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Home » Picnic Tips & Ideas

Spooktacular Halloween Picnic Ideas

Published: Oct 19, 2023 · Modified: Sep 20, 2024 by Kate O'Malley · This post may contain affiliate links. See end of article for more information · Leave a Comment


Halloween isn’t just about trick-or-treating and costume parties; it’s also the perfect time to enjoy the great outdoors with a Halloween-themed picnic.

Gather your friends and family for a memorable, spooky picnic with these Halloween picnic ideas.

A group of people sitting around a table at a halloween picnic party.

For a fun spin on a fall picnic, pack your Halloween picnic basket with eerie delights, set a ghostly scene with a Halloween picnic table, and unleash your creativity with the perfect Halloween picnic costume.

You can find my hauntingly delightful Halloween picnic food ideas here, but let’s also set the scene with some spooky picnic inspiration.

Jump to:
  • Haunted Picnic Location
  • Have a Spooky Night Picnic
  • Plan a Ghoulish Picnic Spread
  • Halloween Picnic Decor
  • Halloween Costumes
  • Gather Your Halloween Picnic Essentials
  • Halloween Picnic Activities

Haunted Picnic Location

First, let’s set the scene with the right location. Choose a park, forest, or garden with a slightly eerie vibe for your spooky picnic.

A girl in a witch costume holding a balloon in the park.

Woods with towering trees can create a natural Halloween ambiance, or opt for a field or park with an old church or view of a local cemetery (in the cemetery may not be allowed or respectful). You can even spook up your backyard with these eerie ideas.

Have a Spooky Night Picnic

Have a night picnic in your local park or backyard to an extra layer of spookiness to your Halloween picnic.

A group of carved pumpkins in a field at night.

Create an eerie atmosphere with strategically placed lanterns, candles or fairy lights in the trees to cast haunting shadows.

Plan a Ghoulish Picnic Spread

Pack a spooky picnic basket filled with Halloween-inspired treats. Mummy-wrapped hotdogs, monster-shaped sandwiches, and pumpkin-spiced delights.

For an easy, themed menu, you can lean on the colors of Halloween to set the scene. Choose foods like chillingly red Roast Beet Hummus Dip and bright green Banana and Spinach Muffins with Halloween-themed picnic ware that will really set the scene.

Hang Halloween banners, use a cauldron for punch, or create spooky mocktails for a chilling refreshment.

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    No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
  • A vibrant bowl filled to the brim with creamy beet hummus, with a hand gently dipping into it.
    Vibrant Roasted Beet Hummus
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    Sweet and Healthy Spinach Banana Muffin Recipe
  • Pumpkin muffins on an orange plate with cinnamon sticks.
    Jumbo Pumpkin Muffins Recipe

Halloween Picnic Decor

Set up a spooky picnic table. Decorate your picnic area with Halloween-themed decorations like pumpkins, spider webs, and fake bats.

A table set up for halloween with pumpkins and spiders.

Use Halloween-themed plates, cups, utensils, and a spooky picnic tablecloth to set the mood.

Spider Web Table Coth Overlay

Halloween Picnic Ware

Paper Halloween Decorations

Don’t forget to include some glowing lanterns to create a creepy atmosphere.

A group of children sitting on the ground with sparklers and pumpkins.

Halloween Costumes

Encourage everyone to come dressed in their Halloween best. Have a costume contest or parade with prizes for the most creative, spooky, or funny outfits.

A couple dressed up as ghosts holding pumpkins.

Gather Your Halloween Picnic Essentials

Gather some Halloween picnic essentials. Start with a Halloween picnic basket or individual Halloween bento boxes.

Buy on Amazon
A black woven basket with a leather handle.
Img: Taylored Collection | Etsy
Buy on Etsy
A black lunch box with a skeleton on it and grapes.
Img: Unearthed Herbarium | Etsy
Buy on Etsy

Lay out spooky picnic blankets to create haunted spaces for your guests, or lay waterproof blankets on picnic benches for extra comfort and atmosphere.

These folding picnic blankets are lightweight, durable, sand and waterproof, quick-drying, comfortable, and very on-theme.

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Amazon

Halloween Picnic Activities

Scary Movie Screening

If having a night picnic, set up a screen and a projector to enjoy Halloween classics like “Hocus Pocus,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” or “Casper the Friendly Ghost.”

Don’t forget cozy blankets and pillows for everyone to snuggle up with.

A table with a movie projector set up in a backyard.

Ghost Stories

Gather around a campfire or flashlight to share spine-tingling ghost stories. Encourage everyone to come prepared with their own or pick some classic tales to spook each other.

Halloween Picnic Crafts

Bring some pumpkins and carving tools for a pumpkin decorating contest. Let your creativity run wild, and the spookier, the better.

A woman and a little girl carving pumpkins at an outdoor table.

Trick-or-Treat Scavenger Hunt

Organize a Halloween trick-or-treat scavenger hunt. Hide treats and small surprises around your picnic area for participants to find.

Halloween Playlist

Create a spooky playlist with Halloween-themed music to set the mood. Classics like “Thriller” and “Monster Mash” will surely get everyone in the spirit.

Halloween Picnic Games

So many great picnic games can have a spooky Halloween twist.

A group of children dressed up in halloween costumes biting at hanging doughnuts.
  1. Pumpkin Tic Tac Toe: Draw a tic tac toe board on a giant pumpkin and use mini pumpkins and gourds as game pieces.
  2. Bobbing for Apples: Fill a large bucket with water and apples and have players try to grab an apple with their teeth without using their hands.
  3. Halloween Bingo: Create Halloween-themed bingo cards with images of bats, witches, pumpkins, and other spooky things.
  4. Pin the Spider on the Web: Draw a spiderweb on a large piece of paper and blindfold players as they try to pin a spider onto the web.
  5. Ghost Bowling: Use white plastic cups to create ghost pins and use a small pumpkin or ball to knock them down.
  6. Spooky Egg and Spoon Race: Decorate eggs with Halloween designs for a costumed egg and spoon race with a spooky twist.

Halloween Bingo Cards

Halloween Eyeball and Spoon Set

Halloween Mini Golf Set

Don’t let Halloween’s spooky charm be confined to just one night. Take it outdoors and savor the enchantment of an eerie Halloween picnic. With these ideas, you’re sure to have a hauntingly good time. So, gather your goblins, witches, and ghosts, and let the Halloween picnic festivities begin.


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About Kate O'Malley

Picnic enthusiast, passionate cook, and the creative force behind Picnic Lifestyle. With a globe-trotting background and a keen eye for local ingredients, she's mastered the art of crafting delectable picnics and portable feasts (especially for long travel days). Kate's passion for al fresco dining comes alive in this guide, curating perfect picnics for every occasion.

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