Halloween is basically made for STEAM. These 31 Halloween STEM activities for kids combine science, technology, engineering and math with art, creativity and hands-on learning. Our Halloween STEAM activities include spooky science experiments, coding challenges, pumpkin engineering, math activities, art projects and more.
Pumpkins, candy, ghosts, spiders, slime and spooky sounds give kids plenty of opportunities to ask questions, make predictions, build, experiment and figure out how things work.
Use this list to plan a full 31 nights of Halloween STEM and STEAM, choose a few activities for October, or grab an easy project for your classroom, homeschool day or family science night.
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Halloween STEM & STEAM Activities for Kids
Not sure where to start? Some of our favorite Halloween activities for kids involve candy chemistry, erupting pumpkins, apple mummies, sticky spider webs, ghost sounds, pumpkin circuits and static electricity zombies.
Many of these Halloween STEM activities use inexpensive materials you probably already have at home, and several include free printable worksheets or activity guides.
Jump to Halloween STEM Activities by Category
Halloween Science Experiments
Halloween gives us plenty of weird, messy, bubbling, sticky, and slightly creepy things to investigate.
These Halloween science experiments let kids explore chemistry, physics, biology, materials science, and electricity through hands-on activities using pumpkins, candy, slime, spider webs, bones, and more. They’re designed to get kids making predictions, observing what happens, and asking why.
From erupting pumpkins to apple mummies and static electricity zombies, these activities turn Halloween into a month of real scientific investigation.
Test Halloween Candy with Candy Chemistry
Is sour candy actually acidic?
Put some of that leftover Halloween candy to work in this simple candy chemistry experiment. Kids test different candies and observe an acid-base reaction while exploring the chemistry behind some of their favorite treats.
It’s also a pretty good use for the pieces nobody wants to eat.
Try the Candy Chemistry experiment →
Make Spooky Ghost Sounds
Explore sound and vibrations with a spooky Halloween physics experiment.
Kids investigate how vibrations create sound while making their own eerie ghost noises. It’s an easy way to pair hands-on science with Halloween fun and works especially well with a spooky story or Halloween read-aloud.
Try the Spooky Ghost Sounds activity →
Make Ghost kaBOOm Bags
We set out to use items around the house to observe how a chemical reaction produces a new substance.
Just kidding. We set out to make something EXPLODE.
Use baking soda and vinegar to explore acids, bases, chemical reactions and gas production with an exploding ghost baggie experiment. This one gets exciting quickly, so take it outside and get ready for kaBOOm.
Try the Ghost kaBOOm Bags experiment →
Raise a Zombie with Static Electricity
Can static electricity raise the dead?
Charge an object and see whether you can make a lightweight zombie move without touching it. This easy Halloween science experiment introduces kids to electric charge and static electricity with only a few simple supplies.
Once you’ve raised your first zombie, experiment with different shapes and materials to see what else you can move.
Try the Zombie Static Electricity activity →
Make Zombie Brain Slime
Make a batch of delightfully gross zombie brain slime for Halloween sensory play.
This slime recipe uses guar gum instead of traditional glue and gives kids an opportunity to explore mixtures, molecules and polymers while making a creepy sensory material.
Use it in a Halloween sensory bin, science activity or appropriately disgusting zombie game.
Try the Zombie Brain Slime activity →
Explode and Erupt Pumpkins
My kids wanted to make a pumpkin explode.
Obviously, the answer was yes.
Explore chemical and physical reactions while experimenting with different ways to create exploding and erupting pumpkins. This Halloween STEAM challenge lets kids make predictions, observe reactions and investigate concepts including gas production, pressure, force and motion.
Try the Exploding and Erupting Pumpkin challenge →
Make Mini Erupting Pumpkins
Turn mini pumpkins into tiny bubbling volcanoes with one of our easiest Halloween chemistry experiments.
Kids carve out the pumpkins, add baking soda and other ingredients, and then trigger an acid-base reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas and a foamy eruption.
Because the pumpkins are small, kids can easily test several variations and compare their results.
Try the Mini Erupting Pumpkins experiment →
Make Oozing Ogre Slime
Make a batch of wonderfully gross ogre slime and sneak some science into Halloween sensory play.
Kids can explore molecules, polymers, mixtures, and chemical reactions while experimenting with a stretchy, gooey material.
This Halloween science activity is especially fun when kids start changing the recipe and observing how those changes affect the slime.
Learn the Science of Mummification with Apple Mummies
Can you mummify an apple?
Use apple slices to investigate the science behind mummification and preservation in this hands-on Ancient Egypt experiment.
Kids can compare how different materials affect the apples over time, make predictions, record observations, and explore how removing moisture helps slow decomposition.
We originally paired this activity with Mummies in the Morning from the Magic Tree House series, making it an easy way to combine science, history, and reading.
Try the Apple Mummies science experiment →
Make Rubber Chicken Bones
Can you turn a hard chicken bone into a bendable rubber bone?
In this simple science experiment, chicken bones soak in vinegar while kids observe what happens as the acid reacts with the minerals in the bone.
Vinegar gradually removes some of the calcium-containing mineral material that helps give bones their rigidity, leaving the bone noticeably softer and more flexible.
It’s creepy enough for Halloween and a fascinating way to explore chemistry and biology at the same time.
Try the Rubber Chicken Bones experiment →
Investigate the Science of Sticky Spider Webs
Have you ever walked straight into a spider web?
We definitely have.
Use that familiar experience to investigate why some parts of a spider web are sticky while others aren’t. Kids can explore spider silk, proteins, structure, and the incredible material properties that make webs so effective.
This Halloween STEM activity combines biology and materials science with something kids already find fascinating — and maybe just a little creepy.
Try the Sticky Spider Web Science activity →
Halloween Coding & Technology Activities
Halloween is a fun way to introduce coding concepts because kids can practice computational thinking while working with themes they already love.
These Halloween coding activities include unplugged sequencing, binary code, conditional statements, circuits, and Scratch projects. Some activities require a computer, while others build the same coding skills without a screen.
Together, they help kids practice logical thinking, problem-solving, sequencing, and understanding how instructions control what a program does.
Practice Conditional Coding with a Halloween Worksheet
Introduce kids to conditional logic with a Halloween-themed worksheet that practices if/then statements, decision-making, and computational thinking without requiring a computer.
What happens if a condition is true?
This Halloween coding activity introduces elementary students to conditional statements and logical thinking through a spooky printable challenge.
Kids practice following rules, making decisions, and understanding the basic if/then logic that appears throughout computer programming.
It’s a screen-free way to build computational thinking skills before moving into more advanced coding projects.
Try the Halloween Conditional Code Worksheet →
Crack the Code with Halloween Binary Joke Cards
Learn one of the languages computers use while solving Halloween jokes.
These printable Halloween coding cards introduce kids to binary numbers and digital information through a fun crack-the-code challenge.
Kids convert binary values, reveal letters, and work their way toward the punchline of each Halloween joke.
It’s an easy way to introduce computer science concepts without requiring a computer.
Try the Halloween Binary Code Challenge →
Code a Witch Wardrobe in Scratch
Teach kids how conditional statements work with a Halloween-themed Scratch coding project.
In this Witch Wardrobe Scratch lesson, kids use if/then logic and block coding to control what happens when certain conditions are met. It’s a hands-on way to introduce conditionals, logical reasoning, and computational thinking while building something fun for Halloween.
Kids get to see how the same kind of decision-making they use every day — if this happens, then do that — translates directly into computer programming.
Try the Witch Wardrobe Scratch Coding Lesson →
Learn Coding Sequences with Candy Corn
You don’t need a computer to introduce kids to coding concepts.
Use candy corn to create patterns and practice sequences, algorithms and computational thinking with this easy unplugged coding activity for preschool and early elementary learners.
Try the Candy Corn Coding activity →
Build Pumpkin Paper Circuits
Combine Halloween art with electronics by making a pumpkin that really lights up.
Kids can explore simple circuits, parallel circuits and electricity while designing their own pumpkin paper circuit. It’s a great Halloween STEAM activity for kids who love art but are ready to experiment with circuitry and electrical concepts too.
Try the Pumpkin Paper Circuits activity →
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Looking for more hands-on Halloween learning?
Explore more of our Halloween science experiments, pumpkin STEM activities, coding projects, and seasonal STEAM activities for even more ideas to try this October.
Halloween Engineering Challenges
Engineering is all about designing, testing, adjusting, and trying again.
These Halloween engineering challenges give kids opportunities to build, balance, stack, construct, and solve problems using pumpkins, storybook themes, and other seasonal materials.
Instead of focusing on one correct answer, these activities encourage kids to experiment with different designs and figure out what makes a structure stronger, more stable, or more successful.
Take the Pumpkin Stacking Challenge
How many pumpkins can you balance before the whole tower comes crashing down?
Use mini pumpkins to investigate balance, stability, weight distribution, and center of mass.
Kids can experiment with different arrangements, make predictions, and redesign their pumpkin tower to see whether they can make it taller or more stable.
Try the Pumpkin Stacking Challenge →
Build a Giant Lighted Pumpkin Tower
Turn inexpensive plastic pumpkins into a giant Halloween decoration — and an engineering challenge.
Kids can work through problems involving structure, stability, construction, and design while figuring out how to safely stack and secure the pumpkins.
Add lights when you’re finished for a Halloween project that doubles as outdoor decor.
Build the Giant Pumpkin Tower →
Take the Room on the Broom Balance Challenge
Is there room on the broom for everyone?
Pair the Halloween favorite Room on the Broom with a hands-on physics challenge that explores balance and center of mass.
Kids can experiment with adding weight, changing its position, and figuring out what makes their broom balance successfully.
It’s a great storybook STEM activity for younger learners because they can test an idea, make changes, and immediately see the result.
Try the Room on the Broom Balance Challenge →
Make a Stellaluna Balance Bat
Can you make a bat balance?
Pair Stellaluna with a simple hands-on STEM challenge that introduces center of gravity and weight distribution.
Kids can adjust the position of different materials until their bat balances, then experiment with what happens when they change the weight or placement.
It’s an easy way to connect a favorite story with physics and engineering.
Try the Stellaluna Balance Bat activity →
Halloween Art & STEAM Projects
Art adds another layer of experimentation to Halloween STEM.
These Halloween art and STEAM projects combine creativity with ideas from science, engineering, design, patterns, color, texture, and visual perception. Kids can explore different materials and techniques while creating something completely their own.
The goal isn’t just to make a finished craft. These activities give kids room to experiment, make choices, and see how changing materials or design decisions changes the final result.
Make Spiderweb Optical Illusion Art
Create a Halloween spiderweb using crayon resist while exploring patterns, lines, contrast, and visual perception.
Kids can experiment with different web designs and observe how repeating lines and high contrast create the illusion of movement or depth.
It’s part art project and part visual science experiment.
Try the Spiderweb Optical Illusion Art activity →
Make Chalk Pastel Pumpkin Resist Art
Combine pumpkins, chalk pastels, and glue resist for a colorful Halloween art project.
Kids can explore texture, color blending, contrast, and resist techniques while creating their own pumpkin designs.
There’s plenty of room for experimentation, which makes every finished pumpkin a little different.
Try the Chalk Pastel Pumpkin Art activity →
Make Pumpkin Art with Cotton Swabs
Give younger kids a chance to explore pumpkins through process art.
Use cotton swabs and paint to create colorful pumpkin artwork while practicing fine-motor skills, experimenting with patterns, and exploring color.
This easy preschool pumpkin activity works especially well when younger siblings want to join the Halloween fun but aren’t quite ready for the more advanced Halloween STEM activities.
Try the Preschool Pumpkin Art activity →
Halloween Math Activities
Halloween makes it easy to turn ordinary math practice into something kids actually want to do.
These Halloween math activities use candy, pumpkins, spiders, potions, and other seasonal themes to practice skills like counting, number sense, addition, subtraction, patterns, measurement, and problem-solving. They work well for classroom centers, homeschool lessons, or an easy hands-on activity at home.
Younger learners can build foundational skills with counting and ten frames, while older kids can tackle more open-ended Halloween math challenges that encourage them to explain their thinking and test different strategies.
Practice Math with Candy Corn Ten Frames
Turn a handful of candy corn into a hands-on Halloween math activity for preschool and kindergarten.
Use ten frames to practice number sense, addition and subtraction while composing and decomposing the number 10. Don’t have candy corn? You can easily substitute another small manipulative such as cereal pieces, LEGO bricks or pom-poms.
Try the Candy Corn Math activity →
Practice Counting with Fall I Spy
Look closely, find the matching objects, and count what you see.
These printable Fall I Spy worksheets help younger kids practice counting, visual discrimination, number recognition, and attention to detail.
They work well as a quiet activity, classroom center, or printable to keep on hand during the fall season.
Get the Fall I Spy Worksheets →
Explore Fall Leaves with Science and Art
Halloween isn’t the only thing worth investigating in October.
Head outside for a fall nature walk, collect interesting leaves and take a closer look at their shapes, structures and textures. Then turn your specimens into leaf rubbings while exploring how different art materials interact with different types of paper.
It’s an easy way to combine nature study, observation and art in one fall STEAM activity.
Try the Leaf Science and Art activity →
Grab Free Halloween Worksheets for Kids
Need an easy Halloween activity you can print and use right away?
This collection of free Halloween worksheets includes activities for different ages and learning levels, including I Spy, word search, number recognition, letter recognition, pumpkin coloring, and greater-than and less-than math practice.
Use them for a classroom center, homeschool activity, early finisher work, or a quieter break between hands-on Halloween STEM activities.
Get the Free Halloween Worksheets →
Halloween Activities for Preschoolers
Preschoolers can do a lot more than simple Halloween crafts.
These Halloween activities for preschoolers focus on early STEM skills like counting, patterns, observation, sensory exploration, fine-motor development, problem-solving, and asking questions about the world around them.
Pumpkins, silly faces, simple science experiments, printable activities, and hands-on art make it easy to introduce younger kids to STEM and STEAM concepts in a way that feels like play.
Make an Easy Preschool Mummy Craft
This simple mummy craft is an easy way for younger kids to join the Halloween fun.
Preschoolers can practice fine-motor skills, creativity, and following a simple process while creating their own wrapped mummy.
It also works well as a quieter activity after one of the messier Halloween science experiments.
Try the Preschool Mummy Craft →
Explore Faces and Emotions with Silly Pumpkins
How many different expressions can you make on a pumpkin?
This playful preschool activity helps young children identify facial features, expressions, and emotions while building their own silly pumpkin faces.
My youngest called them her “funny pumpkins,” and that’s pretty much the perfect description.
Change the eyes, nose, and mouth to create happy, surprised, worried, angry, and completely ridiculous pumpkins.
Try the Silly Pumpkin Faces activity →
Investigate a Pumpkin with the Five Senses
Before you carve your pumpkin, investigate it.
Encourage preschoolers to use their five senses and observation skills to explore a pumpkin inside and out.
Kids can describe what they see and feel, make predictions about what’s inside, compare different pumpkins, count seeds, take measurements, and record what they discover.
It’s a simple introduction to scientific observation and inquiry using one of the best materials fall has to offer.
Try the 5 Senses Pumpkin Investigation →
Play Halloween Bingo
Need something simple for a classroom party, family game night, or Halloween gathering?
Print these Halloween Bingo cards for an easy screen-free activity that kids can play again and again.
You can also use the pictures for vocabulary practice, matching, and visual discrimination with younger learners.
Get the Halloween Bingo Game →
More Fall STEM & STEAM Activities
The hands-on learning doesn’t have to stop after Halloween.
These fall STEM and STEAM activities use seasonal materials and themes to explore science, coding, math, art, and early learning throughout the rest of autumn.
They’re a good fit when you want to transition from Halloween into broader fall activities while keeping the same hands-on, inquiry-based approach.
Make Dancing Cranberries
Can you make a cranberry dance?
This easy science experiment lets younger learners investigate bubbles, floating, sinking, and buoyancy while making cranberries move up and down in a liquid.
Kids can make predictions before the experiment and then observe what actually happens.
Try the Dancing Cranberries experiment →
Explore Patterns with Unplugged Coding
Patterns are one of the earliest ways young children begin developing computational thinking.
Use these printable fall pattern activities to practice pattern recognition, sequencing, prediction, and early coding concepts without a screen.
Kids identify what comes next, complete repeating patterns, and begin thinking about sequences in much the same way programmers do.
Try the Fall Pattern Coding activity →
Plan More Fall STEM & STEAM Activities by Age
Want to keep experimenting after Halloween?
Use our Fall STEAM activity schedule to find hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities organized for different ages.
It’s an easy way to continue building STEAM into your homeschool, classroom, or family activities throughout the rest of fall.
Get the Fall STEAM Activity Schedule →
More Halloween STEM Activities from Our Family Code
Halloween is one of our favorite times of year for hands-on learning because ordinary seasonal materials can become science experiments, engineering challenges, math manipulatives, coding activities, and art projects.
Explore more of our Halloween science experiments, pumpkin STEM activities, coding projects, math activities, and free printables — and check back throughout the season as we add new projects to the collection.
We’re always looking for another excuse to experiment with pumpkins, candy, slime, spiders, and anything else we can turn into a little science.
Happy experimenting, and happy Halloween!
Meet Toni, the Maker Mom behind Our Family Code
Hey there, I’m Toni! I’m a software engineer and Maker Mom that finds my joy in unleashing my children’s curiosity by exploring STEAM concepts with my fantastic five!
When I’m not chasing toddlers or raising tweens, you can find me tearing things up and putting them back together over here at Our Family Code.
I am the owner and content creator of multiple educational websites designed to increase access to STEAM & STEM education with a focus on teaching computer science and coding to kids of all ages!
These are great activities. I can’t wait to try them !