Halloween often comes with ghosts and ghouls, zombies and monsters. Witches cackling. Mummies and vampires. Most of these characters are fun for older kids and grownups, but for the littles, it can be super scary. And scared kids are not fun for anyone.
So, we put together a list of fun (but not scary) local Halloween activities to do with your kids.
Pumpkin Festival
Sep 30 & Oct 1, 7, 8, 9 • Charmingfare Farm, Candia, NH
A trip to Charmingfare could land you or your kiddos in a sack race, a pumpkin spoon race, a pumpkin rolling contest, or a competition to milk a cow. Enjoy live music, pumpkin decorating, tractor train rides, horse-drawn rides to a hay maze, and pony rides. Purchase hot dogs and hamburgers from 11:30am to 2pm.
Applecrest Fall Festivals
October 1, 7, 8, 14 • Applecrest Farm, Hampton Falls, NH
A family favorite, head over to Applecrest to pick apples, hear live Bluegrass music (beginning at 1pm), go on a horse-drawn hayride (last ride at 4pm), make your own scarecrow, win a pie eating contest, get some faces painted, and savor delicious treats from the farm.
Pumpkinfest
Oct 8-9, 10am-4pm • DeMeritt Hill Farm, Lee, NH
Pick the perfect pumpkin (say that five times fast) at DeMeritt Hill Farm, then participate in pumpkin painting and naming contests to win prizes. There’s also a barnyard bouncy house with a slide and face painting for the young ones.
Pumpkin Patch Express
October 20-22 & 27-29, 1:30pm, North Conway Station, NH
Climb aboard the Halloween train ride to the pumpkin patch at White Mountain Cider Company where each child can choose their own pumpkin. Costumes are encouraged!
Halloween Boo Bash & Trick-or-Treats!
October 21, 12 pm – 2 pm • The Mall at Fox Run, Newington, NH
Hit the mall for some family fun. Kid can enter a costume contest, get creative with pumpkin decorating, enjoy crafts, and get some treats (or play some tricks) during trick or treating. Festivities take place in Center Court in front of Sears.
Halloween Magic Show
October 21, 11 am – 12:30 pm • Harvey-Mitchell Memorial Library, Epping, NH
Ghosts on the Banke Family Halloween
October, 27, 5:30pm – 8pm • Strawberry Banke, Portsmouth, NH
Not-so-spooky Spectacular
October 28, 10am – 5pm • Children’s Museum of NH, Dover, NH
Kids and adults are encouraged to wear their costumes to this day of Halloween fun. Meet the “Wacky Scientist” and see his fantastical experiments, visit a Fairy Circle with fairy friends and friendly spiders, get crafty, and get some lil’ faces painted. There will also be a costume contest and a scavenger hunt!
Halloween Bash
October 28, 4pm – 7pm • Merrimack Premium Outlets, Merrimack, NH
Want to perfect your pumpkin carving game? Watch master sculptor Greg Grady carve pumpkins right in front of your eyes. Afterwards, the kids can participate in trick or treating along with plenty of other Halloween family activities.
Halloween Harvestfest
October 29, 2pm – 5pm • Throwback Brewery, North Hampton, NH
This carnival-themed Halloween Harvestfest will feature live music, kids’ games (with prizes), kiddo-friendly farm tours, and a kiddie costume contest. There’s something for the grownups too: carnival-themed food specials with beer pairings. Costumes are encouraged! 100% of game & raffle ticket sales benefit Seacoast Eat Local.
 fun too. Check out these local Halloween activities to do with your kids.){kind=link}