50+ Easy, Inexpensive, and Frightfully Fun HALLOWEEN Ideas

Halloween is frightfully fun for kids, but October is a busy time for families. So, this time of year, I like to focus on Halloween ideas and activities that are easy, inexpensive, and fun. Today I am sharing a collection of over 50 of my favourites!


Click on the titles / links for more info:


Caldron cakes If you are looking for a fun activity, and a tasty Halloween treat, you are going to love this idea. With only two ingredients, and less than a minute, you can create wickedly good (and super-simple) caldron cakes. I've even designed some fun tags so that you can share the treats with your kids, friends, classmates and trick-or-treaters. 



Pumpkin Prize Punch - This prize punch is made from dollar store supplies. It's easy and inexpensive to make, and it's guaranteed to be a fantastic addition to any party or holiday celebration. Find the full step-by-step instructions here.




Halloween Movie Night - I love these movie suggestions, and this Halloween party snack tray is too cute! You can find everything you need for the perfect Halloween movie night here.



15 Halloween Class Party Treats - There is an idea here for everyone. There are treats to eat and candy free options. There are also plenty of free printable treats and tags. Check it all out here



Hocus Pocus DIYs, Crafts and Treat Ideas - They are all easy, inexpensive and fun. Lots of fantastic ideas using dollar store supplies. Find all the info you need here.



FREE "Thriller" Print - I designed this simple print, and it looks adorable in a dollar store frame. You can download a copy (for free) here.



DIY Jack-o-lantern Lava Lamp - This fun Halloween activity is simple and fun... and you likely already have all the necessary supplies in your pantry. Check out the step-by-step instructions and "how to" video here.




Halloween Candy Alternatives - These are great options when allergies and nutrition are a concern. The kids won't even miss the sugar with the fantastic Halloween treat ideas you can find here.



DIY Mason Jar Cookie Decorating Kits - This cookie decorating kits are adorable. They are perfect Halloween treats, and they would make fantastic Halloween party favours too. Get the instructions and FREE printable tags here.




5 Non-Food Halloween Treats - If allergies and nutrition are concerns for you, check out 5 candy free options here.



Halloween "Booo"bles - These adorable (free) printable tags transform boring bubbles into a fun Halloween treat. Find the tags and details here.



Halloween Straws - How cute are these Halloween straws that can be packaged with these adorable "Eat, Drink and Be Scary" tags? Perfect when you want to be allergy friendly! You can download the free printable tags here.



"Fang"tastic Treats - These treats (and their cute packaging) are wonderful additions to a class Halloween party. They are perfect when you want to be sugar-free and allergy-friendly! You can download the free printable tags here.




Eyeball Treats - The super-cute packaging and tags make these the perfect treat to share with friends on Halloween. Everyone can enjoy them because they are allergy-friendly! You can find out all the details and download the tags for free here.



Funny glasses (sugar-free) Halloween Treat - It's always great to have a non-food Halloween treat option... and these silly glasses are fantastic. You can download the FREE printable gift tags here.



Playdough Treats - These party favours / Halloween treats are perfect for sharing because they are allergy safe and sugar free. You can download the "punny" tags for free here.



Teacher Treat Ideas - Don't forget a spook-tacular gift for a fang-tastic teacher. You can download FREE printable "punny" tags here.



Eyeball Cake - Every party and special occasion needs a cake, and this one is easy to make, and super cute for Halloween. Find the full how to here.



20 DIY "No-Sew" Halloween Costumes - The best part of Halloween is dressing up, and homemade costumes are cheaper (and way better) than store bought options. Check out 20 "no sew" DIY costume ideas here.



Costumes from Old T-Shirts - Making costumes is simple and easy when you have an old t-shirt, a little imagination, and the step-by-step instructions that you can find here



Halloween Scavenger Hunt - Kids love scavenger hunts, and this one is perfect for kids of all ages. You can download it for free here.



Treat for Mom - After making all the treats and costumes, mom is going to need a treat too. You can find one that is sure to please here.


And you can download FREE tags for Halloween "Booo"ze here.



Hocus Pocus DIY decor ideas - You can easily create an adorable "Hocus Pocus" themed tiered tray with the FIVE simple DIYs here.



Halloween Paper Crafts - Paper crafts are great because you can make them with things you already have in your craft cupboard. Check out some super cute (and easy) options here.



Ghost Mask Craft - Little ones can craft their own spooky ghost mask while working on their fine motor skills. You can find the instructions and free downloadable template here



Pool Noodle Witch Legs - Festive decor is simple to make with some dollar store supplies and the step-by-step instructions you can find here.



Pool Noodle Halloween Wreath (dollar store craft) - You don't have to be very crafty to make this pool noodle wreath. All you need is a glue gun, a few dollar store supplies, and the instructions you can find here.



DIY Halloween Decor Ideas - These ideas for Halloween decor are simple and fun. The dollar store gloves are my favourite. You can check out all the simple ideas here.



Spooky Forest Door - This is a CHEAP project that looks great. Find the full DIY details here.



Mummy Door - This is the best project if you are looking to make a big impact with a little effort. Find the full DIY details here.



Mummy Door with Glowing Eyes - Take a simple mummy door to the next level by using "push light" eyes. Find all the DIY details here.




5 Minute Ghost Garland - You don't have to be crafty (or have a lot of time) to make this darling piece of Halloween decor. You can find the step-by-step tutorial here.




Paper Chain Halloween Countdown - Counting down to October 31st is a lot of fun with this DIY paper chain countdown. Find the full instructions for this adorable handprint Halloween craft here.



Halloween Countdown Printable - How cute is this Halloween countdown I designed? You can download it for free here, stick it in dollar store frame, and update it with a dry erase marker.



Little Monsters Free Printable - If you have kids, you are going to love this free print that I designed. You can find versions for different numbers of children here.



"Eat, Drink and Be Scary" Free Printable - This simple piece of Halloween decor can be printed and easily popped into a dollar store frame. Download it for free here.



FREE Printable Sign... and Cute Halloween Treat Idea - This Halloween treat idea and FREE printable sign are perfect trick-or-treaters and fun for Halloween parties. Read and the details and download the sign for free here.



10 Halloween Traditions for Kids - Holidays and traditions go hand in hand. I share 10 of my favourite Halloween traditions here.



Free Printable Halloween Lunchbox Notes for Kids - School lunches get a festive flair with these Halloween lunchbox notes. You can download them for free here.




Elf on the Shelf Halloween Postcard - Elf on the Shelf isn't just for Christmas. Kids will love receiving a Halloween postcard from their holiday buddy. You can download the free postcard I designed here



DIY Spooky Pictures - Making spooky pictures in an inexpensive way to decorate for Halloween. Find out how simple it is to make spooky pictures and fun frames here.



Easy and Inexpensive Halloween Ideas - Sometimes the best ideas are the ones that are the easiest. Check out some of my favourites here.



BOOing (our favourite family tradition) - A fun family activity for Halloween, and a great way to spread joy through the neighbourhood. Find the details and FREE printable instructions here.



Pumpkin Carving Ideas - Getting family and friends together to carve pumpkins is one of the best parts of Halloween. You can find pumpkin carving inspiration here.



Magic Pumpkin Seeds - Every holiday is better with a little magic, and this is my favourite and most magical Halloween idea. Read all about magic pumpkin seeds here.



Ideas for Leftover Halloween Candy - When all the trick or treating is done, and only a mountain of candy remains, you are going to want to check out my clever ideas for leftover Halloween candy here.

25+ Books for Boys aged 8-12+ (and girls will like them too!)

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon.ca affiliate links. If you purchase books on this blog, you will be supporting my business at NO extra cost to you. Thank you!

I've had a lot of discussions on my East Coast Mommy Facebook page about trying to find books for my boys to read. They are active boys, and it is often difficult to get them excited about settling down with a book. I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for a book that my boys won't want to put down. Today, I am sharing some fantastic recommendations for books that boys (and girls) between the ages of 8 and 12 (and above) will love




I have broken the book recommendations into categories to make it a little easier to find the book that suits your child's interests and reading level. Below, you will find: books for kids that like graphic novels, books for kids making the transition from picture books to chapter books, and books for more advanced readers. 

Click on the book titles for more info and/or to order.

FYI: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item via a link in this post, you will be paying regular Amazon.ca prices, but I will receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting all the free content I provide via this blog.

Books for kids that like graphic novels

Some children prefer reading graphic novels because of the pictures and humorous/ adventurous content. These are a few of my boys' favourite choices:


Big Nate
series by Lincoln Peirce




Jedi Academy series by Jeffrey Brown




Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney




City of Embers by Jeanne DuPrau




Dog Man Series by Dav Pilkey





Books for kids making the transition from picture books to chapter books

Some children are reluctant readers or are intimated by long chapter books. These choices are perfect for kids that are in between picture books and more advanced chapter books. They are easy to read, have interesting plots, and often include a few pictures. Here are some of my boys' favourite choices:


Ballpark Mysteries series by David A. Kelly



Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborne





Dragon Masters series by Tracey West




Diary of a Minecraft Zombie series by Zack Zombie




Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey




Geronimo Stilton series by Geronimo Stilton




Beverly Cleary booksHenry Huggins, Henry Ribsy, and Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary




Fudge series by Judy Blume




The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate



Books for more advanced readers

After children have gained their confidence and honed their reading skills, they will be ready for more advanced stories, characters, and plot lines. Kids older than 12 will enjoy many of these books too. Here are some of my boys' favourite choices:


Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan




Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling




I Funny series by James Patterson





David Walliams books: particularly Mr. Stink and The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams





Wonder by R.J. Palicio




A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket 




Swindle series by Gordon Korman




Slapshot series by Gordon Korman



MasterMind series by Gordon Korman (My 10 year old LOVED the humour and adventure in this series.)




Wings of Fire series by Tui T Sutherland

Robert Muchamore books - My 12 year old loved the CHERUB series.




Treasure Hunter Series by James Patterson




And here are a few book recommendations from some of my readers (that my boys haven't had a chance to read yet... but we are totally going to check out!)




The Amulet series

Timmy Failure series


Super Hero series


Dragon Slayers Academy series

Galaxy Zack series

Do you have books you would like to add to this list? I am always anxious to instil a love of reading in my boys, and good books are the key. If you have a suggestion, please leave it below, and I'll be sure to check it out. Thanks!


Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

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