15 Fun & Spooky Halloween Activities for Teens (That Don’t Involve Trick-or-Treating)

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This Post: 15 Fun & Spooky Halloween Activities for Teens (That Don’t Involve Trick-or-Treating)

Co-Written By: Amannda Maphies & Nancy Reynolds

I’m a big fan of encouraging our kids to trick-or-treat well into their teen years. After all, despite their grown-up-looking bodies, they’re still little on the inside. But some teens, all on their own, decide they’ve outgrown the time-honored tradition they grew up with.

In my house, my 12-year-old is all in for hitting up our neighbors for free candy yet again this year. On the other hand, my 14-year-old son isn’t into the whole Halloween hoopla this year. And, that’s okay! 

Still, I really want him to enjoy Halloween  – even if he chooses not to go trick-or-treating. That’s why I racked my brain to come up with a few fun alternatives and new traditions for him and his friends to enjoy! 

If your teen feels they’ve outgrown trick-or-treating or they’re just not into it this year, here are a few fun Halloween activities for teens (that aren’t too childish) that will get them into the spooky spirit! 

1. Check Out a Local Corn Maze 

Corn mazes have come a LONG way in the last few years. With towering stalks, twists and turns, and dead ends at nearly every corner, it’s a fun way for your teen and the fam (or their friends) to enjoy a chilly spooky autumn evening. If they’re feeling courageous, they might want to venture into a haunted corn maze where they navigate the corn trail only by the glow of the moonlight with scary threats lurking around every turn. Check out the best corn mazes in the US HERE!

2. Let Your Teen Throw a Halloween Party

Throwing a Halloween party as a teen is basically an excuse to turn your house into a chaotic, candy-fueled rave – because what could possibly go wrong when you mix a bunch of sugar-high teenagers in costumes with spooky decorations? Make it fun by planning a few fun activities they can all enjoy like bobbing for apples, watching a scary movie, having a costume contest or just chilling out with pizza, soda, and friends. 

3. Brave a Haunted House

Going to a haunted house is the ultimate teen thrill – it’s like paying money to scream your lungs out, pretend you’re not scared, and then argue with your friends about who was really the most terrified (spoiler: it’s always the one who swears they weren’t scared at all). One minute, you’re trying to act cool in front of your crush, and the next, you’re grabbing their arm like it’s your only lifeline. And let’s be real, half the fun is watching your bravest friend jump five feet in the air when a chainsaw-wielding zombie pops out from behind a door. If you’re willing to brave it, check out this list of the Spookiest Haunted Houses in the US!

4. Visit a Spooky Graveyard or Go On a Haunted Walking Tour

A lot of cities and towns have several historic sites that they have turned into haunted walking tours that are not only fun and scary but educational, too. (Shhh… don’t tell your teen.) It’s a fun way to spend a chilly, clear night when the moon is full. Gather everyone after the tour and head out for their favorite fast food. Need ideas? Take a peek at these Top-Rated Haunted Ghost Tours. 

5. Host a Scary Movie Marathon Night For Your Teen and Friends

Choose the top three scariest movies of all time (heads up… some teens might not be up for this!) and host an evening for your teen and all their friends to cover their eyes and huddle together in fear while they munch on Halloween treats! Check out this list of the Top 100 Horror Flicks of All Time!

6. Check Out a Haunted Amusement Park

Amusement parks all over the country (and in other countries!) dive into the spookiness of the season by transforming their amusement park into haunted parks filled with thrills and chills. Think haunted mazes, chilling music, wandering zombies… perhaps suited for only the bravest teens. Need tips on where to go? Check out these Top Haunted Amusement Parks in the US.

7. Host a Halloween Scavenger Hunt

Let your kids host their own Halloween scavenger hunt. Hold it at the local pumpkin patch or even in your own backyard. Make printouts highlighting everything each team needs to find (or they can take pictures of their finds) like an acorn, a scary witch, something purple, an apple, etc. It can be anything! Be sure to have prizes (like $5 or $10 gift cards) ready for the team that wins!

8. Host a Backyard Bonfire

Bonfires are all the stuff this time of year is made of!  And, I  don’t have to tell you that it doesn’t take much to make teenagers happy. Sometimes, it’s the littlest things that can bring a huge smile to their faces! Cozying up in a warm blanket, roasting hot dogs, and making smores while sitting around a fire telling ghost stories… what could be better than a night of good, old-fashioned fun on a crisp fall night?

9. Get Stuck in a Halloween-Themed Escape Room

Just in the last few years, escape rooms have really become popular, and boy…are they fun! They’re not as easy as they sound, that’s for sure! Let your teen try their hand at a local Halloween-themed escape room or encourage them (and their friends) to create their own in your home! This might be the ultimate test of their creativity and loads of fun!

10. Host a Pumpkin Carving Contest

For your teen and friends, a pumpkin carving contest is the perfect mix of creativity, friendly competition, and plenty of messy fun! (Get the newspapers ready!) Teens get to show off their artistic skills (aka who can carve a design where you can actually tell what it is) while judging their friends’ pumpkins. (What is that supposed to be? A bat? A blob?) Make sure you offer plenty of snacks and maybe a few fun spooky mocktails or punch and add some Halloween music to ramp up the energy. Looking for pumpkin carving ideas? Check out these ideas! 

11. Host an Outdoor Spooky Movie Night

All you need is a projector, a white sheet or a screen, speakers, and some lawn chairs for teens to enjoy a night of scary entertainment and fun. Let them pick the movie(s) and make sure you whip up a few fun Halloween movie night treats like this Halloween Popcorn Mix. 

12.  Plan a Ghostly Hike

If you have a local (safe) hiking trail, why not gather up your teen and friends and head out with flashlights for a fun night of giggles and most likely, a few ghostly scary noises? Share a few scary stories along the way to get hearts pounding and end the hike with hot cocoa and snacks back at the house. (Depending on the age of the teens, this might require adult supervision.) 

13. Decorate Halloween Cookies 

You might not think teens would enjoy baking, but most actually DO! Let them roll the dough, cut them out into Halloween shapes, and decorate them with frosting and a variety of sprinkles. Then… let them dive in and eat their masterpieces! Ramp up the Halloween music and prepare for lots of giggles – especially when teens who have never stepped foot in the kitchen try their hand at baking and decorating. Check out the recipe for these Halloween Sprinkle Cookies Here!

14. Host a Trunk or Treat

Our church has a community outreach called Trunk or Treat each Halloween. Members sign up to decorate the trunks of their cars and pass out candy so that people in the community can bring their kids to one location and trick-or-treat. This could be something your teen might be interested in doing (with family or friends) either with their own car or with the family vehicle. Let your teen choose a theme and help decorate the trunk. Then bring some lawn chairs, blankets, and a thermos of hot cocoa, and enjoy chatting with people who stop by to trick-or-treat. 

15. Keep It Simple