Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, which means a whole weekend to play with. Trick-or-treating is lovely, but if you ask a lot of parents, some of the best Halloween memories happen indoors: a rainy afternoon of crafting, a pile of cushions, a story by torchlight and a family movie night in pyjamas.
So this year we have put together a guide to a home Halloween. Everything here is spooky in a friendly way, with plenty of giggles, glitter and the odd cheeky ghost, and none of it needs a party, a costume parade or a late night. Better still, there isn't a sweet in sight. If you would like to keep the sugar down this Halloween, or you just want treats that last longer than a chocolate bar, you will find plenty of alternatives below. We ship across the UK, so you can shop the whole Halloween collection and have it ready for the weekend.
Get Cosy: Halloween Pyjamas and Dressing Up
The easiest way to make a home Halloween feel special is to dress for it. No costume required, just something fun to wear for the evening.
For babies, Mayoral's black Halloween range is perfect for a first Halloween at home (sizes 2-4 months up to 12 months):
- The Baby Halloween Patterned Pyjamas are a cosy romper with a friendly witch-ghost design, bat-wing sleeves and a matching pom-pom hat (£23.45).
- The Newborn Halloween 3-pc Patterned Tracksuit has a Trick or Treat print of ghosts, bats and a pumpkin, with a cat-ear beanie (£26.45).
- The Baby Halloween Star Sequin Fantasy Dress is a sparkly tulle party dress, ideal for a living-room photoshoot (£26.45).
Add one of our Ziggle Baby dribble bibs, either the My 1st Halloween Bib in orange or the My L'il Pumpkin Bib in grey (£5.99 each), and the family photos are sorted.
For bigger children, a little dressing up goes a long way. The Rockahula Rainbow Unicorn Wand is a sparkly glitter unicorn on a wand, great for any little spell-caster (£7.85). Pair it with Rockahula's Spooky Cute Halloween Hair Ponies (£6.85), Spooky Halloween Claw Clips 3 Pack (£6.85) or Spellbound 3 Pack Scrunchies (£7.85) and you have a witchy look in minutes. There are also Pumpkin Clips and Witching Hour Glitter Clips (£6.35 each).
A Craft Afternoon on the Kitchen Table
Our Cotton Twist "Make Your Own" kits are made for exactly this. They are aimed at ages three and up, designed to be sustainable, and at £3.99 each you can make an afternoon of it without spending much:
- Make Your Own Witch Peg Doll
- Make Your Own Bat Mask
- Make Your Own Bat Keyring
- Make Your Own Spider's Web
- Make Your Own Space Monster Puppets
Here is an easy plan: make the monster puppets in the afternoon, then put on a puppet show after tea. The finished spider's web and bat mask also make cute decorations for the house.
For quieter colouring, the Children's Halloween Colouring Book has 12 cute characters, with the back of each page left blank for extra creativity (£2.50). For anything stickery, try the Sticker Scene Activity Book, Halloween (£6.00) or the Halloween Stickers book, with laminated sheets of spooky characters (£3.75).
Rainy-Day Puzzles and Activity Books
When the weather turns (this is Scotland, after all), a good puzzle or activity book does wonders.
The Crocodile Creek 50 Piece Holographic Pumpkin Puzzle is made for ages four and up, and the shimmering finish makes it feel special (£9.95). For younger children, the Crocodile Creek Haunted House 36 Piece Floor Puzzle has big, sturdy pieces that are easy for little hands (£16.95).
In the activity book pile, the Happy Halloween Sticker Activity Book has over 400 stickers, including a page of glow-in-the-dark ones (£6.99). We're Going on a Ghost Hunt is full of mazes, puzzles and stickers (£6.99). And the Room on the Broom Magic Painting Book is completely mess-free: brush the pictures with water and the colours appear (£9.99).
Storytime by Torchlight
Turn the lights down, grab a torch and a blanket, and read by the glow. We have some lovely Halloween stories for all ages:
- Let's Go Home, Little Witch: a sliding-counter board book where children help spooky characters find their way home (£7.99).
- Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, about a kind witch and her cat (£7.99).
- Say Peekaboo! Duck's Spooky Halloween Book, where Duck forgets to make a costume (£7.99).
- We're Going to Pick a Pumpkin, a rhyming counting book with a cheeky ghost (£7.99).
Sweet-Free Treats: Halloween Goodies That Aren't Sweets
Lots of families would rather hide, hand out or gift something that isn't sweet at Halloween, whether that is to cut back on sugar or simply to give children something that lasts beyond one night. A fun idea for a home Halloween: hide a few small surprises around the house and let the children go on a spooky treasure hunt. These small gifts work brilliantly, and none of them end in a sugar rush:
- Halloween Temporary Tattoos: glow-in-the-dark with gold foil details (£4.75).
- Tattoos Space Oddity: space-themed designs with glow-in-the-dark details that only show up once the lights go out (£5.99).
- Tattoos Monster: a kit with two colourful pens and stencils so children can design their own monster tattoos (£3.99).
- Spooky Halloween Self Adhesive Nail Stickers: glow-in-the-dark designs, no polish needed (£3.95).
- Halloween Stickers: laminated sticker books with four sheets of spooky characters (£3.75).
- Children's Halloween Colouring Book: 12 pages of cute characters (£2.50).
- Any of our Make Your Own kits, such as the bat keyring, witch peg doll or spider's web (£3.99 each).
Turn off the lights afterwards and see what glows. It never gets old.
Sweet-free swaps, mostly under £5. If you are used to buying a bag of sweets for trick-or-treaters, or filling party bags or a Halloween box for the children in your life, try a mix of two or three of the items above instead. A tattoo sheet, a sticker book and a Make Your Own kit make a lovely little bundle, and it is something they can actually keep.
Something bigger for a Halloween gift. A Halloween book (£7.99), a pair of Rockahula hair ponies (£6.85) or a dribble bib for a baby (£5.99) all make a sweet-free Halloween gift that feels a bit more special.
A Cuddly Pumpkin for Movie Night
Every home Halloween needs something soft to snuggle. Jaqueline the Pumpkin Plush Toy from Squidglys is huggable, friendly and not at all frightening (£13.95). She will stay a favourite long after the pumpkins are gone.
A Simple Plan for a Halloween Day at Home
- Morning: colouring or a sticker scene while breakfast settles.
- Afternoon: a Make Your Own kit at the kitchen table, then a puzzle.
- Teatime: pyjamas on, and the hunt for hidden treats begins.
- Evening: lights down, torch on, and two or three stories before bed.
Happy Halloween from Mini Moments Scotland
Whether you are dressing a tiny pumpkin for their first Halloween, or planning a cosy weekend of crafts, puzzles and stories, we hope you find something you love. Browse everything in one place in our Halloween collection. Many items are limited stock, so we would suggest ordering early.
Have a spooky, giggly, glittery Halloween!
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