Low-Cost Halloween Ideas for Teens Who Say They’re ‘Too Old’ (But Still Want the Fun)
Here’s How We Keep Halloween Fun with Teens
As a mom of 3 teens, Halloween just isn’t the same. It’s funny how it’s all costumes, candy, and cute pictures one year, and the next year the kids aren’t sure they want to dress-up. We know it will happen, but it still smacks you in the face… and it is heartbreaking. However, we endeavored to keep going and making memories with our teens, so here are some Halloween ideas for teens!
Don’t Let Them Fool You!
I will never understand how I was so blindsided by my children growing up. You hear it over and over… but no one talks really about what that “growing” really means. The loss of a version of your child… that you can never get back. It is so hard to emotionally comprehend, and I don’t think parents are given the support sometimes needed during this phase… but, don’t let your teens fool you!
Your kiddos may not look like this anymore…
…but that doesn’t mean they want to give up on being kids just yet. They might not be sure about dressing up or they may roll their eyes about carving pumpkins, but they are still kids. At this stage, I’ve learned that Halloween, and life, looks different. It’s not less magical, just quieter, cozier, and maybe even more relaxed.
👇 Below is how we have kept Halloween fun for our teens, and ourselves!
1. Costumes (just don’t call them that)
About 4 Christmases ago, instead of buying Christmas Eve matching pajamas for the kids (something else they were feeling they were growing out of), I bought them these bear, zip-up style pajamas. I knew they’d either love them or hate them, but I bought each kid one… and they LOVED them. My oldest son had a friend stay the night after Christmas, who also loved them, so we gave him one too.
The next Halloween was one of the first that the kids weren’t sure they wanted to continue dressing up… so I suggested the bear pjs, and they were like, “cool”, and wore them. They had a blast, there was no fuss, no cost, and they were warm. Total win!
We’ve leaned into this loophole hard.
We buy them these costume, styled pjs (click here for the exact ones we have bought over the last few years) for their Christmas Eve gift, they don’t seem extremely excited at the time, but they wear them. Then, randomly throughout winter, they are walking around the house in some pj costume. We have a movie night… they come down in these. When Halloween rolls around, they just throw one of these on and have a blast. Apparently, pjs aren’t kiddie costumes, and I’m ok with it!
Here you see 2 of my kids getting ready to do some trick-or-treating at a local State Park. They have their bear pjs on and my hubby got a blonde wig to go as Goldilocks. The goal was Goldilocks and the Three Bears, obviously, but somehow, I only got a picture with 2 of the bears. Anyway, they had a blast and so many parents smiled at them… it was great!
That Christmas, the boys got Monsters Inc. pjs and my daughter got the Cheshire cat. When the next Halloween rolled around, the boys convinced their sister to dress as Boo from the movie, instead of just wearing the Cheshire Cat. I just bought purple leggings and a pink shirt… and viola!
If your wondering about the bags they are holding, check out this post on homemade Halloween bags. We made these several years ago, but the kids have used them by choice every year!
The next year they wore the penguin, koala, and Stitch pjs we got them the Christmas before. Their friend, who we bought the bear pjs for (mentioned above) also came… and yes, wore the bear pjs that he still had!
So, you see the theme here… and this all came from just that one suggestion the first year.
Other ways to do “costumes” for teens…
- For those that don’t want to go out for candy, just have a lowkey, pj party at home.
- Instead of going out to trick-or-treat, see if the teens will dress up a bit and help pass out candy. Play it as giving back to the little kids.
- If it is too late to grab pjs or any type of costume, use what you have on hand. One year, when the kids were small, I’ll be honest, Halloween just snuck up on me. Instead of stressing, I used the boys’ baseball uniforms from the year before and my daughter’s old cheer sweatshirt and turned them into zombie baseball players and a zombie cheerleader… with some red paint and eye make-up. They thought they looked awesome! For the teens, make it a challenge and see how creative they can get.
- Suggest just a fun accessory, like a cowboy hat or witch hat. It may not be a full costume, but it is the spirit of the idea!
2. Halloween Game Night
Game night is a great way to still mark the occasion without either dressing up or going out. Grab some snacks and just have fun. One game that my kids still play, because they secretly love it, is Flashlight Hide and Seek. Older kids may roll their eyes, but they will play this… especially if you join in.
What we do:
- Wait until dark
- Set the rules (hiding only inside or outside or both)
- Everyone can get a flashlight or just the seeker… that’s up to you, but it is easier (and safer) to have one running around outside. Just make sure to turn them off when hiding. These are the flashlights we have used, purchased originally for camping, we have since bought several. They work great for everything!
- Bonus, play Halloween theme music in the background. Not too loud to be obnoxious but loud enough to be fun. This could be done even if just staying in and playing a board game too!
Game night, whether it is hide and go seek or a board game, can be chaotic but fun. There are no prizes but no pressure… and it is a great way to make Halloween fun!
3. Movie Night Takeover
This is yet another great way to make it fun at Halloween. It doesn’t have to be a huge deal, we do some small things to make it just special enough. We don’t do too scary, in fact, it has become a time to watch some of the classics from when they were younger (often by their own choice). Some of our favorites aren’t even actually movies, but here is a list we often draw from…
- Scared Shrekless
- Shrek’s Thrilling Tales
- Addams Family (1991 and 1993)
- Coco
- Beetlejuice
- Ghostbusters
- It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
- Muppets Haunted Mansion
- Hotel Transylvania
- Mickey’s House of Villains
- Monsters Inc.
- Spookley the Square Pumpkin
Often, we let one kid pick the movie, let one kid plan snacks, and one get the room ready… this gets them in the spirit. We obviously help, but letting them plan really gets them excited. A few snack ideas that have gone over well…
- Mini popcorn bar – We made tons of popcorn and then, tossed it all in melted butter. We then had cinnamon and sugar, salt, pretzels, mini-marshmallows, candies, and other things to mix-in.
- Chip and Ice Cream bar – This helps with the sweet and salty. Basically you set out several of your favorite chips and dips… watch a movie, and then either have an intermission for the ice cream or wait until in-between the first and second movies (if you are doing more than one) to do the Ice Cream bar. For the ice cream, you can simply just by a few flavors or go all-out and get several toppings to set out.
- Easy, peasy pizza. Seems simple because it is, but it always goes over well!
🍿 Want to grab the things that made movie and game night actually feel like Halloween?
I rounded up our favorites into one cozy Amazon list → snacks, spooky mugs, flashlights, and games we’ve used year after year.
📌 Save this pin or tap to browse the list:
4. You’ve Been Booed
This actually started as a Christmas tradition but we do it during various times of the year now. It still is a hit, and teens love the stealth factor.
We print a simple sign (ours is in my Etsy shop), gather random treats from around the house (candy, snacks, stickers), and drop them on a friend or neighbor’s porch.
It’s half prank, half kindness, and completely memorable.
✅ Grab our instant-download “You’ve Been Booed” sign right here
Quick note here… we’ve done this a couple ways. When the tradition started, we did it during the month of December with a sign that said “You’ve Been Blessed”. We drove around town and we stopped at the homes of those that decorated for Christmas. The kids took turns going up to the house, setting down a bag of goodies, and then either ringing the door bell or knocking. We didn’t know some of these people, but we felt safe because A) they decorated (probably not the best reason) and we felt they probably were awesome, and B) we live in a small town (about 6,000 people but also not the best reason).
This is essentially ding-dong ditching with a present and while we thought people might be annoyed at first… we assumed that they’d love the idea, when they saw the treat. We even saw people hang our signs in their windows during the month… so it must have meant something. Having said that, it doesn’t have to be a ding-dong ditch situation.
Recently in Texas, an 11 year old boy was shot after knocking on a man’s door several times, during what would be called ding-dong ditching. You can read about it here. So, to stay safe… you could do a few things…
- Just knock and give the sign to the recipient (kids should be accompanied). I am sure that this would bring a smile to their face.
- Simply leave the treat for them to find. If you do this make sure it is secure and placed visibly.
- Only go to friend’s homes.
- Know your surroundings and don’t be obnoxious (mind the time). It is meant to be a treat not a trick… don’t knock if you aren’t giving something kind.
Even with the instance in Texas, this is something we will probably do this year, but honestly, with all the recording doorbells, it might be nice to just knock, say Happy Halloween (or Merry Christmas), and be on your way.
5. Trick-or-Treating… Just for the Vibe
We do a treat-or-treat at a State Park every year, but our town obviously has a time for it too. The kids still like to do the park because of the vibe… and it is a vibe. The town trick-or-treating is a different story, they feel they are a bit too old for that, but we tell them they can choose what they would like to do.
Here’s what we let them do…
- Tell them they don’t have to go, or they can just go for a few blocks to have the experience
- Have friends come over to go with them if they want
- Let them make cocoa at home or let them run to grab one or a coffee before they go
- Ask if they want to stay home and help pass out candy
Usually, they have friends come over, they grab a warm drink, walk around for about 30 minutes, and then come home to help pass out candy. I don’t pressure them but I also don’t just let them assume they should skip it all because they are teens. They are not too old, they are simply older, and fun is for everyone!
Final Thoughts, It Doesn’t Have to Be Instagram Worthy
We don’t spend a ton of money, we don’t have matching costumes (not anymore), and we don’t even have plans most years, but Halloween still feels like something… and that’s enough. So, if you’re in that in-between state too, it’s ok to do less and shift or change traditions.
Remember, not everything has to be perfect or picture ready. Have fun and make memories with this version of your kids!
Grab these extras for more fun!
-
✅ Grab our You’ve Been Booed printable → here
-
✅ Shop our favorite cozy Halloween extras → here
-
✅ Pin this post to save it → here
-
✅ Bonus printable: “Teen Halloween Bingo” coming soon!
- ✅ Check out these fun Halloween ideas, treats, and more! → here
Enjoy these Halloween ideas for teens or have some of your own? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below, or tag me @bemandfam on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest… I’m usually hanging out in one of those places with a coffee and a project.
BEM + Fam 🙂
👉 Save This For Later
Want to come back to this? Pin it so you can find it again when you’re ready!
🛒PS. This post has some affiliate links, read more about those here.
