 | Halloweencostumes.co.uk

View The Wizard Of Oz Tin Man Costume - £36.41 | Halloweencostumes.co.uk

35. Cat in the Hat

Step Up stars Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan were the Cat in the Hat x2 for Halloween in 2015. Some simple cat face paint, a black outfit and of course, a red and white striped hat, is all you need to pull off this beloved Dr Seuss character.

GET THE LOOK

View Adult Unisex Cat in Hat Jumpsuit Costume - £30.99 | Amazon

36. Romeo and Juliet

Pay tribute to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet - or rather Baz Luhrman's version of the star crossed lovers featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.

GET THE LOOK

View Romeo and Juliet Medieval Costumes - £23.95 | eBay

37. Satine and Christian from Moulin Rouge

Are you keen to embrace the glitz, lace and fishnet tights this Halloween? Then Satine and Christian from musical and hollywood film Moulin Rouge is the power couple to channel.

GET THE LOOK

View Western Brothel Babe Costume - £48.49 | Smiffys

38. Bananas in Pyjamas

Arguably one of the cosiest Halloween couples' costume for 2022. This Banana in Pyjamas set is a really fun pick to try out together.

GET THE LOOK

View Bananas in Pyjamas Costume - £66.98 | Amazon

39. Austin Powers and Fembot from Austin Powers

Kendall Jenner and Fai Khadra went all out for Halloween 2018 in this hilarious Austin Powers and Fembot get-up. It'll certainly prove to be the grooviest get-up at the party.

GET THE LOOK

View Men's Groovy 60s Suit - £30.99 | Amazon

View Austin Powers Fembot Costume - £39.99 | Amazon

40. Mr and Mrs Smith

For a budget-friendly Halloween costume, pay homage to the 2005 action-comedy Mr & Mrs Smith. All you need is an oversized white shirt for Angie’s look, and a white t-shirt and pair of white boxer shorts for Brad. 

GET THE LOOK

View White Oversized Split Hem Shirt - £38 | River Island

41. Anchorman

US rapper Ludacris and model Eudoxie Bridges looked 'kind of a big deal' in their Anchorman inspired Halloween costumes for 2018. Fans of the hit comedy film will no doubt recognise these two as legendary anchors Ron Burgundy and Veronica Corningstone.

GET THE LOOK

View Smiffys Men's Anchorman Ron Burgundy Costume - £39.05 | Amazon

View Veronica Corningstone Fancy Dress Costume - £55.71 | Amazon

42. Egg and Bacon

The perfect Halloween costume for big foodie couples - particularly those who enjoy a hearty English breakfast. This set is silly, simple and surprising cheap. It comes complete with a bacon tunic, egg tunic and headband that is sure to turn heads.

GET THE LOOK

View Egg and Bacon Breakfast Couple Costume Set - £21.99 | Amazon

43. Simpsons

We couldn't not include the Simpsons in our best Halloween couple costumes round-up! Make like Max George and Dianne Buswell from Strictly 2020 and go as husband and wife duo Homer and Marge.

GET THE LOOK

View Marge Simpson Costume - £42.60 | Amazon

View Homer Simpson Costume - £106.06 | eBay

44. Shining Twins

Stephen King's The Shining is a classic Horror movie that is almost essential viewing in October. And we love how Die Hard star Bruce Willis and his assistant Stephen J. Eads were inspired to dress up as the two twins at a Halloween party in 2017.

GET THE LOOK

View The Shining Twin Costume - £44.99 | Fancydress.com

45. Elphaba and the Wizard from Wicked the Musical

Defy gravity with your Halloween costume for 2022. The Saturdays singer Frankie Bridge and her dance partner Kevin Clifton dazzled as the Green Witch and Wizard from the hit musical Wicked on Strictly way back in 2014.

GET THE LOOK

View Wicked Green West Witch Costume - £27.99 | Fancydress.com

46. Anthony and Cleopatra

Beloved celebrity couple Chrissy Teigen and John Legend gave a masterclass in Halloween couple costumes all the way back in 2010 as Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra. Think body armour for him and some daring Egyptian eye make-up for her.

GET THE LOOK

View Egyptian Goddess Costume - £57.99 | Halloweencostumes.co.uk

View Roman Gladiator Costume - £63.99 | Halloweencostumes.co.uk

47. Bowie and Mercury

Sarah Hyland and Wells Adam trumped Halloween 2019 with these iconic looks of legends gone by: Queen's Freddie Mercury and 'Ziggy Stardust' aka David Bowie.

GET THE LOOK

View Smiffys Space Superstar Costume - £29.98 | Amazon

View Queen Freddie Mercury Costume - £40.99 | Smiffys

48. Richie and Margot Tenenbaum

Only Wes Anderson fans will get Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr's Halloween looks in 2018. The A list couple threw on their best Richie and Margot clobber - complete with the fur coat and wacky face accessories - to mimic the two infamous Royal Tenenbaums characters.

GET THE LOOK

View Vintage Faux Fur Long Coat - £64.50 | Pretty Unik

49. Trolls

Pastel colours, whacky hair and fun face paint are the order of the day for this Trolls themed Halloween couple costume. PussyCat Dolls star Ashley Roberts and Strictly pro Pasha Kovalev transformed into these frightful two on Strictly in 2018.

GET THE LOOK

View Women's Troll Costume - £60.79 | Amazon

50. Toothbrush and toothpaste

Be the joke of the party in this hilarious toothbrush and toothpaste couple get-up available on Amazon. What you see is what you get here. And we reckon you'll win points for originality.

GET THE LOOK

View Toothbrush and Toothpaste Costume - £56.92 | Amazon

Got little ones to entertain this Halloween? Our experts have tried-and-tested the best Halloween games for kids of all ages. Plus, 31 October wouldn’t be the same without some sweet treats – try these Halloween rice krispie pumpkins that only take 20 minutes. 

Video of the Week

We’ve got plenty of impressive Halloween cupcakes to make at home. From spiders to monsters to ghosts, and even tombstone cupcakes.  

Transform a batch of cupcakes into gruesome masterpieces by following one of our easy Halloween cupcake recipes. Perfect for your ghoulish celebrations, be it a pre-trick-or-treating children's tea party or part of the school's Halloween disco Halloween party food spread.

The Halloween-themed cupcakes in this roundup are easy to make at home, with basic sponges and some clever seasonal hacks, including our pumpkin puree recipe mixed with a basic cake batter to make pumpkin cupcakes. Some decorations, like our vampire fangs, are easy and ideal for beginners made and shaped with fondant. In contrast, others take those cake-decorating skills to the next level. For example, our cauldron cupcakes, witch hats, and Frankenstein toppers, not to mention some brilliant Harry Potter-inspired designs.

“When decorating cakes for Halloween you can get toppers, accessories, and sprinkles in so many spooky colours, you no longer have to stick to orange. Try using a bit of purple and green in with the orange and black to brighten it up while still looking spooky,” says professional baker Naomi Boles from Boles Bakery. 

“Marshmallows are also a great way to decorate a cupcake for Halloween. Ice your cupcake as normal, warm up a marshmallow until it’s soft enough to stretch thinly, and then lay it gently over the icing. Once cool, it makes an awesome-looking web. Halloween is the one time of year you can use jam to decorate your cakes as much as you want too, as it looks great as fake blood.”

Halloween cupcake ideas

1. Worm cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 1 hr

Fudge worms minding their own business on top of some chocolate soil, anyone? This is a genius – and far easier than it looks – way to top a Halloween cupcake, using crushed Oreos atop a chocolate sponge. Topped with our wriggly friends, moulded into shape with your fair hands, they’ll be a definite talking point amongst the ghoulish guests at your Halloween bash. You’ll need to invest in some black cake cases to complete the effect.

Get the recipe: Worm cupcakes

2. Fang cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium |  Total time: 1 hr

Perfect on top of a cake piped with vanilla buttercream, these fangs are made (using a handy step-by-step guide) from pink fondant paste and mini marshmallows for teeth, plus a drizzle of raspberry jam to create a bloody scene. Of course if you really wanted to, you could totally cheat this one by buying some classic retro teeth and gum sweeties from the penny mix-up at your local corner shop.

“These are a great ‘make-ahead decoration’  as the fondant will dry to be solid and then it’s ready to use whenever you’re ready. Not only do these look fab on cupcakes, but you could change the size so they work on other Halloween treats,” says Naomi Boles.

Get the recipe: Fang cupcakes

3. Frankenstein cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Tricky |  Total time: 1 hr

These decidedly grumpy-looking (well you wouldn’t be thrilled if you were destined for a kid’s tummy, we suppose) Frankenstein toppers are a wonderful work of art. We can’t lie, they’re pretty time consuming to make, but aren’t they just so worth it? Once you get into the groove of cutting out the various bits of fondant to make his green face, eyes, teeth, hair and, of course, silver bolts, then it gets easier – we recommend making double quantities for your efforts, as they’re bound to go down a storm.

Get the recipe: Frankenstein cupcakes

4. Witch hat cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium |  Total time: 1 hr 30 mins

These fondant toppers in the style of a witch’s hat are super cute and effective. You’ll need to prep in advance with a good selection of food colourings – black, yellow, tangerine and violet, to be precise – and it’s recommended that you leave your fondant mixed with gum tragacanth (or the easier-to-find xanthan gum) overnight to make it easier to work with, before making the fondant shapes. Once you’ve fashioned your hats, you’ll need to leave them to dry for a couple of days before you add them to your cupcakes.  

Get the recipe: Witch hat cupcakes

5. Ghost cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium |  Total time: 1 hr

These little guys are sure to turn a few heads and they are also very fun to make. Made with white fondant and modelling paste, the ghouls are draped over the top of lollipops (Swizzels would be a good choice here, we feel), before you add black fondant eyes and smiles (these are friendly ghosts, guys) and pop them onto the top of your cupcakes. So very cute, and the kids get two for the price of one, with a cake and a lolly. 

Get the recipe: Ghost cupcakes

6. Vampire cat cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 1 hr 20 mins

They might be vampire cats but they’re pretty darned adorable, don’t you think? You’ll need some bright Halloween-orange buttercream (we recommend Sugarflair tangerine apricot food colour paste to achieve this) and then black fondant for the cats, with sugar diamonds (or easier-to-access  Jelly Tots) for eyes and little purple hearts for noses. 

Get the recipe: Vampire cat cupcakes

7. Cauldron cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium |  Total time: 1 hr 55 mins

The kids – and the adults – will be talking about these cupcakes until next Halloween, so clever and brilliant they are. Creating the effect of a bubbling cauldron, filled with eye balls and bats and bones, and all the delights you expect in a witch’s potion, doesn’t come easy, but the rewards are plenty.  You’ll be wanting to visit Hobbycraft or a specialised baking store for some of these ingredients – you’ll need lime green sugar balls for the bubbles, for example – and we’re sure the kids will oblige in finishing off the strawberry laces you’ll be needing for the serpent’s tongues… 

Get the recipe: Cauldron cupcakes

8. Halloween fairy cakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 1 hr 10 mins

Some of the cakes in this collection are a little complex for the amateur baker with some pretty complex fondant work required – so these simple fairy cakes are a godsend for those who are challenged on the cake decorating front. A brilliant one to do with kids, this recipe features ready-to-use icing and icing pens for you to draw spooky designs with - try spider’s webs and ghostly faces, and if they’re a little rough around the edges, that’s ok because the kids did them, right? (even if it was you, really, wink wink).

Get the recipe: Halloween fairy cakes

9. Vampire cupcakes

Makes/serves: 14 | Skill level: Medium |  Total time: 2 hrs

Have you ever seen such a warm and friendly face on a vampire? These red velvet cupcakes are topped with a layer of cream cheese buttercream, followed by some pretty nifty fondant work to fashion the vampire’s smiley features. What a guy! What a cupcake!

Get the recipe: Vampire cupcakes

10. Eyeball cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 1 hr

Fondant work can be enough to test even a Bake Off contestant, but making these bloodshot eyeballs is pretty simple, if you follow our picture-led instructions – and it’s pretty fun too. You’ll be needing red and white fondant, as well as blue and black for the pupils. Pop your eyeballs (not literally!) on top of your piped buttercream and trickle over some jam for the requisite blood effect.  A gory delight.

Get the recipe: Eyeball cupcakes

11. Halloween muffins

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 1 hr

A simple one for the less adept bakers amongst us, these muffins are flavoured like a carrot cake with, well, carrots obviously, as well as cinnamon and walnuts. Piped with an orange buttercream, you can then just mix and match with whatever toppings you fancy, from spooky jelly sweets to sprinkles in Halloween hues.

“These muffins offer a great orange alternative to pumpkin at Halloween – perfect if you want something a bit different than the usual on the dessert table. To get really vibrant colours for your icing, use a colouring paste or gel rather than colouring liquid and let the kids go wild with gummy sweets and chocolate eyeballs to decorate,” says Naomi Boles.

Get the recipe: Halloween muffins

12. 'Brain' cupcakes

Makes/serves: 18 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 40 mins

The, um, brainchild of kids cooking guru Annabel Karmel, these cupcakes topped with grey matter, are far more delicious than they sound, and super easy to make. Just add a little red and black food colouring to your frosting to give it a pinky-grey tinge, and then use a cocktail stick and some red food colouring to draw on veins. A fun one for the kids, and pleasingly messy to eat, too.

Get the recipe: 'Brain' cupcakes

13. Pumpkin and maple cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 38 mins

These cupcakes aren't just topped with a pumpkin face, there's pumpkin puree inside them too, as well as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. In fact, could they be any more autumnal? You’ll need to make a big batch of cream cheese frosting, split it into separate bowls and dyed  orange, green and black, before piping on the pumpkin faces. It’s an ideal one to do with kids, as they don’t need to be all uniform and perfect – rustic is the word we would use here.

Get the recipe: Pumpkin cupcakes

14. Lily Vanilli's undead gingerbread cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium |  Total time: 55 mins

Create your own graveyard with these spooky tombstone cupcakes with a tasty gingerbread twist. These are brilliantly effective and, while there are a lot of elements involved, the end result is pretty rustic, so you don’t have to be a piping perfectionist to have a go. The choc cupcakes are made with a recipe featuring sour cream and espresso coffee, and you make your own gingerbread with treacle, lemon zest and a variety of spices (of course, you could cheat and buy some, but it may not be easy to cut to the shape of tombstones…).  

“Not only do they look awesome, but the gingerbread gives an extra autumnal taste,” says Naomi Boles. “You don’t have to complete everything in one day with these cupcakes, you can back and store your gingerbread gravestones in an airtight container for up to 7 days.”

Get the recipe:  Lily Vanilli’s undead gingerbread cupcakes

15. Green monster cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium |  Total time: 1 hr 20 mins

Some nifty icing work needed here to create these striking monster cakes, with their, let’s say, gently spooky faces, perfect for younger children. Classic cupcakes are topped with a creamy white chocolate ganache that you then stick your brightly coloured toppers to. Monstrously marvellous.

Get the recipe: Green monster cupcakes

16. Annabel Karmel's Halloween spiders

Makes/serves: 18 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 40 mins

Very easy and very effective, kids will be in a frenzy over these spooky spiders, and they definitely won’t be hanging around for long – unlike those pesky real-life arachnids we’re accustomed to in our homes around this time of year. Simple chocolate cupcakes are topped with Tunnocks tea cakes for the body (this is one chunky spider), liquorice laces for legs, and liquorice allsorts topped with M&Ms for its eyes. 

Get the recipe: Annabel Karmel's Halloween spiders

17. Halloween treat tub cupcakes

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Medium |  Total time: 1 hr 30 mins

These clever cake toppers in the style of your trick or treat bucket are so wonderful, they’re good enough to serve solo, never mind stuck on the top of a cupcake. Made from Rice Krispie marshmallow bars wrapped in orange fondant, with carved pumpkin faces, they even have fondant handles and can be topped with multi-coloured sweets, such as Smarties or jellybeans.  Adorable. Which is not a description we use in connection with Halloween all that often.

Get the recipe: Halloween treat tub cupcakes

18. Pumpkin cupcakes with maple icing

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 50 mins

For life, not just for Halloween, these cupcakes work well all over the Autumn season. The addition of pumpkin to the cake mix makes for a really moist sponge, and the topping is a lovely twist on the usual cream cheese frosting. Made with mascarpone and maple syrup, the flavour is elevated to something quite special. Top with orange sprinkles if you want to appeal to young kids, or don’t if you want them all to yourself! These easy cupcakes would be just the ticket for a bonfire night celebration, too, or an October or November birthday bash. 

Get the recipe: Pumpkin cupcakes with maple icing

19. Chocolate beetroot cupcakes

Makes: 10 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 1 hr

An excellent base cupcake for your Halloween decorating, given the dark and rather 'blood' coloured sponge. No need for artificial colourings here, thanks to the natural dyeing qualities of a beetroot – and it's a genius way to get sneaky veggies into your kid's stomachs just when they're least expecting it (and they'll surely be needing them after a bucketful of trick or treat sweets). 

Simply add a ghostly face to your frosting, or drizzle with raspberry jam or strawberry sauce for a fake blood effect. Or how about adding red or black colour gel to your frosting, and sprinkling with edible glitter or topping with fondant witch hats or ghosts?

Get the recipe: Chocolate beetroot cupcakes

20. Harry Potter cupcakes

Makes: 12 | Skill level: Medium |  Total time: 1 hr 50 mins

Aren't these cake toppers a truly wonderful bit of wizardry? Perfect for a Harry Potter fan's birthday but also ideal for Halloween, you'll need a bit of time and patience to master the intricate toppings, but these instructions take you through how to make the cake toppers in helpful detail, using coloured ready-to-roll icing.  Just glorious.

Get the recipe: Harry Potter cupcakes

21. Red velvet cupcakes

Makes/serves: 16 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 35 mins

Red velvet is always a great choice for a Halloween bake, thanks to its rich and blood-like colour. This recipe can easily be adapted to look spooky (while also a little bit classy) – add some red food colouring to the cream cheese frosting and stick in some scary cake toppers, like devil's horns, bats, witches, or spider's webs. 

Or add a piece of blue fondant and some red icing lines on top of your frosting to resemble bloodshot eyeballs (less classy, but more fun). 

Get the recipe: Red velvet cupcakes

22. Halloween traybake

Serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 55 mins

Ok so this is a tray bake, rather than a batch of cupcakes, but the topping would work brilliantly on individual cakes as well. Jelly snakes work particularly well, as do any other spooky versions of sweets – what with the supermarkets being full of them in the run-up to trick or treat day (Haribo do sour skeletons and monsters, for example). Before adding the toppings, cover the cupcakes in a topping of sticky marshmallow fluff. One for the (very) sweet-toothed among us, that's for sure.

Get the recipe: Halloween traybake

23. Halloween Rice Krispie pumpkins

Makes/serves: 12 | Skill level: Easy |  Total time: 1 hr

A pleasingly easy vamp up of a classic Krispie cake gives it a Halloween twist, thanks to the simple addition of some orange food colouring and fondant decorations. Add Mikado biscuits, pretzels, or even orange Matchmakers as the chocolate stalks and cut-out leaves from green fondant. Pop one of these Rice Krispie pumpkins on top of the cupcake of your choice and serve. It's two treats in one!

Get the recipe: Halloween Rice Krispie pumpkins

24. Halloween cake pops

Makes/serves: 20 | Skill level: Medium |  Total time: 1 hr 30 min

Leftover cupcakes or cake can be transformed into cake pops instead - which can then be pushed into the top of your batch of iced cupcakes. They take a bit of time to put together, but they're sure worth it – imagine the look on your trick-or-treater's faces when they were expecting a lollipop and they're presenting with these spectacular cake pops. 

This recipe takes you through every detail, including troubleshooting any issues, etc. The cake is shaped into balls and covered in candy melts (available at Hobbycraft) to make pumpkins, skeletons, and mummies. And the result is scarily good.

Get the recipe: Halloween cake pops

If you're looking for more Halloween fun, find out why we celebrate Halloween in the UK, as well as more inspiration, and spooktacular Halloween recipes to try at home - including pumpkin soup, witches fingers, treacle toffee, and more. We've also got plenty of Halloween party ideas for those of you throwing a party this year.

Classic Halloween movies are an absolute must for spooky season, whether you watch bravely from the sofa or peek out from behind a cushion.

The reasons why we celebrate Halloween aren't known to everyone, but what we do know is that we love scaring ourselves silly with slasher films and psychological horrors. And while so many new award-winning blockbusters have hit our screens in recent years, like Nope and Midsommar, there’s something about watching a real old-school, iconic movie that makes for the best Halloween tradition. 

Curled up on the sofa with some themed Halloween food, we can’t imagine a better way to spend an evening, so here’s our list of the best classic Halloween movies with ratings - so you know whether they’re family-friendly or adults-only.

Best Halloween movies for kids

1. Hocus Pocus (1993)

Where to watch: Disney+, Amazon, Virgin TV Go | Suitable for: Ages 8+ 

With Hocus Pocus 2 landing on Disney+ this autumn, it's only right that you refresh you memory of Sanderson sisters by watching the original film. A great option for younger viewers, this Halloween movie stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, and has gone down in history for its witty humour, classic Halloween fantasy, and unbeatable campy style. 

Three hundred years after the Salem witch trials, a curious teenager moves to the area with his family. Unable to fit in with his peers and looking for something to do, he unknowingly awakens a trio of fiendish witches executed for their crimes. 

Critics have slammed the film over the years with Entertainment Weekly’s film reviewer Ty Burr calling it an “acceptable scary-silly kid fodder that adults will find only mildly insulting”. Rotten Tomatoes has given it an overall rating of just 39% but there’s no denying the lasting impact Hocus Pocus has had on the Halloween movie genre. 

2. Ghostbusters (1984)

Where to watch: Amazon, Virgin TV Go, Apple TV | Suitable for: Ages 8+

Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! After losing their academic standings at a prestigious university in the States, a team of parapsychologists goes into business together as 'Ghostbusters', tackling paranormal happenings around New York City.

This film was so popular and now has such an iconic status in the Halloween movie genre that it was re-made and re-vamped in 2016 - with an all-female cast. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones, we recommend opting for this version if you’re up for some modern jokes and a dose of girl power. 

The original 1984 film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis, and when this classic Halloween movie came out, it received a host of solid reviews. The Chicago Sun-Times’ Roger Ebert gave it a solid three-and-a-half stars, calling it a “rare” example of a film where big special effects didn’t ruin the plot. 

3. The Addams Family (1991)

Where to watch: Amazon, Virgin TV Go, Apple TV | Suitable for: Ages 8+   

If you want the Halloween vibe without the gore and jump scares, The Addams Family is the classic to go for. Starring Angelica Huston as the iconic Morticia Addams, it’s a film with traditional Halloween style that wouldn’t look out of place at a costume party - in the best way. 

But there’s a plot to go along with it too. Con artists and their accomplice plan to fleece an eccentric family by claiming to be their long-lost uncle - with a hilariously macabre outcome.

While it didn’t win any Oscars, critic Angie Errigo at Empire Magazine said it’s “deliciously sick and delightfully cast”. And there’s also enough innuendos to keep adults giggling away and enough Halloween boxes ticked for kids to feel like they’ve had the true spooky experience. 

4. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Where to watch: Disney+, Virgin TV Go, Apple TV | Suitable for: Ages 8+

It’s a Tim Burton classic! Great for Halloween (and surprisingly, also for Christmas). Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king of Halloween Town discovers Christmas Town, but doesn’t quite understand the concept. 

Bored of doing the same thing every year for Halloween, Jack is so mesmerized by Christmas goings-on that he persuades his resident ghouls, bats, and goblins to throw a Christmas party of their own. But surprise, surprise, it doesn’t quite go to plan. 

Renowned critic Rober Ebert called it “a feast for the eyes and the imagination”. He also noted, “the movie is rated PG, maybe because some of the Halloween creatures might be a tad scary for smaller children, but this is the kind of movie older kids will eat up; it has the kind of offbeat, subversive energy that tells them wonderful things are likely to happen.” And for adults who are “not particularly scared by the abduction of Santa”, it’s a winner. 

5. Goosebumps (2015)

Where to watch: NOW, Sky Go, Virgin TV Go | Suitable for: Ages 8+

This flick is based on R.L. Stine’s children’s books of the same name. The movie follows a young boy and his haphazard comrades as they fight deadly creatures that have escaped some spooky books. 

It’s a real nail-biter of a film, perfect for Halloween. 

If you’ve binged your way through Tim Burton’s collection of films, this is one of the classic Halloween movies to go for next. As Jordan Hoffman of The Guardian says, “There’s a streak of old-fashioned B-movie spooky playfulness here.”

6. The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Where to watch: Amazon, Apple TV | Suitable for: Ages 8+ 

If you’re going vintage this Halloween, check out The Creature from the Black Lagoon - one of the oldest films on our list. Shot in black and white, it's one of the earliest 3D films made in Hollywood.  

This film is about a prehistoric creature that lurks in the Amazonian jungle. To try and bring it back to civilization for studies, scientists attempt to capture the beast - with a few casualties along the way. Inventively named Gill-man, this beast is part-fish and part-human and wriggles free with the help of its unique features. 

It was critically acclaimed on release in the 1950s, with revered film critic Leonard Matlin saying; “The archetypal ‘50s monster movie has been copied so often that some of the edge is gone, but...is still entertaining, with juicy atmosphere and luminous underwater photography sequences.” 

7. Coraline (2009)

Where to watch: NOW, Virgin TV Go, Sky Go | Suitable for: Ages 8+  

Don’t let the lighthearted animation of this film fool you. It’s definitely not one for anyone easily creeped out. 

This sinister film is about a young girl called Coraline who finds her way to a parallel universe where an alternative version of her family tries to tempt her away with big promises. Naturally, the reality of the situation turns out to be a lot more dangerous than expected. 

A great one for kids at that in-between stage, where they’re ready for more of a scare but not quite ready to dive deep into the Saw films. 

8. Spirited Away (2002)

Where to watch: Netflix | Suitable for: Ages 8+

As the only anime film on our list, we have to give this one all the credit it deserves. You might not initially think it’s a good Halloween film, but it’s destined to become a classic in the years to come. 

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, this film is about a girl who travels into a world of witches, spirits, and other ghouls to try and save her parents. 

All animated in the traditional anime style, it’s in the British Film Institute’s Top 50 films for children up to the age of 14. And in 2016, it was voted the 4th-best film of the 21st century by the BBC. 

9. Scooby Doo (2002)

Where to watch: Amazon, NOW, Sky Go | Suitable for: Ages 8+ 

This is a live-action version of everyone’s favourite cartoon! And it stars some of Hollywood’s favourite faces, including Linda Cardellini, Isla Fisher, Rowan Atkinson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Freddie Prinze. Jr.

Scooby and the gang visit a young people’s holiday island in this film, looking for a chance to sit back and relax from their normal villain-busting antics. But the gang finds that some of their new friends aren’t quite who they claim to be... So in true Mystery Machine style, they set out to unmask the bad guys. 

This is an incredible noughties spin on a programme that’s seen nearly five decades worth of kids through their childhoods - so it’s set to be a winner for everyone on the sofa.

10. The Corpse Bride (2005)

Where to watch: Amazon, Apple TV, Virgin TV Go | Suitable for: Ages 8+ 

Another spooky tale to add to your must-watch list of classic Halloween movies from the mind of Tim Burton.

In this one, Victor goes out to practice his wedding vows in the woods. But a deceased woman lies beneath him as he does so. And just as he gets them right, she rises - assuming he’s marrying her! The unsuspecting Victor finds himself with a corpse bride and a bride-to-be. 

But despite the macabre setting, this dark cartoon is actually a comedy - and a heart-warming one at that. The combination of classic Burton animation and storytelling has firmly put this one in the line-up for must-watch Halloween films. 

Best Halloween movies for adults

11.Halloween (1978)

 Where to watch: Netflix, Amazon, Virgin TV Go | Suitable for: Ages 18+  

Let’s start with an old school hit; the very first Halloween film, starring Nick Castle in the role of the terrifying Mike Myers and featuring Jamie Lee Curtis’ very first big-screen performance as Laurie Strode. 

The film tells the story of Mike Myers, who was committed to a sanitarium in 1963 for murdering his teenage sister on Halloween - at just six years old. 15 years later, he escapes and returns to his hometown. While a psychiatrist attempts to track him down, Mike stalks another female babysitter and her friends - but who will run into him first? 

It’s a must-watch for anyone who wants a classic slasher film to kick start their Halloween festivities. When it was released in the 70s, reviewers slammed the film - but high-profile film critic for The New Yorker, Pauline Kael, admitted that “it satisfies part of the audience in a more basic, childish way than sophisticated horror pictures do.” And in 2006, this film was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Now, that’s what you call a real classic. 

12. Gremlins (1984)

Where to watch: NOW, Sky Go, Virgin TV Go | Suitable for: Ages 15+  

Complete with all the hilarity of early CGI, Gremlins is one of director Christopher Colombus’ early films and is truly one of the most iconic classic Halloween movies out there. 

The plot involves a young man who accidentally breaks three very important rules concerning his new reptile-like pet (1. Don’t feed the gremlins after midnight) and inadvertently releases a world of mischief on his small town.

Pulitzer prize-winning critic Roger Ebert was one of the many who praised the film when it came out in the 80s. He said not only was it a “fun” watch but had a “sly series of send-ups” that would have viewers hanging onto the final credits. It also won three prestigious awards at the time (Goldene Leinwand, Saturn Award, and a Young Artist Award), firmly putting it into the canon of classic Halloween films.

13. Scream (1996)

Where to watch: Netflix, NOW, Sky Go | Suitable for: Ages 18+  

How could we not mention Scream? If you’ve never been creeped out by one of those long white masks, then you’ve never truly experienced Halloween. In the film, a killer targets and terrorizes a teenage girl - one year after the murder of her mother - and her friends with references to other classic horror films in a deadly game. 

This classic Halloween film definitely isn’t one for the faint-hearted but it’s a real scream (pardon the pun) and an essential on the viewing list for horror fans. 

“I liked the in-jokes and the self-aware characters,” critic Rober Ebert said of Scream back in the 1990s. “At the same time, I was aware of the incredible level of gore in this film. It is *really* violent.” 

Don’t say you haven’t been warned.

14. Beetlejuice (1998)

Where to watch: Amazon, Virgin TV Go, Apple TV | Suitable for: Ages 15+   

Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Schitt’s Creek star Catherine O’Hara star in this colourful Halloween flick. 

Another great one if you want to get caught up in the tradition of Halloween without the blood and guts. In this film, the spirits of a deceased couple are hounded by an annoying family that has moved into their old home. So, they hire a malicious spirit to try and drive them out. 

Pauline Kael, a hard-won critic for The New Yorker, praised the film when it came out in the late 1980s and called it a “comedy classic”. In 1989, it won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and the award for Best Visual Effects and Makeup at the 42nd British Academy Film Awards.

15. Sweeney Todd (2007)

Where to watch: Amazon, Hulu, Virgin TV Go | Suitable for: Ages 18+ 

Looking for a dose of theatrics with your spooky-themed evening? This adaption of Stephen Sondheim’s musical follows the life of a murderous barber and his downstairs neighbour, a meat-pie shop owner. 

Starring the iconic duo of Johnny Depp as the barber and Helena Bonham Carter as the shop owner, we reckon you won’t be able to get the musical numbers out of your head until at least Christmas time. 

In 2008, Peter Bradshaw at The Guardian said the film was “lively” with a “tremendous fantasy sequence, brilliantly lit with hyperreal sunshine”. And while the film has a high age rating, he said it was an “entertaining, unscary digital ride through the London Dungeon, accompanied by classy music”.

16. Paranormal Activity (2009)

Where to watch: Amazon, NOW, Sky Go | Suitable for: Ages 15+ 

Paranormal Activity hasn’t been out for as long as some of these other classic Halloween movies, but it’s certainly made a splash in the genre. 

For all those who love jump scare, being generally completely freaked out and afraid to shut their eyes at night, this is the film to go for to celebrate Halloween. It’s a mockumentary - or mocku-nightmare more like - based around the idea of video footage that’s been found. 

Film critic for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw, called it an “ingenious and often genuinely frightening film” - one that’s a refresher after years of predictable horror films. 

17. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Where to watch: Amazon, Disney+, Virgin TV Go | Suitable for: Ages 15+ 

There are no slashers, ghosts, or things that go bump in the night in this iconic movie. While it’s rated a 15, there’s not much in this film that a 12-year-old would be shocked by - apart from some super chiseled ab muscles, perhaps. 

The story centres on a young, engaged couple who find themselves stranded and looking for help after their car breaks down. Seeking a telephone for help, they stumble across a lavish country home occupied by strange people in elaborate costumes celebrating an annual convention. Dr. Frank N.Furter is the mad scientist and head of the house, who they find is creating a real-life man - called Rocky. 

Packed full of unforgettable dance numbers, catchy tunes, and incredible camp costumes, this is a classic Halloween film for those who want fantasy - something bright and happy with a sprinkle of devilishness. 

18. The Shining (1980)

Where to watch: Amazon, Virgin TV Go, Apple TV | Suitable for: Ages 15+ 

It wouldn’t be Halloween without “Here comes Johnny!” The Shining is one of the most recognised Halloween movies of all time, starring Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, the writer-turned-hotel-caretaker, eventual madman, and father of Danny Torrance, who possesses “the shining” abilities that allow him to see the hotel’s deadly past. As a winter snowstorm leaves Jack, his son, and wife trapped in the hotel, the supernatural forces inside put Jack’s sanity in danger. 

Anyone looking to watch The Shining probably knows that some time has passed since its creation. So while critics at the time tore the movie to shreds, those looking back at it retrospectively have an entirely different view. “The movie is not about ghosts but about madness and the energies it sets loose in an isolated situation primed to magnify them,” wrote Robert Ebert. 

Without a doubt, it’s one of the real classic Halloween movies. A must-watch for anyone looking to kick the season off with a psychological thriller and slasher film rolled into one. 

19. Carrie (1976)

Where to watch: Amazon, Virgin TV Go, Apple TV | Suitable for: Ages 16+  

Pigs’ blood, curses, and crucifixion - what more could you want from classic Halloween movies? 

Carrie White is a shy teenage girl without friends, protected by a domineering mother. Humiliated at school by her peers and bullied relentlessly. But there’s one thing people don’t know about Carrie - she’s got telekinetic powers and isn’t afraid to use them. 

The New Yorker’s Pauline Kael described the film as a “perverse mixture of comedy and horror and tension”, while Empire’s Andrew Collins called it a film full of “morbid, vicarious, popcorn-munching fun”.

20. Rosemary's Baby (1968)

 Where to watch: Amazon, Virgin TV Go, Apple TV | Suitable for: Ages 18+  

Don’t want your horror all at once? Mia Farrow plays young Rosemary in this slow-burn, chilling picture. 

It follows a young couple in New York who are trying for a baby. Once pregnant, Rosemary begins to suspect that her elderly neighbours are members of a Satanic cult - and the threat is coming closer to home. 

Based on Ira Levin’s famous 1967 book of the same name, it’s a film full of suspense that will leave you hanging onto the edge of your seat. 

21. The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

 Where to watch: Amazon, Virgin TV Go, Apple TV | Suitable for: Ages 15+  

A dark, creaky cabin in the woods and five teenagers all alone. What could possibly go wrong? 

The film, which is a revitalisation of the slasher movie genre, follows a group of students who go away to a remote cabin in the forest for a holiday. Here, they fall victim to zombies while technicians control their lives from an underground facility. 

Certainly not one of the classic Halloween movies to watch home alone or if you’re scared of things that go bump in the night - but a classic, nonetheless. 

22. Friday the 13th (1980)

Where to watch: Amazon, Apple TV, Virgin TV Go | Suitable for: Ages 18+ 

There’s a reason why Friday the 13th is supposed to be the unluckiest day of the year - and most of those reasons come from this film.  

The plot of this movie revolves around a group of camp counsellors who are stalked and one-by-one murdered by an unknown assailant as they try to reopen a summer camp that was shut down years before after a drowning and grisly double murder. 

There are three chapters to this film franchise. So if you haven’t bailed by the end of the first one, you can keep going with Friday the 13th II and Friday the 13th - The Final Chapter.

23. Saw (2004)

Where to watch: Amazon, Apple TV Virgin TV Go | Suitable for: Ages 18+ 

Slasher movie fans assemble. If you love gore turned up to the max on fright night, then chances are you’ve already seen this classic Halloween movie. 

Two men wake up in dimly lit surroundings and soon realise they are the human toys of “Jigsaw”, a sadistic and crazed puppeteer killer who forces his victims to commit horrific acts of violence. Each man has until 6pm to kill the other one or face a terrifying death of their own. 

Haven’t seen this blood bath of a film? Be prepared for torture, mystery, and phobias to the extreme.

24. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Where to watch: Amazon, Apple TV, Virgin TV Go | Suitable for: Ages 18+   

It doesn’t get more Halloween-y than Dracula. While there are versions of this film that seem to come out every other year, this is the only one worth watching if you’ve got a real taste for horror. 

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola - the man behind The Godfather - this 1992 adaptation of Dracula stars Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, and Keanu Reeves. But while there are no horse's heads in the bed this time around, there are plenty of other hellish findings. 

The film follows centuries-old Count Dracula, a vampire who travels to England to seduce his barrister Johnathan Harker’s fiancée Mina Murray and cause spooky mayhem across the country.

25. The Purge (2013)

Where to watch: Amazon, NOW, Apple TV | Suitable for: Ages 15+ 

Technically, a film should have at least a decade to gain a fanbase big enough to be considered a ‘classic’. Still, we’re only one year out of that time frame with The Purge franchise. This film - and the four that come after it - are seriously scary. They’re sure to become horror classics in their own right soon enough. 

The film begins in modern America - a utopia version that’s normal and crime-free. However, it’s only this way because every year there’s a national holiday known as The Purge. That's when all crime, including murder, becomes legal for a 12-hour period. 

It’s definitely one of the classic Halloween movies to queue if you’re up for a horror film marathon this Halloween. Available to watch on both Amazon Prime and Netflix.

Video of the Week

Halloween games can provide all the spooky fun whether you're hosting a ghoulish get-together or seeking spine-chilling activities for a haunting family night. 

These simple and affordable Halloween games are sure to entertain kids of all ages, from classic apple bobbing to mummy wrapping races, zombie-themed wink murder, and more creepy competitions, we've rounded up 30 bone-rattling games that will really get your Halloween festivities going.

"I always find pressure to get games right when it comes to parties. Now I'm four kids in I've got the right formula, for a two hour party, you're looking at two games tops. And one has to burn some energy right off." Says mum, Jaq.

We've also included some slightly spooky options for little ones who don't like things too scary. Just add some Halloween decorations and creepy-crawly party snacks, and you'll have everything you need for a wickedly wonderful time that's fun too!

Halloween games

Despite Halloween getting bigger and more expensive every year, you don't have to spend lots of money to enjoy the scary season. We've got some of the most affordable Halloween costumes for kids and loads of ideas on getting the kids involved with our Halloween crafty activities. 

Halloween games for 1-9 year olds

1. Halloween Ring Toss

Suitable for: 12 months and up

This one's sure to get them screaming with laughter. Simply inflate these 10 wicked witch hats and spread them out in a large space. Each player takes turns throwing the hoops over the hats, trying to achieve the most points. And of course, the player with the highest points is the winner. A portable air pump is included and the witch hats are equipped with a safety air nozzle, plus they're easy to inflate and deflate.

Mum-of-three Anna says her boys loved the competitive edge to this; "The kids really enjoyed beating each other at this, it kept them entertained for a while. And once the game was finished I popped onto window sills as decorations."

Halloween ring toss game, £18.99 | Amazon

2. Apple Bobbing

Apple bobbing is a classic Halloween game that has been around for centuries. It's fun for kids and adults alike. The excitement of trying to grab an apple with just your teeth is thrilling, and all you need is a basin or water and some apples!

Mum of two Suz says, "There's something so silly about dunking your face in water to catch the apples and you never know if you'll get a good grip on an apple or come up empty-handed, or empty-mouthed, I should say! We love playing it every year, and it's one of those games that the kids enjoy no matter how old they are."

3. Pumpkin golf

Suitable for: 3 and up

Make the most of pumpkin season with this simple pitch and putt pumpkin golf game. A bit of DIY is in order with this activity: carve your pumpkins, making sure to leave an extra wide hole for the mouth. Then dot your stylised squashes around your back garden, equip the kids with a club and ball and let them tackle the course individually or as a team.

"This isn't for fair weather carvers, like me," mum-of-three, Jules tells us. "My wife had to bring out the big guns for this,  but it was totally worth it in the end. We managed to set up a great game with four pumpkins and used the kids toys as obstacles too."  

You can pick up plastic golf club sets that are colourful and kid-sized from Amazon these days for less than a tenner.

Kids golf clubs, £8.95 | Amazon

4. Ghost Races

Suitable for: 3 to 8 year olds

Give the good old-fashioned sack race a fun Halloween twist! Use old pillowcases (if you have them) for an added extra fun twist let the youngsters customise their 'sack' by drawing on a creepy ghost face with some fabric pens. Next, set up a start and finish line for the race. Then count them down before seeing who can hop to victory first. Dad Lee tells us; "This was the most fun when we tried it - mostly because we got the adults involved and they were far too big which led to chaos. 10/10 recommend."

Fabric pens, £5.90 | Amazon

5. Mummy Wrap

Suitable for: all ages

Get the kids into teams of 3 or 4. In each team, choose one child (or adult!) to be The Mummy. The rest of the team use a roll of toilet paper to wrap them up as a Mummy. The winner can either be the group that finishes first or the group that does the best job of wrapping up their Mummy.

Dad Gemy says, "I'm always the unwilling victim when it comes to Mummy Wrap; I think the kids love the idea of making Daddy into a Mummy! Either way, there's a lot of soggy toilet paper at the end of the game, but I don't mind - it's a great laugh, and it keeps the kids occupied for a bit and away from the sweet tin!"

6. Pumpkin Patch Stomp

Suitable for: 5 and over

"Pumpkin Patch Stomp is one of the best Halloween games for kids," mum-of-four Sarah tells us. "It burned off so much energy. I used orange balloons and Sharpie black pens to make lots of different faces on them."

Then arrange them outside, start a timer and see how many 'pumpkins' they can pop before the time is up. The winner here is the one with the most burst balloons. Or, for an inspired take, go for these perfectly punchable Pumpkin Punching Balloons and see who can punch them the hardest! Adults and kids alike will love this Halloween game.

Pumpkin Punching Balloons, £5.95 | Baker Ross

7. Marshmallow Game

Suitable for: 6 and over

Whilst this game does come with a sweet-tooth warning, it's one that will have everyone crying with laughter by the end. Pick up a couple of bags of marshmallows on your weekly shop. Line the kids up and go along giving them a marshmallow one by one, asking them to keep it in their mouth and say the phrase 'I'm the Wicked Witch of the West'. Repeat this as the marshmallows continue to build in their mouth, until they can no longer coherently say the line. 

We guarantee they'll be a few new funny sentences you'll not have heard of before. "We did this as part of a school fund raising activity and the kids went wild for it - so much fun! mum-of-one, Eliza tells us.

9. Give the Witch a Wart

Suitable for: 5-8 year olds

Just like the old classic Pin the Tail on the Donkey, but with a Halloween twist! Get the kids to take turns pinning the wart (or some green Plasticine) on the witch's nose. Blindfold them, spin them around three times and then set them off. The other kids can help by shouting 'hot' or 'cold' depending on how near they are to the witch's face. Once they've stuck the wart on, take it off but make a note of the child's initials where it was stuck. The winner is the child who gets the wart closest to the end of the nose.

Gran Jackie says, "What a great game! Everything you need is in the pack. There's a mask, elastic, the wart stickers, the game sheet and a certificate for the winner. I took it down for my grandchildren to play, and we loved it! You can play it quite a few times, especially as the stickers can be peeled off and reused. I just put everyone's initials on them. Definitely worth the money!"

Tip: Create your own DIY version - simply draw and cut out a picture of a witch and stick it on the wall before the party.

Give the Witch a Wart game, £35.99 | Amazon

10. Spider Splat

Suitable for: 5 and up

A kid-friendly dartboard with a Halloween twist! This set includes a spider web poster to pin on a wall with different pointed targets. Have your little ones take turns throwing (and aiming) the sticky spiders at the wicked web, totting up their points. The player with the highest points wins.

Reviewer Victoria tells us, "We stuck this to a door with tape and everyone in our family joined in the competition and had a great time. Even guests knocking the door for trick or treat would come in and have a go!"

Spider Splat party game, £6.99 | Amazon

11. Eyeball Pong

Suitable for: 5 and over

This is one of the most challenging Halloween games for kids, as they use their hand eye co-ordination skills to throw and land the eyeball into the plastic cup. 

Separate them into teams first, and the winning group is the one who manages to land all the eyeballs into their opponents' cups. Dad, Mark tells us; "The kids love this one, and so did the adults - so quick and easy to set up and gave hours of fun."

Halloween eyeballs, £6.59 | Amazon

12. Lights off Hide and Seek

Suitable for: 5-8 year olds

We don't need to explain the rules for this one! Add a Halloween theme to traditional hide and seek by getting the kids to wear costumes. If you're feeling brave you could let them play inside with the curtains drawn and the lights off and give the seeker a torch... "My kids loved this game," mum-of-two, Sam tells us. "Though, be warned, set those boundaries early such as downstairs only, and move anything breakable as things can get excitable."

Straight out of one of the famous Halloween movies, it's sure to give to up the fright factor so it's especially fun for older kids.

Halloween torch, £5.75 | Amazon

13. Spooky Pinata

Suitable for: 5 and over

Hang a spooky-themed piñata stuffed with scary sweets and let the children take it in turns to bash it until all the goodies fall out for a sweet treat.

Pumpkin pinata, £13 | Amazon

14. Jelly Fingers

Suitable for: 4 and over

Make up a big bowl of jelly and hide little Halloween toys and wrapped sweeties in it. Have the kids stick their hands in the gungy 'water' and guess what it is they can feel, before pulling it out to see if they're right.

"We did this at the school Halloween party," mum-of-two, Amy tells us. "We made up a huge bowl, and the kids had to pay 10p a go. We added a 10-second timer and a blindfold to see how many things they could find with their eyes closed."

15. Halloween Bowling

Suitable for: 3 and over

One of those fun Halloween games for kids that the whole family can get involved in. Make a note to hang onto empty cans or water bottles in the lead up to the party. Wash thoroughly before getting creative with the poster paints - turning them into funny and frightful looking monsters. After you've decorated the full set (5 minimum), grab a tennis ball and line them up on an even service, ready for these 'pins' to be knocked down.

Alternatively pick up a fun game of knocking over Halloween themed cans. 

Halloween bean bag toss game, £18 | Amazon

16. Halloween Post It Game

Suitable for: 5 and over

This one's not just for kids. Revamp the classic post-it 'guess who' game that's played around most Christmas tables. Stick a post it with a different Halloween character or symbol - witch's broom, Frankenstein or a pumpkin - drawn or written on their head. Have them ask the other players Yes or No based questions to help them discover their identity before the others do.

Mum Akersha says, "This game adds an extra layer of creativity to our Halloween parties, and you can adapt it for kids or adults. It just goes to show that a simple idea, like using Post-It notes, can make for a really fun game."

17. Sweetie Guessing Game

Suitable for: 5 and over

You've all played the 'guess-how-many-sweets-in-the-jar' game and with Halloween calling for sweets, this one's a great activity that ticks all the boxes. 

Have each child write down their number on a sheet and the kid closest to the correct answer gets to take the whole jar home with them. "My son won a whole jar of mixed sweets, as he came closest, at his friend's Halloween party, it was a great guessing game." mum-of-three, Anna tells us.

Plastic sweet jar, £10.99 | Amazon

18. Halloween Charades

Suitable for: 6 and over

This creative Halloween Charades set does the work for you - so you don't have to. Split the party up into teams, set a timer and have the kids mime a classic Halloween movie, character or other spooky topic to team members. The group that correctly guesses the most charades in the minute wins.

Halloween Charades, £4.99 | Amazon

19. Scary Face Painting

Suitable for: 3-9 year olds

Buy some cheap face paints, take a look at our spooky Halloween face paint ideas and follow the step-by-step tutorials to create creepy faces like this vampire face paint. "I saved a fortune doing the face painting at my daughter's Halloween party. As long as you have a list for them to choose from, you're sorted. As there's no way my 'talents' stretched as far as Batman." Mum-of-three, Dionne admitted to us.

Halloween Face Paint Kit, £7.59 | Amazon

20. Halloween I Spy

Suitable for: 3 and over

Works brilliantly if you have kitted your house out with Halloween decor. Task your child to spot Halloween themed objects around the house. Or similarly you could play this kid's game in the car, driving past the decorated houses for inspiration.

21. Duck, Duck...Ghost!

Suitable for: 3 and over

Play this spooky spin on an old classic in exactly the same way you would Duck, Duck, Goose. Have all the children sit in a circle as ducks. Have one child as the ghost and they go around the circle tapping each child's head saying, 'duck, duck, ghost.' When they say ghost the child who their hand lands on must get up and chase the ghost around the circle and back into their empty spot. If the ghost gets to the space first and sits down then the child without a place becomes the new ghost. Continue in this way until they're all tired out!

22. Halloween Scattergories

Suitable for: 6 and over

Fans of the original board game will be happy to know there's a Halloween version available, this gem from Etsy comes up with the categories for you. But if you'd rather save some pennies, draw up a list of your own before handing around to the kids to play. "My seven year old loved playing this, especially as sweets were the 'trophy'." Dad-of-one, Rob explains.

Halloween Scattergories, £3.05 | Etsy

Halloween games for 10-year-olds and over

23. What's in the bowl?

Suitable for: 5-10-year-olds

Prepare bowls filled with gross, slimy-feeling foods that could be mistaken for Halloween-themed nasties, such as peeled grapes as eyeballs or slimy spaghetti as brains. Each child has to put their hands in the bowls and guess what they're feeling.

Mum Jaq says, "We LOVE playing this creepy game - the kids squeal with fright and delight and we all find their reactions hilarious! Just be sure to add some really disgusting extras, like bug sweets and popcorn for witch warts!"

Give this Halloween game a twist by swapping a standard bowl for a spooky cauldron.

Cauldron, £10.79 | Amazon

24. Halloween Bingo

Suitable for: 5-10 year olds

Bingo - but a bit spookier! We love this pre-made Halloween-themed bingo set - which instead of numbers has characters like Frankenstein, a skeleton and a ghost to tick off. Appoint a host who picks a caller image randomly and reads out the Halloween-related item for the players to cross out on their bingo card. The host continues to read aloud caller images until a player has a full house - and shouts 'BOO' instead of Bingo!

Halloweem Bingo, £4.99 | £4.9

25. Skeleton Relay

Suitable for: 5-12 year olds

Draw out all the bones to make up two skeletons on a sturdy piece of card and lay all the bones in a pile on one side on the room, with a surface or card to place or pin them on at the end other end of the room. Split your little monsters up into two teams and on the whistle one by one they must run to assemble the skeleton tagging in the next person. The first team with a full skeleton wins - educational AND fun. Mum-of-three Anna tells us this was a 'game of two halves', "My 8-year old and his friends loved this 'lie size Operation game."

26. Creepy Crawly Treasure Hunt

Suitable for: 3-12 year olds

Buy some Halloween-themed small toys (like toy spiders, bats, mini toy pumpkins) and hide them around the garden or house. 

Separate the kids out into groups of 2 or 3 and give them a list of what they have to find. Once they've collected everything on their list, they can collect their prize.

Novelty creepy crawlies, £9.99 | Amazon

27. Spider Races

Suitable for: 3-12 year olds

Make some spiders out of pipe cleaners, or buy some plastic spiders, and have the kids blow them across the table using straws. Whoever crosses the finish line first wins.

Pipe cleaners, £3.95 |Baker Ross

28. Doughnut Game

Suitable for: 5-10 year olds

Tie string around a jam doughnut (that looks like it's filled with blood when you bite into it) and hang it from the ceiling so it's at the kids' head height. The kids have to eat the doughnuts with their hands tied behind their backs. 

"This game was hilarious fun," mum-of two, Jas, tells us. "We only had a small party with eight kids, so could line them all up in one go - they loved it."

29. Wink Murder Zombies

Suitable for: 6-10 year olds

One child is the detective and leaves the room, while the others sit in a circle and close their eyes. You select one child to be the zombie. The detective comes back in and the zombie starts winking - when a child is winked at, they become a zombie. Get them to wander around in a zombie-like state until the detective works out who the original zombie is and the game starts again. Get ready for some very over-the-top performances!

Mum Fran says, "This is a brilliant mash-up of Wink Murder and our sons' favourite topic - zombies. They love playing this game with their mates when they come round for our annual Halloween party."

If your little ghouls love nothing more than a fright-filled feast, explore our best Halloween trick-or-treat recipes, learn how to hold a spell-binding Halloween party and get witch-crafty with these top Halloween craft activities.

Family Halloween costumes are a great way to get creative this autumn with so many fun ideas to choose from. 

Sorting out kids' Halloween costumes is an autumn tradition but what happens when you've got a big Halloween party? Or you're all going out trick-or-treating or planning some Halloween games? Family Halloween costumes make the situation so much easier as you've only got to think of one set of characters and do one online shop for supplies. Plus, they're sure to be a winner on Instagram and make the family photo album.

Whether you're a fan of the Disney movies or prefer more of a classic spooky Halloween outfit from one of the famous Halloween movies for kids and adults, we've got you covered with our selection of the best family Halloween costumes. We’ve even got a guide to pregnant Halloween costumes too! 

Best family Halloween costumes 2022

1. The Incredibles 

First up on our list is the amazing crime-fighting family themselves! While the parents can dress up as Mr and Mrs Incredible, the kids can wear matching incredible suits and babies can dress up as Baby Jack in an adorable baby grow. 

Get the look: 

• View Mrs Incredibles Cosplay Elastigirl | £18.67 - OnBuy
• View Mr Incredible Costume | £55.99 - Smiffys
• View Incredibles Child's Costume | £21.99 - Amazon
• View Disney's Incredible Baby Sleepsuit and Hat Set | £10.15 - Amazon

2. Monsters Inc.

All eyes are on Mike Wazowski in this adorable family Halloween costume idea. While Sulley and Boo are a perfect Halloween couples costume, this extra addition of Mike is perfect if there's three of you in the family, as you can complete the trio from the films. While you'll probably need to buy the Sulley onesie, and baby Mike too, Boo's costume you can probably make from home with an oversized purple t-shirt, leggings and plimsoles. 

Get the look:

• View Adult Sulley Costume | £59.99 - fancydress.com
• View Disney Sleepsuit and Hat Mike Wazowski | £13.95 - Amazon
• View Purple Essential T-Shirt | £4.50 - Matalan
• View Womens Full Length Leggings | £7.95 - Amazon

3. The Addams Family

This is a real family Halloween costume staple! If your family is kooky like this one, there's surely not a better outfit to get for Halloween. It's an easy one to do no matter how many there are of you in the family as well, as long as Mum and Dad can get the garb for Morticia and Gomez Addams, you'll be instantly recognisable. Kids can dress up as Wednesday and Pugsley, while babies can fit into the mix with a baby grow tux.

And much like our other family Halloween costumes, you can get what you need from Amazon.

Get the look:

• View Women's Immortal Soul Costume | £22.00 - Amazon
• View Mens Pinstripe Gomez The Adams Family Costume | £27.95 - Amazon
• View Gothic School Girl Costume | £23.00 - Amazon
• View Baby Tuxedo Romper Sleepsuit | £9.75 - Amazon

4. Lilo and Stitch

This iconic Disney film makes for a great Halloween costume! It's ideal for a trio (with Dad as Stitch, of course) and the outfits are all quite easy to make with some hula grass and green felt.

Get the look:

• View Hawaiian Grass Hula Style Skirt | £9.99 - Amazon
• View Unisex Animal Onesie Adult Halloween Pyjamas | £24.99 - Amazon
• View Hula Lei Hawaiian Necklace Set | £3.30 - Amazon
• View Art + Craft Coloured Felt | £3.39 - Amazon

5. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Actor Neil Patrick Harris is famous for his yearly family Halloween costumes and we love the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory family costume he shared on Instagram. While Neil got the role of Grandpa Joe, his husband David took on Mr Wonka and their children were Veruca Salt and Charlie himself. You could also dress the kids up as Oompa Loompas or even a golden ticket from a different approach to this great costume.

Get the look:

• View Mens Willy Wonka Costume | £41.99 - Smiffys
• View Unisex Roald Dahl Winning Wonka Bar Costume | £14.55 - Amazon
• View Oompa Loompa Childs Costume | £20.99 - Amazon

6. Little Red Riding Hood

Turn this classic fairytale into your next family Halloween costume! Aside from the wolf onesie for the little one in the family and Red Riding Hood's cape, you'll likely have everything else you need to bring this story to life for spooky season. 

Get the look:

• View Kids Hooded Velvet Cloak | £13.55 - Amazon
• View Baby Wolf Halloween Fancy Dress Costume | £14.99 - Amazon

7. Firefighters

A family of firefighters make for a great Halloween costume, especially with this kids get up from Amazon, which includes a hardhat, a megaphone that makes realistic sounds and a mini fire extinguisher, so they can embrace the look from head to toe! 

Get the look:

• View Rubie's Official Fireman Fancy Dress | £11.99 - Amazon
• View Melissa & Doug Fire Chief Role Play Set | £33.99 - Amazon

8. Scooby Doo and the Mystery Inc.

This family Halloween costume is certainly a commitment but you'll no doubt make an entrance! Walk into Halloween dressed as the famous crime fighting Mystery Machine team with outfits available on Amazon for all the gang. If you've got a furry friend in tow on Halloween, even better, as they can come as Scooby Doo himself!

Pair this collection with some of the best Halloween food ideas and you've got yourself a party.

Get the look:

• View Adult Mens Fred Jones Fancy Dress Costume | £31.99 - Amazon
• View Adult Scooby Doo Velma Costume | £21.99 - Very
• View Adult Womens Daphne Blake Fancy Dress Costume | £34.99 - Amazon
• View Scooby Doo Fancy Dress Costume | £18.99 - Amazon

9. Jurassic Park

Just the two of you on Halloween? Try this Halloween costume straight from the Jurassic park films. It's especially a great one if you’ve got a dino-loving kid in tow who can dress up as one of the formidable creatures with this costume from Amazon. For the adults, all you'll need is a Jurassic Park t-shirt, a cap and some classic ranger gear to pull off this memorable look. 

Get the look:

• View Jurassic Park Men's Distressed Logo T-Shirt | £14.99 - Amazon
• View Dinosaur Child's Costume | £21.98 - Amazon

10. Thing 1 and Thing 2

If there are baby twins in your family or you have two children of a similar age, a Cat in The Hat family costume is a great option. While the two little ones can wear these cute baby grows, other members of the family can dress up as the big cat himself, or don a purple and green get up for a Sally Walden costume.

Get the look:

• View Thing 1 Thing 2 Babygrow Romper | £8.99 - Amazon
• View Adult Cat in the Hat 3 Piece Set | £6.99 - Amazon

11. Vampires

If you want to stick to something a little more traditional this month, a coven of vampires is a ready-made family costume. Each member of the family can make their costume their own with the classic trickles of fake blood, hair styles and dark costumes and, of course, those pointy teeth. If you have a baby and they're a little too young for a vampy makeover, try this super cute bat costume.

Get the look:

• View Vampire Queen Costume | £14.49 - Smiffys
• View Medieval Scary Vampire Costume for Men | £27.99 - Amazon
• View Black & Red Vampire Costume for Kids | £13.00 - Tu
• View Fright Fest Fake Blood | £1.99 - Amazon

12. Tiger King

If it’s good enough for Kim Kardashian, it’s good enough for us, as the reality star dressed her family in a hilarious Tiger King ensemble for Halloween 2020, as seen on her Instagram. Along with the tiger onesies for the kids, adults will need a vibrant shirt and a mullet wig for Joe Exotic, a flower crown and bright shawl for Carole Baskin. 

Get the look:

• View Mens Exotic Mullet Wig | £9.99 - Amazon
• View Childrens Animal Print Onesie | £23.99 - Amazon
• View Flower Crown Floral Garland | £10.99 - Amazon

13. Ghost

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective! That's undoubtedly why the classic white-sheet-black-eye-holes Halloween costume has been such a winner for so many years. But why not save yourself some time with this ready-made version for the kids from Amazon, and get a hold of some face paint for yourself. Go haunting on Halloween as a family with this classic costume and you'll no doubt turn a few heads.

Get the look:

• View Kids Halloween Ghost Cape Fancy Dress Costume | £16.57 - Amazon
• View Snazaroo Face & Body Paint Set | £10.98 - Amazon

14. Toy Story

It's certainly not the scariest family Halloween costume on the street but everyone will certainly recognise who you are. There’s plenty of characters to choose from too and all the outfits can be picked up from Amazon, but our favourites are these Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear costumes, and we think the alien costumes will make a great look for the kids.

Get the look:

• View Woody Costume Adult Kit | £49.99 - Amazon
• View Jessie Classic Women's Costume | £48.90 - Amazon
• View Buzz Lightyear Boys Fancy Dress | 23.98 - Amazon
• View Disney Onesie Toy Story | £11.95 - Amazon

15. The Flintstones

A family themselves, is only right that the Flintstones have a place on this list. Parents can dress up as Fred and/or Wilma, while kids can also join in the fun with these cave person costumes. 

Get the look:

• View Fred Flintstone Adult Costume | £27.99 - Smiffys
• View Adult Wilma Flintstone Fancy Costume | £31.99 - Amazon
• View Caveman Fancy Dress Costume | £11.99 - Amazon

Video of the Week

Frankenstein cupcakes are easy to make but make fun Halloween cupcakes with their grumpy face and ghoulishly green skin. You don't need any fancy equipment to make them, but with our simple step-by-step recipe from cupcake queen Victoria Threader, they'll look impressive enough for your Halloween party!

Ingredients

• 1 x batch basic cupcakes (in black cases)
• ½ a batch buttercream
• 180g green fondant
• 50g black fondant
• 20g white fondant
• 10g modelling paste
• Cornflour, to dust
• Silver food colour paint pen

Step 1

Bake your cupcakes and leave to cool. Using the palette knife, spread the buttercream onto the tops of the cupcakes. Be sure not to spread it too close to the paper or it will make a mess when you put the fondant on the top.

Step 2

Roll your green fondant out to 4mm thick and cut 12 x 68mm circles.

Step 3

Lay the green circles of fondant over the top of the buttercream and smooth the edges with the tips of your
fingers.

Step 4

Using the same circle cutter, roll the remainder of the green fondant out and cut a shape for the chins.

Step 5

Place these at the bottom of the cupcakes to make the chin. You can add a dimple if you like.

Step 6

To cut the teeth, roll the white fondant out to 2mm thick and cut tiny squares with your sharp knife.

Step 7

Using the water brush, add a dot of water where you would like the teeth to go.

Step 8

For the hair, roll the black fondant out to 2mm thick and cut a long strip, cutting triangle shapes from one side to make the fringe.

Step 9

Stick this to the top of the head using the water brush.

Step 10

For the eyes, use the 13mm and 5mm cutters, cutting the large circle in white first and then a small black circle for the centre. Stick the black dots to the white and then trim the tops off the eyes to make way for the eyelids. If anything seems to be sticking, give everything a light dust with cornflour.

Step 11

To make the eyelids, cut 13mm green circles and cut them in half sticking them to the tops of the eyes, when you add them to the cupcakes.

Step 12

To make the bolts, add a tiny dot of black fondant to the modelling paste and knead together to make grey modelling paste. Using the alphabet cutter, cut the capital letter ‘t’ out for the bolts and leave them to dry for a few minutes. Once dry to touch, give them a little brush with the silver food colour pen and leave them to dry again. Once dry, they will be strong enough to push into the sides of the head. Placing them on a sponge will speed up the drying process.

Step 13

Push the bolts into the sides, add a touch of petal dust to the cheeks with a soft brush if liked - and your cupcakes are now ready to serve!

Learn how to make Halloween fang cake decorations for your Halloween cupcakes this year.

With gruesome blood made from jam, you can make these cupcakes in no time thanks to our easy step-by-step picture and video recipe.

Ingredients

• 22g white fondant
• 22g white modelling paste
• 24x small white marshmallows
• 2tbsp good quality raspberry jam
• Small piece of fondant for catching the dust

Step 1

Before you start decorating, wipe the board, pin and your hands with a small piece of fondant. This will pick up all the little stray flecks of dust that may be stuck the board and stop it getting into your cake decorations.

Step 2

Mix the modelling paste and fondant together and colour it pink. Start by using a tiny dot of colour paste on the end of a cocktail stick and work your way up to the desired colour. Once the colour is in you can’t take it out so be careful.

Step 3

Divide the paste into 4g pieces and roll into 4cm sausages.

Step 4

Lay the sausages on a curved object to set. Victoria uses a small plastic gadget to help curve the teeth.

Step 5

Using a sharp knife cut one marshmallow in half, then in half again length ways and trim the tops and the bottoms so they are all the same size.

Step 6

For the fangs use a sharp knife cut the marshmallows diagonally so you have two pointed fangs. Trim the tops ever so slightly so you can stick it onto the fondant more easily.

Step 7

Using a water brush, wet he bottom of the gums, make sure you really rub to get the fondant sticky or the marshmallows will not stick. Stick four little teeth in the middle and the two fangs either side. Leave them to dry on a drying sponge but you can use greaseproof paper too.

Step 8

Add the 2tbsps of jam to the strainer and strain the pips/bits out so you have a nice smooth blood like syrup. After straining the jam add it to a parchment paper piping bag, if you don’t have one use a food bag with the corner snipped off.

Step 9

Pipe you cupcakes, use a Wilton 1B nozzle. To pipe this swirl, start in the centre, working your out to the paper using this as a guide to work your way up in a spiral to the centre. To stop, push down slightly and pull up quickly.

Step 10

Pipe the jam on the ends of the fangs, dribbling it down the cupcakes and then add the teeth.

Step 11

Your cupcakes are now ready to serve!

Halloween party ideas are hard to choose to from, they are all so varied and creative.

There are so many Halloween crafts you can make at home to pull together a spooky surrounding for your party, the best Halloween decorations, favours and Halloween games are ones you can pull together quickly and easily - or just buy online. 

Goodto.com Family Editor, Stephanie Lowe says; "A Halloween party sounded like a lot of work initially and I wasn't into the idea, but then I realised it meant we didn't have to go trick or treating and I could side step all that anxiety of being outside in the dark, navigating steps with littles. Being in to answer the door was part of the party's excitement. Keep it small and intimate is my only advice."

Not only will spooky decorations be a brilliant addition to your party try Halloween food ideas and cocktails, there are so many ways you can create a realistic setting for your party this autumn.

Halloween party ideas

1. Lantern-lined steps to the front door

Let's start with the Halloween decorations! If you're planning a Halloween party, you'll need to dress your home up in the spooky spirit. Having some lanterns and Halloween painted pumpkins lining the pathway up to the front door is a great way to greet your guests.

2. Pumpkin wreath

Much like Christmas, there's no better way to show people you're in the spooky spirit than a wreath on the front door. This stunning pink one is made up of small pumpkins but you can buy ones more in the autumnal theme from Etsy - or you can make your own wreath at home.

3. Gravestones in the garden

These gravestones are a subtle way to bring some life (or death) to your garden this Halloween. We particularly like the set of 4 tombstones available to buy on Amazon as they're simple to stick in the ground on Halloween night.

4. Ghostly balloon garland

Having a balloon garland over your front door is a sure-fire way to kick things off. Make your own using shop-bought balloons and a thick permanent marker - or buy a ready-made one from Etsy.

5. Spooky fairy lights

Fairy lights are a party essential! At Christmas, blinking fairy lights disappear off the shelves and at Halloween, a set of orange lights goes a very long way towards setting the festive theme.

If you're looking to go for an orange, pumpkin-y theme then you'll love these lights from Amazon. For a low-key skeletal theme, have a look at these Day of the Dead-inspired lights and for a bat-friendly fiesta, these purple lights from Etsy are amazing.

6. Creepy crawlies on the kitchen cabinets

These simple spider decorations make a great addition to any kitchen on Halloween! As one of the easiest Halloween crafts, you can also make them from home using just some black card and a sharp pair of scissors.

7. Hanging spider garden decorations

This hanging spider garden decoration might not be for the faint hearted but it's a great investment if you're looking to splash out on the best bits for your party. Available on Amazon for £27.99, this huge spider comes with its own web that you can hang from your house and drape into the garden.

8. Skeleton in the bathtub

While most people just focus on decorating a couple of rooms for a Halloween party, this idea extends the theme to the whole house. Pick up a skeleton on Amazon and pop them in the bathtub to give your guests an extra surprise when they go to the bathroom.

9. A frightening feast on the table

We don't doubt that you've got your Halloween food ideas sorted - from the Halloween pizzas to Halloween cake pops - and now we've got an idea for your spread. Lay out a colourful table cloth and dot some Halloween bits around the table; a bat here and there, a antique-y black candlestick to light up the table and a pumpkin should definitely do the trick.

10. Colourful candles

Candles aren't only a great way to bring a low light to the room but you can get loads of unique, colourful and spooky candles to complement your decorative theme.

We love these pumpkin ones from Etsy for a more light-hearted celebration or these skull ones, also from Etsy, as the wax drips through the eye sockets as the candle melts.

11. Vampire kiss cocktail

What (adults-only) party isn't complete without a bit of booze for those who want? To make a vampire's kiss cocktail, you'll need per drink:

• 20ml raspberry liqueur
• 25ml vodka
• Handful of ice
• Frozen raspberries
• Red sugar for the rim of the glass
• Champagne to top off the cocktail

To garnish, pop in a set of vampire's teeth.

For an alcohol-free version, try a vampire's blood pomegranate punch. It's a safe one for adults and children alike!

12. Halloween birthday cake

If you're having a Halloween party to celebrate an occasion or just want to make sure your guests have plenty of sweet treats, why not bake a spooky birthday cake? We love this recipe by Great British Bake Off star Nadiya Hussain as it's homemade from start to finish and so impressive.

Take a look at Nadiya Hussain's Halloween birthday cake recipe here.

13. Halloween cupcakes

For something a little simpler and kid-friendly, make Halloween cupcakes instead.

There are so many different types you can make, you're sure to find one that fits your party theme. These Frankenstein cupcakes are so cute and while they might be harder to make, they're perfect for impressing at a party. These spider cupcakes are so easy to make too and ideal for chocolate-lovers.

14. Terrifying toffee apples

Toffee apples are such a nostalgic treat and a great party idea! To give this classically autumnal recipe a spooky twist, add a couple of drops of red food colouring to the last stage of the toffee mix. Trust us, these are a real showstopper.

Learn how to make toffee apples with our special recipe.

15. Puking pumpkin dip

For your guacamole platter, this puking pumpkin is a great idea! Even if it is a little bit gross. To make, you will need a pumpkin, a knife and your favourite dips. Then cut a large mouth towards the bottom of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Carve eyes and a nose with a sharp knife. Place the pumpkin on the edge of a plate, spoon the dip into the mouth and spread onto the plate.

16. Donut eating contest

When it comes to Halloween parties, you should always have a couple of Halloween games up your sleeve. This donut eating contest is a sure winner (with both adults and children alike) and it's bound to crack a few smiles. Hang a piece of string across two points in a room and attach another piece, with a donut on the end, for everyone playing to munch on. Whoever can finish their donut first with their hands behind their back is the winner.

17. Indoor scavenger hunt

As with any party where you're planning for your guests to be able to go outside, it's always best to have a back-up plan in case it rains. Scavenger hunts are a kids' party classic and a great way to keep them occupied for a few hours but this game also works for older kids and adults. With some Halloween-themed card and a stroke of imagination, you can make up your own clues or download some from TailorMade Designs on Etsy.

18. Spooky charades

This is another traditional kids' party game that works so well for Halloween! Download this set for less than £4 from Etsy or make your own, using characters from some of your favourite Halloween movies and television shows.

19. Apple bobbing

While we're not entirely sure what makes apple bobbing so spooky, it definitely makes our list of Halloween party ideas! This (very wet) game is so easy to pull together. All you'll need is a large bucket and a couple of apples floating along the top. Whoever can bob and grab the most apples with their mouth, hands tied behind their back, is the winner of the game.

It's a winner for kids of all ages - but maybe not for anyone who's come to the party with a full face of face paint.

20. Pin the spider on the web

Pin the tail on the donkey gets a re-vamp in this creepy version of the classic game. Make your own at home using some white card and a thick black marker to draw the web. Make the spiders by drawing some on another piece of card, cutting them out and attaching a piece of blu-tac on the other side. Alternatively, download this Halloween party idea from Etsy.

Halloween door decorations are a great way to spook your guests before they even set foot in the house.

Love transforming your home with Halloween decorations? If you're running out of ideas, let us introduce a great one - monster doors! A sure way to freak out your friends on the doorstep, these Halloween door coverings are cheap, colourful and such fun to make, all the family will want to get involved. These crafty coverings are made using a mixture of coloured cards, paper plates, tissue paper, and basically anything else you can whip together to make a monster out of your door.

Never made a monster door before? Well, help is at hand; have a look at some of these monster doors for some seriously spooky inspiration. Make sure you make the most out of your door, for example a door knocker can make a great crooked nose, or a letter box a straight-lipped mouth. Your monster door could even be munching on some post!

Once that's sorted you just need to make sure the kids' Halloween costumes are sorted, and you have the best selection of Halloween food ideas and you're ready to get the party started.

Halloween door decorations

Googly eyed monster

Have you some fun with your monster door and give him some google eyes!

Double trouble monster door

What's spookier than one monster? Two! These two look like they know something we don't...

Many-eyed Monster door

He's definitely watching you!

Spooky spider's web door

The addition of a spider's web gives this one a creepy crawly edge...

One-eyed monster door

The teeth give this guy a truly spooky look!

A bright fright!

Not everything needs to be a total fright-fest! How about a candy-coloured friendly Halloween door?

Frankenstein's monster door

The addition of a little scar really brings this one to life...

Angry monster door

A rubber ring and some jagged paper teeth make him one angry monster!

Scared monster door

Add some colourful spots for a cute twist... even his horns can't make this one threatening!

You could even have a scroll through our list of great Halloween movies for adults and kids for some inspiration.

Overall, just have fun with it! A little creativity goes a very long way...

Pregnant Halloween costumes can be brilliant, hilarious, and truly inspirational and some are easy DIY - all you need is a top and pens.

Your pregnant bump can be a brilliant bonus when it comes to choosing a top costume for one of the all-time favourite traditions when celebrating Halloween- dressing up as something spooky. And as these brilliant ideas prove, your bump can provide you with both the best and most original costume for October 31st.

Any expectant mums struggling for inspiration need to look no further than our bumper round-up. We've also featured some cracking Halloween couple costume ideas for you and your partner, along with some Halloween costumes for kids.

Pregnant Halloween costumes: 30 of the best ideas for Halloween 2022:

1. Cat in the Hat and Thing 1+2

Fans of the classic Dr Seus tale can incorporate their blooming bump with this inspired Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and 2 costume. The other half can pick up their Cat in the Hat costume online at Amazon for under £30. And all you'll need is a red dress, some white card and a black felt tip to pull yours together nicely.

Get the look:

2. 'Baby under construction'

As pregnant Halloween costumes go e love this fun one, and the attention to detail this Nevada-based couple have put in. Especially the mum-to-be's work belt fastened with some sweet toys too. Order a couple of hi-vis vests online and throw on some leggings and hiking boots - for a look that's comfortable too.

Get the look: 

3. Avocado costume

Showcase your upcoming arrival in this fun avocado costume for Halloween 2021, with your bump as the stone. This expectant mum shares how she pulled the look together using a recycled cardboard box, a lick of paint and a brown t-shirt. Easy!

Get the look:

4. Monsters Inc.

Take a leaf out of this Wisconsin family's book and dress up as the stars of Disney's Monsters Inc this October 31st. A simple pink t-shirt and pigtails is all that's needed for Boo's look. While Sully and Mike's outfits will require a little bit of extra crafting. So make a note to pick up some felt and glue from your local craft shop.

Get the Look:

5. Expectant kangaroo

Go for a Safari theme this Halloween with a quirky keeper and kangaroo costume. Fasten yourself a little pouch and add in a little Joey just peeping out. And of course don't forget the all important Kangaroo ears.

Get the look:

6. Handmaid's Tale

We guarantee this outfit of one of the Gilead residents from the acclaimed book and hit TV series will be one of the most popular pregnant Halloween costume ideas. If you're feeling crafty, you need a red dress you may already own and fashion a 'bonnet' with white card and string to hold in place. And it's also okay to pick up the pre-made offering online at Amazon instead.

Get the look:

7. Basketball and player

For a fun pregnant Halloween costume with a difference try this hilarious basketball body paint offering. Grab a white vest, cut the middle open to expose your bump, and use some non-toxic orange and black face paint to create your own basketball. Accompanying family members can also get in on the fun - like the player and cute mini cheerleader here.

Get the look:

8. Willy Wonka's Violet Beauregarde

No need to turn yourself entirely purple for this inspired costume - inspired by Roald Dahl's legendary Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Your bump is the perfect accessory to pull off the character of Violet, who famously balloons into a blueberry after eating Willy Wonka's gum. Maybe invite your partner to dress up as the wacky chocolatier with you.

Get the look:

9. Mother Earth

As Pregnant Halloween costumes go this one is super easy with high impact. Mum-to-be @AshleyHolly used some face paints on her belly to represent the earth colours, and kept the clothes plain and neutral - add a green wig if you have it for an extra oomph of 'nature', otherwise a slick back 'do would work too.

Get the look:

10. Basketball and net

This inspired basketball costume doubled up as a sweet pregnancy reveal - with the mum dressed as the hoop and her bump: the ball. A hassle-free costume to pull together last minute, simply order a mini basketball hoop and attach it around you with a bit of string. Then add your cardboard cutout ball and you're ready to go.

Get the look:

11. Juno

Dress up as Juno and Paulie Bleeker from the hit 2007 film Juno that made a star of Michael Cera and Elliot Page. We think this is a pregnant Halloween costume idea expectant mums can get on board with, due to the appealing comfort factor of this outfit.

12. Egg and Bacon duo

Breakfast fans should take advantage of having a bump and dress it up in this egg-cellent pregnant costume idea. Make your own with some card, scissors and coloured pens, and fasten accordingly to a plain outfit. Or order a pre-made egg and bacon couple's costume online. 

Get the look:

13. Dirty Dancing

14. Pumpkin oversized t-shirt

15. Farmer and cow

This outfit combo is arguably one of the funniest pregnant Halloween costume ideas. With your bump masquerading as a cow's udders for the frightful night. This mum-to-be has fasted on some pink balloons onto what appears to be a pink hot water bottle and stuck this onto some white pyjamas. Attached a few black socks as spots to finish the cow look off perfectly.

Get the look:

16. Harry Potter and the Golden Snitch

Let your bump shine as the highly coveted Golden Snitch from the Quidditch matches Harry and his friends chase in the Harry Potter film franchise. Grab yourself some gold material and fasten on some golden wings to get the Snitch look. And make sure your partner dresses up as Harry to help define what you are.

Get the look:

17. Mrs Doubtfire

We take our hats off to this pregnant mummy for this totally unique Halloween look. Grab yourself some nude spanx for this look and show your bump off with pride. Add a white bra, grey wig and dodgy glasses and you've got everything you need to bring Robin William's classic character to life.

Get the look:

18. Disco King and his disco ball

This husband and wife team delivered some serious Studio 54 vibes for Halloween 2019. Every Disco King needs his disco ball - and your bump is just the thing to pull off this look. Order yourself a sparkly sequin top from Amazon to match your dancing don come October 31st.

Get the look:

19. Mario Kart

Props to this family who went all out as the Super Marios for Halloween last year. Let family and friends know that you'll be '1 up' soon by printing out and sticking the familiar game action onto a simple plain t-shirt. And of course, don't forget to order the kids' Mario and Luigi outfits in plenty of time.

Get the look:

20. Gumball machine

Decorate your bump with a colourful array of craft pompoms and go as a Gumball machine this Halloween. For extra clarity on your look, print out and stick a sweet sign to your white t-shirt too like this mum-to-be here. A real treat of a Halloween costume.

Get the look:

21. Astronaut and moon

Looking for some pregnant Halloween costume ideas that are out of this world? Look no further than this cute astronaut and moon get-up! Invest in some galactic style leggings and a matching top, and fasten on a fabric moon to your middle. Meanwhile your partner will have to hunt down a NASA style spacesuit to complement the look.

Get the look:

22. Skeleton baby

23. Captain Hook and Smee from Peter Pan

As pregnant Halloween costumes go, @lightwoodmaternity made a brilliant one! To go as bad Captain Hook's side kick Smee you'll need this red beanie hat from Amazon, plus a blue and white striped top, glasses and a beard - cutlass optional. All easy (and cheap things) you can pick up online.

Get the look:

24. E.T.

We're a little bit obsessed with this genius E.T. pregnant Halloween costume in the GoodtoKnow office. Definitely one to copy if you're feeling creative and have the time (and patience) to unfasten the handlebar from your bike.

Get the look:

25. Doctor and Patient

For a tongue-in-cheek costume, go as a doctor and pregnant patient this Halloween 2021. A great way of delivering the good news online this spooky season.

Get the look:

26. The Mother of Dragons - Game of Thrones

This little dragon didn't appear too delighted with his parent's choice of costume for Halloween last year. But we happen to think this Khal Drogo and Khaleesi outfit is win-win. Show them who's the mother of dragons with this fun Game of Thrones inspired costume. And pick up an almost identical Emilia Clarke style wig online at Amazon.

Get the look:

27. Tennis ball

This expectant mum came to play for Halloween in this hilarious tennis ball-inspired costume. Find yourself some yellow fabric and get crafty at copying an iconic tennis ball by brands like Wilson or Slazenger. Fasten to a plain black top and add a sports headband and tennis skirt to finish the look off perfectly. Game, set, match.

Get the look:

28. Unicorn

This extremely cheap costume earned this mum-to-be plenty of compliments at her Halloween party. And it's so simple to throw together too. Find yourself a white t-shirt add on a unicorn horn and some rainbow accessories and job's done. 

Get the look:

29. 'Bun in the Oven'

An absolute classic. Pay tribute to your own bun in the oven, with this sweet baker costume duo. If you're up to the DIY challenge, check out the Thursday's Child blog on how they made theirs. Or save yourself the hassle and order this t-shirt and ask your plus one to dress up as chef. 

Get the look:

30. Castaway / Wilson

This couple took inspiration from a Tom Hanks classic, Castaway. All you need is a t-shirt you don't mind shredding and comfy joggers, sports bra and facepaints for the palm print on the 'ball' (pregnant belly)

Related Features:

• Why do we celebrate Halloween
• Family Halloween costumes
• 18 Halloween costumes for kids

Video of the Week:

Halloween books are a great way to introduce young kids to spooky season - without them getting too creeped out. 

While the best Halloween films are certainly a favourite in most households, they can be a little too scary for the younger viewers. So bring in the likes of Mr Men's Halloween edition, old school favourites like Funny Bones and newer releases such as Coraline for a gentler introduction to the yearly celebration of ghosts and ghouls.

Whether you're looking for something to read before bed or Halloween costumes for kids, take a look at these top Halloween books for kids.

Best Halloween books for kids

Funnybones by Janet & Allan Ahlberg

A classic from our own childhood, this is the perfect book to get young children interested in reading. Who can resist a book that begins:

On a dark dark hill - there was a dark dark town. In the dark dark town - here was a dark dark street . . .

The beauty is in its simplicity, and the repetition and rhyming not only engages the young reader, it’s enjoyable for the parent too. The story of how three skeletons venture out into the night to scare people, only to find everyone is in bed, poses a problem in this funny Halloween classic that just keep on giving.

VIEW NOW - AMAZON | £6.99

Credit: Amazon

Mr Tickle and the Scary Halloween by Roger Hargreaves

Published in the UK in 1971 for just 20p a book, the Mr Men, and later Little Miss books, are still as popular as ever – and a great introduction to Halloween for little ones.

In this spooky special, much-loved character Mr Tickle decides to get his own back on Little Miss Scary - who has been doing a good job of frightening everyone at Halloween - by doing what he does best: tickling.

Sure to get a giggle or two out of the kids, these vibrant and colourful books aim to capture your child’s imagination, and this fun edition is no exception.

VIEW NOW - AMAZON | £3.99

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

As far as picture books go, this has to be one of the most loved. Former Children’s Laureate and author of The Gruffalo, Julia Donaldson has an innate talent for verse. The rhymes are wonderful for kids and parents alike – and let’s be honest, if we’re going to read these books with our children, we need to enjoy them too!

This story of a friendly witch and her cat is a fantastic Halloween read. Flying over forests, rivers and mountains, a storm soon brews up and she loses her hat and wand. Fortunately, there are some friends willing to help out. The more the merrier, right? Until the broom becomes a little too laden with friends…

Humorous, joyous to read – and a warm tale of friendship, this captivating story is one you’ll want to read again and again – and not just on October 31st.

VIEW NOW - AMAZON | £6.99

How to make friends with a ghost by Rebecca Green

If you’re looking for a cute seasonal read, look no further than this adorable picture book – a heartwarming guide to befriending a ghost.

Aimed at younger children, these ghosts aren’t the usual eerie type. Oh no, these are fluffy, marshmallow-like characters that like eating earwax truffles and being read to at bedtime. This retro-inspired book of a little girl who makes lifelong friends with a ghost is as much about the illustrations as it is the story. The artwork is subtle yet beautiful – a perfect gift for Halloween.

VIEW NOW - AMAZON | £6.99

Daisy and the trouble with Vampires by Kes Gray

There’s a lot of love for the Daisy series. These stories are a great step up from picture books, and whilst they still have illustrations, there’s more words and 5-year-olds + can even start to read them alone.

In this edition, it is Halloween and Daisy is going trick-or-treating for the first time. Daisy’s arch-enemy Jack Beechwhistle has been telling Daisy and her best friend Gabby all sorts of scary tales, but they’re determined not to believe him. But, once they’re out in the dark and in fog – that becomes a little harder.

Kids will delight in this innocent spooky story, and Daisy’s use of ‘And the trouble with…’ which prevails through all her books. Sure to instil a love of reading for children beginning to take a real interest in books, this is a Halloween must.

VIEW NOW - AMAZON | £5.99

The Creakers by Tom Fletcher

When McFly frontman Tom Fletcher had instant success with his debut novel The Christmasaurus, it was hugely exciting to hear there would be more from the talented band member.

For 7+ kids, this fun and imaginative read is sure to delight. When Lucy Dungston wakes up to find all the adults in their town have disappeared, the other children seem thrilled. But, Lucy wants her Mum back and, standing up for what she believes in, she sets out on a quest. It is then, we find out just who The Creakers are… and actually, they’re pretty cute.

A Halloween mystery that slightly older children will enjoy, this is as much a story about friendship as it is an adventure, and the illustrations are fantastic.

VIEW NOW - AMAZON | £6.99

The Witches by Roald Dahl

If your child is easily spooked, you may need to read this one with them. Of course, it’s fabulous – it’s Roald Dahl, but a story about real witches who look like nice, ordinary ladies certainly sparks their imaginations.

When a seven-year-old boy (whose name we never learn) goes to live with this grandmother, he realises that witches do exist and not just that, they can make children disappear. The descriptions are delicious and witty and are sure to pull even the most reluctant readers in.

Who doesn’t love the idea that witches always wear gloves to hide heir claws, or that they’re bald and their spit is blue? Believe us, even as an adult you’ll love re-reading this – it’s Dahl at his best.

VIEW NOW - AMAZON | £6.99

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

For the children who like their stories a little creepy – meet Coraline Jones.

In this slightly sinister book Coraline decides one rainy day that she will explore her new home – only to find there’s one door that doesn’t seem to open. It’s only when she finds a secret passage in to the other house that she realises just what is behind that door - and it is here that everything seems wonderful; the food, the toys, the parents with button-black eyes.

But, she soon realises that if she is to stay there, she may never come back.

In this short novel, Gaiman paints a vivid picture of a courageous and quirky girl who decides she must fight for what is right. Magical, mysterious and eerily intriguing, Coraline will be remembered by children long after they’ve finished the last page.

VIEW NOW - AMAZON | £6.99

Happy reading!

Whip up these wickedly tasty witch's hat cookies in a quick 20 minutes.

These delicious biscuits are some of our favourite Halloween cookies with a difference. Covered in milk chocolate and decorated with colourful fondant, they're full of sweet flavour. And they're so simple to make, using ice cream cones and rich tea biscuits plus a little bit of decoration and spooky inspiration.

Watch how to make witch's hat cookies:

Ingredients

To make these spooky witches hat biscuits you will need:

• 6 rich tea biscuits
• 6 ice cream cones
• 100g milk chocolate
• ready-to-roll green, orange and black fondant
• icing sugar and water, for sticking

Step 1

Using scissors, cut the end part of the ice cream cone off and trim until flat. Make the ends of the cone are flat and sit level with the biscuits, so that they will stand up later...

Step 2

Melt the chocolate in the microwave on a low heat stirring every 30 seconds or until melted. Stir and cool a little. Dip the cones into the chocolate so that they will stick to the biscuits, which will become the rim of the hat.

Step 3

Place a cone on the centre of each biscuit and leave to set.

Step 4

Using a teaspoon, drizzle the chocolate over the ice cream cone and biscuits until completely covered. Move the biscuits onto a greaseproof paper-covered board and pop into the fridge to set.

Step 5

Meanwhile, make the belts for the hat. Roll out some orange and green ready-to-roll icing. Cut into strips. Roll out the black fondant and cut out small rectangular shapes to sit on top of each belt, in a buckle shape.

Step 6

Once the chocolate has set, take out of the fridge and attach the belts to the hat using the icing sugar mix. Cut off any excess fondant with a knife and press at the back to seal.

Step 7

Use the icing sugar mix to stick the black buckle onto the coloured belts.

Step 8

Your witch's hat biscuits are ready to be served!

Top tips for making Witch's hat cookies:

You could turn these witch's hat cookies into a fun game by filling the cones with sweeties so there's a surprise on the inside - which ones will contain a trick or will they all contain treats..?

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Halloween food ideas

Halloween biscuits

Halloween cupcakes

This Halloween piñata cake is fun to make and full of tasty treats.

Kids will love this Halloween piñata cake packed full of different delicious chocolates and sweeties. From chewy fangs to green Smarties, this spooky cake is the perfect October bake and makes an excellent Halloween birthday cake too. The easy 8-step cake will take 25 mins to cook and approximately 1hr to prepare and decorate. For added effect, dye the sponge with different food colourings - think green for a rotten piñata cake look or even black for a gruesome twist.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 200g butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 2tsp vanilla extract
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1-2tsp yellow or green food colouring

For the buttercream:

• 450g icing sugar
• 150g butter
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2tsp black food colouring

To decorate and fill:

• Jellied snakes
• M&Ms
• Haribo
• Dolly mix
• Maltesers

Step 1

Preheat oven 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line 2x 21cm/9inch cake tins with greaseproof paper. Using an all-in-one method pour all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric hand whisk together until combined. Once combined, pour into the 2x cake tins.

Step 2

Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins until springy to the touch. Turn the cakes out onto a wire rack and decide which is going to be the base and which is going to be the topper. Turn the base upside down and leave to cool.

Meanwhile prepare the buttercream. Whisk the butter and vanilla extract and gradually add in the icing sugar and food colouring until combined. Add in the black food colouring.

Step 3

Turn the topper cake upside down and mark out a circle on the sponge using a sharp knife. Make sure you don’t cut all the way through the sponge, you want to go half way down and scoop out the insides. Do the same to the base cake.

Step 4

Pop the base cake onto your chosen serving plate or board and pack it with different sweets and chocolates. Make a little mound of sweets.

Step 5

Cover the outside edges of each layer with a light buttercream. You can do this neatly using a small spoon or spatula.

Step 6

Put the topper cake on top like a lid. Press the edges down firmly so they sandwich together.

Step 7

Coat the cake in the rest of the buttercream smoothing with a spatula or the back of a metal spoon.

Step 8

Decorate with your Halloween themed sweeties and cut to reveal its sweetie filled insides!

If you don't want to overload your cake with buttercream, use jam to sandwich the 2 cakes together.

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Halloween cupcakes

Halloween cookies

Baby Halloween costumes are definitely one of the cutest parts of parenting and we've found some amazing ideas to pull off a winning look. 

While you might think Halloween costumes for kids need to be classically spooky - bats and devils etc - and they certainly can be, you can also update the Halloween guidebook and go for outfits based on your favourite Halloween movies for kids and adults or even food and drink items. As well as keeping the little ones warm if you're out trick-or-treating, these costumes are comfortable and snug.

Suitable for ages up to 24 months, these are the best baby Halloween costumes we've found to buy online this year.

Best baby Halloween costumes for 2022

1. Pumpkin baby Halloween costume

Lines of painted pumpkins and carved squashes line streets when it comes to Halloween night. So why not get in the spooky spirit with this adorable baby pumpkin costume? It's a traditional nod to the day without being too much to organise as you can pick up a costume straight from Amazon, available in sizes up to 24 months.

Get the look:

• View Kids pumpkin Halloween fancy dress costume

2. Batman baby Halloween costume

• View Warner Bros Classic Batman fancy dress costume

3. Baby bear Halloween costume

When it comes to Halloween costumes for kids, animals are an easy go-to. They're not scary so you won't have to worry about them catching a glimpse of themselves in the mirror and they're very, very cute. We love this bear costume, ideal for babies who love a cuddly toy themselves.

Get the look:

• View cosy bear bonnet with ears

4. Spider baby Halloween costume

Want something a little more classic for Halloween? This cute spider costume is an easy win. You can make it from home using a simple black all-in-one and some old pairs of black tights, stuffed with material - or buy one online.

Get the look:

• View Baby spider dress up costume

5. Up! baby Halloween costume

There's no way people aren't immediately knowing who this iconic outfit symbolises. Complete with the oversized glasses, cute bow-tie and colourful balloons, fans of the Disney movie Up! will love this inspired costume.

Get the  look:

• View Children's clear lens glasses

6. Harry Potter baby Halloween costume

The youthful wizard and his muggle ways make Harry Potter a staple character when it comes to dressing kids up at any of the the year whether it's Word Book Day at nursery or Halloween. 

Get the look:

• View Snuggle This Muggle Bodysuit

7. Devil baby Halloween costume

This costume is sure to crack a few smiles if you have a baby who's prone to a few naughty spells. It's another one you can make at home too, using a red babygrow and a black Sharpie.

Get the look:

• View Halloween baby cute devil costume

8. Diver baby Halloween costume

If your baby has just taken their first dip in the pool, level things up with this homemade diver Halloween costume. All you'll need is a black babygrow, some old 1 litre water bottles papier mâchéd and painted and a trusty pair of goggles to make this unique outfit.

Get the look:

9. Baby shark Halloween costume

If your baby was obsessed with the baby shark song then this Halloween costume is a sure win. Dress them up as a baby shark themselves watch them crawl around as their favourite character.

Get the look:

• View dress Up America Sky Blue Shark Child Costume

10. Day of the Dead

• View Kids Day Of The Dead Halloween fancy dress costume

11. Ghost baby Halloween costume

This cute outfit is so easy to make from home with just a white babygrow and a black marker. If you've got twins, turn this duo into a couples Halloween costume for your two babies.

Get the look:

• View Petitebelle Ghost Face fancy dress costume

12. Baby Yoda

• View Baby Yoda children's costume: John Lewis, Amazon

13. Sushi baby Halloween costume

As baby Halloween costumes go this sushi style is so cute. You have to options, take an old babygrow and draw a fish on it with an orange Sharpie, cover with a strap of black felt and flourish with some green material for the full look, or...

Get the look:

• View Baby Sushi costume bodysuit

14. Avocado baby Halloween costume

Want a super unique baby costume for Halloween? Then look no further, it's certainly not one everyone will be going for! As well as being a colourful costume, it's perfect for keeping little ones warm if you're going out and about on Halloween.

Get the look:

• View Avocado costume

15. Skeleton baby Halloween costume

• View Glow in the dark skeleton pyjamas

16. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

• Official Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costume

17. Bat baby Halloween costume

Bats are another Halloween staple for baby costumes, a little bit spooky rather than scary, it's a cute costume that works for whatever you're doing on the big night. Pick up one with quick delivery from Amazon this week. They also have another version in purple, great for babies up to 2 years old.

Get the look:

• View Bat wings fancy dress costume

• View Bodysuit Ketchup & Mustard costume

Related features: 

• 15 of the best family Halloween costumes
• 50 of the best couple Halloween costumes
• Pregnant Halloween costumes

Video of the Week:

Looking for fun painted pumpkin ideas for Halloween? These are some of the best ones we've seen this autumn so far, from simple glitter-dashed squashes to Harry Potter-inspired pumpkins. 

Painted pumpkins are one of the easiest Halloween crafts for kids to do before spooky season really starts. Not only will they be a delight in the window of your home for trick-or-treaters but they help everyone get into the seasonal spirit of celebrating Halloween and can even be used as part of a spooky Halloween game if you're having a party.

With only a couple of weeks to go until the big night, this is how to paint your own pumpkins - and some ideas to get the creative juices flowing.

How to paint your own pumpkins

You will need...

• Pumpkins
• Acrylic paints
• Paint brush
• Glitter
• Masking Tape
• Pencil

How to paint your own:

• Paint the pumpkins in different patterns with bright acrylic paints. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle some glitter on top.
• For a stripy pumpkin, stick strips of masking tape onto the side of the pumpkin, then paint the un-taped sections in black. Allow to dry, then remove the tape. Add fine brush strokes of blue and pink paint on the painted sections, and paint the stalk.
• For a spotty pumpkin, first paint 3/4 of the pumpkin with 2 coats of white paint and leave to dry. Then take a pencil and dab the end in some pink paint, and stamp onto the white to create a spotty pattern.

Halloween painted pumpkin ideas

1. Simple painted pumpkin idea

This is a super basic painted pumpkin idea - all you need is a black Sharpie. It's one of the best ideas to go for if you've only got limited time on your hands to decorate your pumpkin before the evening or you've got limited supplies.

2. Animal pumpkins

Whether it's your favourite animal or a furry friend at home, animals are super easy designs to put onto pumpkins. As well as a fox, you could make any orange animal very easily - from a tabby cat to a tiger. For animals of other colours, use different colour paints straight onto the pumpkin as the background then use a marker to complete the design.

3. Spider pumpkin

Turn one spooky creature into another with this spider pumpkin idea. You'll need some large black pipe cleaners for the legs, black paint for the pumpkin and white paint for the big eyes. It's a super unique idea that's a great one if you're looking to do something a little different this Halloween.

4. Glitter pumpkin

While you won't need loads of paint for this, you'll certainly need plenty of glitter and glue. Start with your paint base then layer up with glue over the top of the paint once it's dried. Before the glue dries, pour plenty of glitter all over the top of the pumpkin then leave it to dry one more time.

5. Portrait pumpkins

If you love classic Halloween movies, you'll love this painted Halloween pumpkin idea. It's certainly one for those with more of an artistic flair - and plenty of time.

6. Calligraphy pumpkin

This DIY pumpkin idea is so cute and playful! You don't need loads of different coloured paints to complete the look, you'll just need two aesthetically-pleasing colours and a steady hand with a Sharpie.

7.  Gingham print pumpkin

Gingham was one of the best and brightest looks of summer 2021 and we're bringing that look into autumn this year. It's a design that's equal parts simple and stylish. Go for one bold colour on a white painted pumpkin for ultimate impact.

8.  Monogrammed pumpkins

Monogrammed pumpkins are a great way to welcome people into your home over the festive season. It also makes for a great activity to do with the family as you can pick the colours, design and shape of the pumpkin together.

9.  Neon pumpkin

Much like the neon paint pumpkin design, this one just needs a couple of neon paints and some space - it's definitely not one you'll want to do indoors! Apply the neon however you want. We love this dripping look but a splatter also works just as well.

10. Flower pumpkin

Any lover of bright colours will appreciate this bold pumpkin design. Level up the look by creating more than one of these flower pumpkins for ultimate #flowerpower on Halloween.

11. Doorstop pumpkin

These colourful painted pumpkins give trick-or-treaters somewhere to head for. First, buy a number stencil of your house number to set to the pumpkin. Once in the position you want it, cover it in two coats of paint, waiting at least half an hour between coats so they have a good chance to dry. Then move the stencil and there you go!

12. Harry Potter pumpkin

Harry Potter is one of the most popular Halloween kids costumes every year - so why not bring turn the boy wizard into a pumpkin? You can use simple acrylic paints to make Harry's iconic glasses, scar and other features. If you're feeling truly adventurous, copy this design and turn a smaller vegetable into Hedwig.

13. Nightmare Before Christmas pumpkin

Another Halloween classic, this pumpkin is inspired by Jack Skellington. The main character of the movie is the star of the show with his iconic skeletal white face and stitched mouth. 

14. Sweet pumpkin

If you’ve got a real sweet tooth then Halloween is undoubtedly your favourite holiday, with so many Halloween food ideas on offer in the supermarkets. Celebrate with this cute pumpkin design in the theme of donuts. All you need is some colourful paints and a steady hand. 

15. Two tone pumpkin

Don’t settle for one colour when you can have many! To create this unique design, get some simple masking tape, a foam brush and your favourite acrylic paint colours. This will help to create the striking two tone effect without smudges or overlaps. 

16. Funny pumpkin

Turn your favourite funny quote or meme into a Halloween decoration with this entertaining idea. All you need is paint for the base of the pumpkin if you don’t want to leave it orange and a bold marker-style paint for the slogan. Be sure it’s big and bold so trick-or-treaters don’t miss it!

17. Dotty pumpkin 

This dots pumpkin is equal parts unique and so simple. While this designer has gone for classic silver painted dots on a black background, you could also use a whole multitude of colours to create this fun painted pumpkins design. 

18. Autumnal pumpkin

When we say it's spooky season, what we really mean is that it’s autumn. The leaves are turning brown and the days are getting colder. Celebrate the season with this autumnal-themed pumpkin design using bold brown, mustard yellow and green colours to resemble foliage at this time of year. 

19. Leaf print pumpkin 

If you want an autumnal design that’s a little more inventive, go for this leaf print painted pumpkin design. This designer has gone for a cool blue colour but if that’s not quite right for you, you could go for a warm red or orange shade. 

20. Musical pumpkin 

With the return of theatres and live shows this year, we’ve all been able to go back and see our favourite live musical shows. Celebrate that occasion with this great design! This creator has gone for the musical Wicked, a perfect pick with its traditionally spooky feel.

21.  Summer pumpkin

Refusing to believe that autumn is here already? Look back to warmer weather with this cute painted pumpkin idea, featuring oranges and bees. Go one step further and spray the stalk of the pumpkin with gold for that truly bright and bold feeling. 

22. Winnie the Pooh pumpkin

Want to create this loveable character from the famous children's book? All you need is some yellow and black paint. Create the ears using small pieces of cardboard, also painted yellow, and fix into the pumpkin by cutting small slices along the top.

23. Pokemon pumpkin

Recreate your favourite Pokemon characters with this fun idea! While this creator has gone for Gengar, you could also use yellow, red and black paint to make your own Pikachu pumpkin. This idea works for any character that's round with large features, easily recognisable from wherever you keep your pumpkin.

24. Greeting pumpkin 

This painted pumpkin design is so simple - but so effective. Paint your entire pumpkin white and with a very steady hand, carefully apply your greeting to trick-or-treaters. While we love this poetic approach, a basic ‘welcome’ message would also do the trick. 

25. Frankenstein pumpkin 

Frankenstein is a classic Halloween monster so perfect for a painted pumpkin idea if you want to stick to the spooky tradition. A strong green, black and white paint is all you need to create this design. 

26. Vampire pumpkin

In a similar fashion, try this cute vampire design. While a white-painted pair of fangs will turn any smiley face into dracula, to get this more unique younger vampire look you’ll need to do something a bit different. Make sure to pick a pumpkin that’s not too big and round out the facial features like the eyes, a smaller mouth and childlike fangs. 

Using the two ideas above, you could create a spooky family to represent your own! 

27. Movie night pumpkin 

Halloween is for snuggling down on the sofa with a good film and a cup of hot chocolate. Bring that idea into your living room permanently with this unique movie night painted pumpkin - featuring popcorn, of course!

28. Sea life pumpkin 

These tropical pumpkins will certainly remind you of sunnier climates! This designer has gone for octopus, turtle, flamingo and anchor designs to bring a real look of the sea to Halloween. 

29. Rainbow pumpkins

Rainbow pumpkins are a colourful way to brighten up your doorstep. Whether you go for all colours on one pumpkin or one pumpkin for each colour of the rainbow is up to you. 

30. Crayon pumpkin

This video shows you step-by-step how to make this fun pumpkin idea. It’s not strictly a painted pumpkin design as you won’t need any paints to pull this off but well worth trying it out if you’ve got some old Crayon ends lying around. 

Double, double, toil and trouble! Halloween is nearly here and with it the opportunity to be really creative with some fun and scary craft activities.

Halloween crafts for kids are a great way to get in the mood for spooky season! Forget Halloween movies for kids and adults that might give them nightmares and don't worry about not being able to take them trick or treating if your local area is in lockdown.

These Halloween crafts for kids are much more fun (and cheaper!) than going to the shops to buy some and they'll be totally unique. Plus, you can do them safely and easily at home. So it doesn't matter if you need to stay at home or the bad weather is keeping you indoors.

From spooky ghosts to flickering pumpkin lanterns, witches' hats and gory gooey eyeballs - we've got plenty of Halloween craft ideas below. We've also got loads of step-by-step guides to make it easy for you to try and of these different crafts with your kids.

Make a weekend of your spooky celebrations and get cosy with crafts at home with the family...

Easy Halloween crafts for kids

 Halloween plant pot spiders

Spiders don't have to be scary! These cute plant pot versions can be given their own personalities with different facial expressions. Such a quick and easy craft! See our how-to here: Halloween plant pot spiders.

Paper plate Halloween masks

You don't need to buy your Halloween masks when making your own is this easy! Just pick up some paper plates and let your imagination run wild! See our how-to here: Paper plate Halloween masks

Cotton bud skeleton

Make a whole family of earbud skeletons with a pile of scary bones. And is that blood splattered or red paint about the place? See the how-to here: Cotton bud skeleton.

How to make Halloween lanterns

Get your little monsters to make these - there's no messy pumpkin to carve, just paint, sticky tape, jam jars and toilet roll and a spooky flickering light to welcome your trick or treaters. How to make Halloween lanterns.

Spooky leaves

If you're short of cash this Halloween but want to make some fun decorations, these ghastly ghouls can be found in the park! All you need are some dried leaves, white paint and a black marker pen. Oh and a wicked imagination... How to - Spooky leaves.

Egg carton eyeballs

Are you being watched? Send a chill down your guests' spines with bloodshot eyeballs following their every move. How to make Egg carton eyeballs.

Harry the Halloween ghost

Catch something out of the corner of your

eye, but when you look there's nothing there? Well Harry our Halloween ghost might not be able to disappear, but he'll certainly give you the spooks. BOO! Harry the Halloween ghost- how to.

Lollipop spiders

A house that's crawling with spiders? Ewwwwwwww. Hang on, though - they're edible. Edible spiders. Ewwwwwwww. How to - Lollipop spiders.

Bertie the Halloween bat

Watch out for the vampire bat flapping around your head! He's come to steal your blood for his dinner. Don't be scared, though. This little fella is made out of a sock! How to - Bertie the Halloween bat.

Wanda the witch

What a wicked old witch our Wanda is. Perhaps we should've called her Spoona, as that's what she's made out of, but that's not quite as Halloweeny, is it? How to - Wanda the witch.

How to make a pumpkin bag

What are your kids going to be collecting all their treats in? This pumpkin won't be the only one smiling if you help them make their very own Halloween pumpkin bag. How to make a pumpkin bag.

Bat mobile

Everyone has a coat hanger at home so turn one of yours into a brilliant Halloween mobile - perfect for a child's bedroom or outdoor decoration. How to - Bat mobile.

Halloween face paint ideas

Get really creative with face paints this Halloween! Whether you want to perfect Frankenstein's scars or need help with Vampire's fangs, check out our brilliant step-by-step guides. Check out all of our Halloween face paint ideas here.

Halloween music for kids

When you're getting crafty, you might want to put on some spooky music to get into the Halloween spirit! Thankfully there's loads of playlists on Spotify for to choose from like Kids Halloween Party, Kids Halloween Songs, and Halloween Hits for Kids.

These playlists include iconic songs like the Addams family theme, Monster Mash, and Thriller. These spine tingling tunes are sure to get everyone excited for the upcoming celebrations!

If you hear things go bump in the night, check out this list to be sure you're not living near one of the most haunted places in Britain.

Do you recognise any of these haunted places in Britain?

Ancient Ram Inn, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire

Built in 1145 on an old pagan burial site, the Ancient Ram Inn is one of Britain’s most terrifying taverns! Home to some 20 ghosts, including a murdered young girl called Rosie and a sex pest spectre called Incubus. There have been reports of flying furniture, blood-curdling child screams and one visitor even claimed to have been pulled down on to a bed.

Chillingham Castle, Northumberland

Dating back over 800 years, the aptly named Chillingham Castle was converted from an old monastery when King Edward I was battling the Scots. As battles raged and Chillingham’s grisly history unfolded, death clung to the castle and hundreds of paranormal events have been recorded here.

The castle’s chief torturer, John Sage, is said to haunt his old workplace. He killed his lover and was hanged. Whilst still alive, onlookers cut off his toes and other body parts for souvenirs.

The castle’s other famous ghost is The Blue Boy, whose body was excavated from a wall in the 1920s. The bones of his fingers were worn away from where he tried to escape. There have been many reported sightings of this boy and many claim to hear his screams when the clock chimes midnight.

Windhouse, Yell, Shetlands

On the Shetland island of Yell lies the mysterious ruin of a former laird’s house. Built in 1707, the now ruined stone building of Windhouse claims to be the most haunted house in Shetland.

In 1880, when Windhouse was renovated, skeletons were found under the floor of the building. Lying empty for over 80 years, it was bought in 2003 by an English couple who planned on restoring it but then went back on the market. Ghostly inhabitants include a lady dressed in silk, a servant girl and a ghost dog. Howls that for spooky!

Glamis Castle, Angus

Glamis Castle was home to the late Queen Mother, and the late Princess Margaret was born here in 1930. The castle is as haunted because of an ancient curse brought on the family by Sir John Lyon, who removed an ancestral chalice from their seat at Forteviot, where it was supposed to reside forever.

One of the other legends is the Monster of Glamis, the tale of a child, imprisoned in the house to conceal their hideous deformity. Upon death, the suites occupied by this creature were walled up. Now, to every generation, a vampire child is born.

Another castle tale is that of Earl Beardie. Furious that no-one would play cards with him on the Sabbath, he ended up playing cards with the Devil, who stole his soul and condemned the Earl to play cards until doomsday.  The White Lady is said to haunt the castle’s chapel and to this day a seat is always reserved in the chapel for this special spectre!

Pendle Hill, Lancashire

Pendle Hill is notorious for its connection with witchcraft and Devil worship. In the 17th century, the Pendle Witch trials began and in 1612. 12 women from the local area were accused of witchcraft. Ten were found guilty and hanged, one was found not quilty and one died during the trial.

Since then, visitors to the area have reported being throttled by unseen hands, male voices turning into women’s voices, ghostly whispers, items being thrown and ghostly apparitions. Some visitors have even reported suffering scratches from these wicked entities.

Athelhampton House, Dorset

Built over five centuries ago, Athelhampton House is considered to be one of the most haunted homes in Britain. There are reports of phantom duellists in the Great Chamber, the Grey Lady of the Tudor Room, and a hooded monk in the corridors. All pretty standard stuff for a an old pile. But Athelhampton is home to something even stranger - the ghost of an ape!

The creature was the adored pet of one of the daughters of the house.  Spurned by a lover, the daughter decided to take her own life. She made her way to a secret chamber and failed to notice that her devoted pet ape had followed her through the hidden doorway. Entombed, the poor creature starved to death. This ape-parition has never been seen but scratching sounds are often reported as the doomed creature tries to escape its eternal prison.

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

With a castle dating back to 850BC, it’s unsurprising that Edinburgh is often cited as one of the most haunted cities in the UK. It has its own dog cemetery in the castle grounds and ghost sightings are aplenty. Sky terrier ‘Greyfriars Bobby’ is the most famous of the ghost dogs to be sighted in the cemetery. Prior to his death in 1872, he spent 14 years guarding the grave of his owner. A headless drummer boy is said to haunt the castle and a ghostly piper patrols the underground tunnel!

Borley Rectory, Essex

Prior to its demolition in 1944, Borley was notorious as being ‘the most haunted house in England’. Built in 1863, it was erected on the site of an ancient monastery. A ghostly nun haunted the grounds so often that the area was known locally as ‘Nun’s Walk’.  Then came sightings of a coach and horses racing up the driveway!

Following the death of the last member of the Bull family, who had owned the property since it was built, subsequent residents reported having objects hurled at them and messages began being scrawled into the walls in front of their eyes! The rectory was exorcised but the manifestations reappeared.

Psychic researcher Harry Price took on the lease and performed a seance where he was warned that the rectory would catch fire and burn down. Less than a year later, an oil lamp fell over in the hallway and the place burnt to the ground. Witnesses described seeing ghostly figures and the sight of a nun in an upstairs window through the flames. Supernatural observations are still reported from the site today.

Blickling Hall, Norfolk

Henry VIII’s second wife Anne Boleyn is without doubt Blickling Hall’s most famous ghost. She is believed to have been born there and the current structure has been built on the ruins of the original property which was owned by the Boleyn family from 1499. Alleged sightings of her include one where she is dressed all in white, carrying her severed head through the hall and its corridors!

Eyam Village, Derbyshire

Eyam Village is commonly referred to as ‘The Plague Village’ because so many of its residents lost their lives over an 18-month period from 1667. Consequently, it has been rife for paranormal activity, from footsteps being heard in the Miner’s Arms building in the village, to a lady in a blue smock who frequents the plagued cottages. The ghost of a servant, Sarah Mills, who drowned in a well, has been sighted in Eyam Hall and the ghost of an old man resides upstairs in a locked room!

The Tower of London, Central London

Built by William The Conquerer in 1078, this historic castle on the banks of the River Thames in London remains one of the UK’s top attractions. The Tower is famed for its ghosts.

Anne Boleyn was beheaded here in 1536 and there have been numerous sightings of her close to where she was executed. The two princes, Edward V and his brother Richard who were sent to the Tower after being declared illegitimate, are also thought to have been murdered there. The skeletons of two children believed to be the princes were uncovered in the White Tower.  Subsequently, the ghosts of two children dressed in nightclothes are frequently sighted here.

Halloween treats are a big part of the scary holiday and no Halloween is complete without trick or treaters.

Halloween treats are a big part of the scary holiday and no Halloween is complete without trick or treaters. Why not have your own fun by whipping up some wickedly tasty Halloween treats for your kids and their friends this Halloween?

From toffee apples to spooky cupcakes, take a look at our favourite trick or treat Halloween recipes to make ready for when the little monsters come knocking.

Make this Halloween extra special by making your very own Halloween treats. We've got plenty to choose from including easy to make scary gingerbread men, gooey creamy vanilla fudge and ghostly mallow flapjacks.

If that's not enough, we've also got classic rocky road, tangy peppermint slices and treacle toffee - delicious. The kids will love helping you make all these tasty treats and will enjoy giving them out to neighbours and friends at the door.

Got some treats left over? If the kids have been good, why not let them try some of their very own baked goods (you could even have a sneaky few yourself). But no ghost stories before bed or they'll never go to sleep. Happy Halloween!

Ginger pumpkin biscuits

Prepare these delicious biscuits in advance and watch them disappear in no time. You could even cheat and use shop-bought biscuits, we won't tell if you don't!

Get the recipe: Ginger pumpkin biscuits

Treacle toffee

Treacle toffee is perfect to give away in small chunks and kids will love the unusual shapes and sweet taste. You could wrap small pieces in cellophane and tie with ribbon to make a little parcel.

Get the recipe: Treacle toffee

Toffee apples

Toffee apples are a sweet, sticky treat that kids love making as well as eating. This classic recipe can be decorated with hundreds and thousands to create pumpkin faces.

Get the recipe: Toffee apple

Halloween cake pops

Take this classic bake to the next level with a little Halloween makeover and turn it into a sweet treat on a stick! These Halloween cake pops are great party food for children and adults and you can even get the kids to help decorate them.

Get the recipe: Halloween cake pops

Chocolate truffle eyeballs

Originally meant to look like snowballs, adapt this recipe to make the yummy look like eyeballs for a real spooky treat.

Get the recipe: Chocolate truffles

Witch's hat biscuits

These easy to make witch's hats are made with shop-bought biscuits, ice cream cones and covered in chocolate. Fill each cone with sweets for a special surprise.

Get the recipe: Witch's hat biscuits

Jelly worms

How convincing do these jelly worms look? And the best part is that you only need a handful of ingredients, including a simple pack of jelly mix and some party straws - so easy to make!

Get the recipe: Jelly worms

Terrifying Halloween trifles

Little ones will go crazy for these terrifying Halloween trifles, which are a gruesome on the classic dessert!

Get the recipe: Terrifying Halloween trifles

Spider cake pops

How cute are these spider cake pops?! You can whip up 16 of these in one batch which makes them ideal for making in bulk. Cover in black sprinkles, decorate with liquorice lace and serve.

Get the recipe: Spider cake pops

Marshmallow swizzle sticks

Marshmallow, chocolate and sweet toppings - with that combination we bet these marshmallow swizzle sticks won't last long.

Get the recipe: Marshmallow swizzle sticks

Peppermint slice

An old favourite, peppermint slices have a cool twist to them and your little devils will love helping you make them.

Get the recipe: Peppermint slices

Creamy vanilla fudge

A winner with all ages, creamy vanilla fudge is always a hit and cut into cubes it makes an easy treat to give away.

Get the recipe: Creamy vanilla fudge

Halloween ghost biscuits

These adorably spooky biscuits only take around half an hour to make and will definitely be a hit with children and adults alike!

Get the recipe: Halloween ghost biscuits

Annabel Karmel's chocolate spider cakes

Watch your little ones face light up when they tuck into these naughty but oh-so-nice chocolate spider cakes. Hand out on spider web napkins and watch these chocolate treats disappear in minutes.

Get the recipe: Annabel Karmel's chocolate spider cakes

Halloween treat tub cupcakes

We love these very appropriate trick or treat tub cupcakes. They’re much easier to make than they may look and make the perfect gift for little trick or treaters.

Get the recipe: Halloween treat tub cupcakes

Make these cat and ladybird fancy dress outfits to keep your little ones entertained.

Our ideas for a cat and ladybird costume are perfect for a children's party, Halloween or just for playing around the house.

Most children love to play dress up! But, there's no need to head to the shops and pick up a costume.

Save money, and make the most of any old clothes you have in the back of the wardrobe by giving them a new lease of life.

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Make your own cat fancy dress outfit:

You will need

• Tracing paper and pencil
• 20 x 30cm heavy weight fusible interfacing (20 x 30cm)
• black felt
• 10 x 20cm fusible webbing
• 10cm square pale pink felt
• 10cm square white felt
• White embroidery thread
• 40cm of hat elastic
• 20 x 25cm white fur fabric, short edges parallel with the pile of the fabric
• Black T-shirt
• 10 x 55cm rectangle of black fur fabric, long edges parallel with the stroke of the fabric
• 56cm of 1.2cm-wide black elastic
• 75cm of 2-3mm wire
• Strong sticky tape

Instructions

1. Print the cat template below, then trace the mask pattern onto folded tracing paper, with the broken line against the fold. Cut out the pattern and trace details on the other half. Open out and draw around it on the smooth side of the interfacing, marking dots and crosses. Fuse to the black felt and cut out.

2. Cut the fusible webbing in half. Trace the ears and nose on the back of one piece and fuse onto pale pink felt. Trace the centre and eyebrows onto the back of the other piece and fuse onto white felt. Cut out, peel off the backing and press in place on the mask.

3. Stitch whiskers between the dots with three strands of embroidery thread. Pierce holes at crosses and insert hat elastic. Check the fit and knot the ends.

4. From the white fur fabric, cut a 15 x 20cm oval for the tummy and a 10cm square for the tail tip. Pin the oval to the T-shirt front, and catch in place at the top, bottom and sides.

5. With right sides facing, stitch the tail tip to one short edge of the black fur tail. Fold in half lengthways, right sides together, then stitch the long edge and across the end of the tip. Turn out.

6. Overlap the elastic ends by 2cm and sew together. Bend 6cm at each end of the wire in a loop and wrap with sticky tape. Insert the wire into the tail. Sew the raw end of the tail to the elastic, catching in the loop of the wire.

Cat mask template -Click here to download the cat template

Make your own ladybird fancy dress outfit

You will need

• 10 x 90cm wide black felt
• 150cm square red net
• Child’s hairband
• Two black pipe cleaners
• Two large black pompoms
• Bodkin or safety pin
• 160cm of 1.2cm-wide black elastic
• All-purpose household glue
• 140cm of 2mm wire
• Wire snippers
• Strong black sticky tape
• Red tights

Instructions

1. Cut two 6cm-diameter circles and fourteen 4cm-diameter circles from the black felt. From the red net, cut one 60 x 150cm, one 50 x 150cm and one 40 x 150cm rectangle for the skirt.

2. To cover the headband, cut a 5 x 40cm strip of black felt. Fold lengthways in half and stitch close to the long edge, making a tube. Oversew one end closed. Insert the hairband into the tube. Trim the open end to fit over the hairband then oversew closed.

3. To make antennae, wrap one end of each pipe cleaner tightly around a pompom and fluff out. Wrap the other ends around the top of the headband, 5cm apart. Twist the ends around the pipe cleaners to secure.

4. Fold each skirt piece in half widthways and pin, then stitch the short edges together with a 1.5cm seam. Press seams, then press the skirts in half lengthways to make a double layer with the seam inside. Slip the mid-length skirt over the longest one, then slip the shortest skirt over the top. Pin the folded edges together.

5. Make a channel for the elastic by stitching 6mm then 2.5cm below the folded edges. Snip a hole in the channel in the longest skirt and thread through 56cm of elastic. Adjust to fit, then overlap the ends and stitch. Separate the layers and fluff out the skirt. Glue eight 4cm felt circles to the top layer.

6. Snip the wire in half for the wings. Bend 4cm at each end at right angles. Bring the straight ends together and bind with strong sticky tape. Squeeze the wings into matching shapes. Cut the legs off the tights and slip one leg over each wing. Pull taut, and tape tightly around the straight ends. Cut off the excess.

7. Glue three 4cm felt circles to each wing. Tape the wire ends together at the centre of the wings. Cut two 50cm lengths of elastic to make straps. Adjust to fit, overlap the ends and stitch. Slip the straps over the wings and glue to either side of the centre tape. Neaten the join at the centre with 6cm felt circles glued on either side.