Frightfully Fun Family Reading Ideas for Halloween Night

🎃 Spooktacular Family Reading Night Ideas for Halloween

Fall is here, and that means cozy nights, sweet treats, and stories that bring families together! Halloween is the perfect time to turn reading into a magical experience. At Martin’s Children’s Books, we love helping families create fun traditions that make learning and literacy a little more boo-tiful! 👻

Here are some creative Family Reading Night ideas that blend spooky fun with reading adventures:

🕯️ 1. “Glow in the Dark” Reading Fort

Transform your living room into a Halloween reading cave!

• Use flashlights, string lights, or glow sticks to light up your fort.

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• Everyone picks their favorite Halloween-themed book (or one from our collection like What Do I Do About This? for problem-solving fun).

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• Take turns reading by flashlight—it’s equal parts spooky and silly!

🍬 2. Candy Corn Storytime Snacks

Set up a small snack table with popcorn, candy corn, and apple slices.

As kids snack, read short stories or picture books about kindness, bravery, or teamwork.

💡 Tip: After the story, ask your child which character they’d share their candy with and why. This sparks discussion about friendship and empathy!

🧙‍♀️ 3. Costume Character Parade

Have each family member dress up as their favorite book character!

Read a short passage from that character’s story and have everyone guess who it is.

You can even include your little ones’ favorite characters from Black Girl Be You or Black Boy Be You for a confidence-boosting celebration.

📚 4. Spooky Word Hunt

Hide Halloween-themed words (like pumpkin, witch, ghost, or bat) around the room.

Each time a child finds a word, they must use it in a sentence or make up a short story!

This activity builds vocabulary and imagination—two of our favorite things!

🌙 5. “Frightfully Fun” Family Book Club

Choose one fall-themed picture book to read together all week.

Each night, talk about what happened in the story and what might come next.

End the week by drawing your favorite scene or character.

🦇 6. Halloween Reading Bingo

Make a bingo card with activities like:

• Read under a blanket

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• Read a book with a pumpkin on the cover

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• Read to a stuffed animal

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• Read outside under the moonlight

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Complete five in a row for a special treat! (You can even print a Martin’s Children’s Books Reading Bingo card to make it extra fun!)

Wrap-Up: Keep the Spirit of Reading Alive!

Halloween may come and go, but reading magic lasts all year long. Whether your child loves counting pumpkins like in Surrounded by Numbers or preparing for school with ABC’s of Kindergarten, family reading nights help build skills, laughter, and memories that shine brighter than any jack-o’-lantern.

✨ Tip: Take pictures of your family’s reading setup and tag us on social media using #MartinsChildrensBooks — we’d love to feature your Family Reading Night!

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