23 Best Halloween Gifts for Kids: Crafts, Books and Toys

Kids color the ghost with the included markers, switch it on and watch their design glow, then wipe it clean and start again. At under $10 it is an ideal Boo basket gift for ages 3 to 7, and it doubles as a little night light on Halloween.

Ten smooth river rocks and ten paints turn into spiders, bats and monsters that kids can line up on a porch step or windowsill. It is a calm, low-mess afternoon project that works for a wide age range, and the finished rocks become their own homemade Halloween decor.

Kids build ten Halloween pictures one numbered sticker at a time, and some of the stickers glow in the dark. There is no paint, no glue and no cleanup, which makes it a perfect gift for a car trip, a waiting room or a grandparent's house.

Thirty small tubs in pumpkin orange, ghost white and slime green give toddlers and preschoolers everything they need to sculpt monsters and jack-o-lanterns. The individually wrapped tubs also split nicely into non-candy trick-or-treat handouts.

For the 6 to 12 year old who loves anything squishy, this kit lets them mix their own monster slime with glow powder and color-changing add-ins. Making it is half the fun, and the finished slime is a hit at sleepovers and Halloween parties.

Turn a simple costume into a full look with spiderwebs, cat whiskers or a skeleton face. The water-activated paints include glitter shades and stencils, wash off with water, and are enough for siblings and friends at a Halloween party.

Carving a jack-o-lantern is a Halloween highlight, and these small saws, scoopers and pin tools are far easier for kids to handle than kitchen knives. Older children can carve with supervision, while little ones can use the scooper and the hammer to punch out dot patterns.

A wave of the hand switches between 50 glowing faces, from pumpkins to skulls, which makes this the gift tweens and older kids show off all night. It is rechargeable, adjusts to fit, and instantly upgrades any costume without face paint.

Hundreds of temporary tattoos with bats, pumpkins and spiders that glow in the dark, for just a few dollars. They are a cheap costume finishing touch and an easy favor to share around a classroom or Halloween party.

Two collapsible pumpkin buckets with LED lights make kids easier to see on dark streets and hold a full night of candy. They fold flat after Halloween, and with two in the pack they suit siblings or a trick-or-treat buddy.

Cotton skeleton pajamas that glow when the lights go out are a favorite gift to open in early October. They make a last-minute costume, a fun Halloween sleepover outfit and pajamas a child will want to wear all month. Check the size before ordering.

Kids assemble a 40-piece human skeleton that glows in the dark, learning the bones as they build. It suits the curious 6 to 10 year old who loves Halloween skeletons and asks how the body works, and it stays on their shelf long after the season.

Forty-five experiments with fake brains, slime, worms and fake blood make this a dream gift for kids aged 8 to 12 who love the gross side of Halloween. It is real hands-on science disguised as a spooky activity, and there is enough in the box to last through the winter.

Write a secret message, shine the UV light and it appears. A pack of 30 is perfect for a Halloween scavenger hunt or a spooky mystery game at a party, and kids keep using them for notes and spy games all year.

Room on the Broom is a Halloween read-aloud classic, and this set adds The Gruffalo and four more Julia Donaldson favorites. For a child aged 2 to 7, it is a gift that starts on Halloween night and keeps coming out at bedtime for years.

Four Halloween Mad Libs books in one give confident readers hours of fill-in-the-blank spooky stories that end in giggles. It is a great screen-free gift for a road trip to grandma's or a rainy October weekend, and it quietly builds grammar skills.

Four 100-piece puzzles with Halloween scenes that glow when you turn the lights off, which gives kids a fun reveal after they finish. The size is right for ages 6 and up working solo or with a parent.

Six large bath bombs in spooky shapes add colorful fizz to bath time, a handy trick for getting reluctant bathers into the tub after a messy day of trick-or-treating. They fit neatly into a Boo basket alongside a book or plush.

Four textured eggs with flexible, articulated dragons curled inside make a great fidget toy and a fun surprise for kids who love fantasy creatures. They are a small, inexpensive addition to a Halloween basket that will not end up in the trash by November.

A pack of 24 squishy skeletons is the easy answer for classroom parties and non-candy trick-or-treat handouts, especially for kids with allergies. Kids love pulling and flinging them, and one pack covers an entire class.

Two wireless mics and spooky voice effects make this the gift that turns a Halloween party into a show. It doubles as a Bluetooth speaker and stays a favorite toy all year for kids from about 3 to 12 who love to sing.

This pumpkin dances, plays spooky music and lights up its eyes, which toddlers and young kids from about 3 to 7 find endlessly funny. It works as both a toy and a bit of Halloween decor on the kitchen counter.

Five tiny smiling ghosts in a basket are just right for a child who likes the idea of Halloween but not the scary parts. They are soft enough for bedtime, collectible enough for older kids, and make a sweet centerpiece for a Boo basket.