Haunted Cubby House
Build, paint, and play inside a recycled Halloween installation
The Set Up
Cardboard invites big ideas. It is light, forgiving, and full of possibility. For Halloween it transforms a space into something a little spooky and very playful.
Gather large boxes or sheets from anywhere you can. We are lucky to have a mechanic behind Smudge who saves theirs for us. IKEA recycling stations, hardware stores, and paint shops often have stacks ready to go. Cut a mix of sizes so kids can decide where doors, windows, and secret passages belong.
If space is tight, make a flat version on the wall. It still delivers that big visual moment. If you have room, build a cubby kids can step into. It is always worth it.
Makedo or ChompSaw tools keep construction safe and simple. Masking tape works for quick joins. Set out tempera or poster paint in whatever spooky colours take your fancy! Black, white, orange, and violet are often our go-to's. Mix a touch of white into every colour for extra brightness. Add rollers, sponges, and chunky brushes for loose, confident painting.
The Making
Ask who or what might live inside. A friendly ghost, a bat family, a witch with an insatiable glitter habit? Then step back a little and let the building and painting unfold. Walls might move, windows appear, chimneys lean.
Encourage movement and teamwork because learning sits inside all of those decisions. Let kids figure out how to join sections, balance heights, or create entryways. They’ll negotiate, problem-solve, and decorate all at once. The best moments come when storytelling and construction start to blur.
If you’re working with older groups, invite them to think beyond decoration. What kind of feeling does the space hold? Is it a hiding place, a memory, a dream? Those questions change the way they build.
Artist Study: Louise Bourgeois
Louise Bourgeois built sculptural spaces called Cells. They were small rooms made from wire, fabric, and found materials. Each one explored memory, fear, and the idea of home. Her giant spider sculptures, like Maman, weren’t about monsters or nightmares. They were symbols of strength, patience, and protection, all the qualities she saw in mothers weaving webs and repairing them again and again.
Show a few images of Maman or one of her Cells and talk about how she used structure to hold emotion. Ask: what could we build that feels strong or secret or safe? How can materials tell stories without words?
When kids build haunted houses, they’re doing what Bourgeois did; turning ordinary materials into spaces that hold feeling, memory, and a little bit of mystery.
Variations
Create a flat haunted mural instead of a 3D build
Add torches or fairy lights behind windows for glow
Use chalk pens or white paint pens for details once dry
Materials
• Large recycled cardboard sheets or boxes
• Makedo or ChompShop tools
• Masking tape or glue gun (for adult use, or supervised with kids)
• Tempera or poster paint
• Brushes, rollers, sponges
• Optional chalk pens, torches, string lights
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Haunted Cubby House
Build, paint, and play inside a recycled Halloween installation
Bookmark
Installations
The Set Up
Cardboard invites big ideas. It is light, forgiving, and full of possibility. For Halloween it transforms a space into something a little spooky and very playful.
Gather large boxes or sheets from anywhere you can. We are lucky to have a mechanic behind Smudge who saves theirs for us. IKEA recycling stations, hardware stores, and paint shops often have stacks ready to go. Cut a mix of sizes so kids can decide where doors, windows, and secret passages belong.
If space is tight, make a flat version on the wall. It still delivers that big visual moment. If you have room, build a cubby kids can step into. It is always worth it.
Makedo or ChompSaw tools keep construction safe and simple. Masking tape works for quick joins. Set out tempera or poster paint in whatever spooky colours take your fancy! Black, white, orange, and violet are often our go-to's. Mix a touch of white into every colour for extra brightness. Add rollers, sponges, and chunky brushes for loose, confident painting.
The Making
Ask who or what might live inside. A friendly ghost, a bat family, a witch with an insatiable glitter habit? Then step back a little and let the building and painting unfold. Walls might move, windows appear, chimneys lean.
Encourage movement and teamwork because learning sits inside all of those decisions. Let kids figure out how to join sections, balance heights, or create entryways. They’ll negotiate, problem-solve, and decorate all at once. The best moments come when storytelling and construction start to blur.
If you’re working with older groups, invite them to think beyond decoration. What kind of feeling does the space hold? Is it a hiding place, a memory, a dream? Those questions change the way they build.
Artist Study: Louise Bourgeois
Louise Bourgeois built sculptural spaces called Cells. They were small rooms made from wire, fabric, and found materials. Each one explored memory, fear, and the idea of home. Her giant spider sculptures, like Maman, weren’t about monsters or nightmares. They were symbols of strength, patience, and protection, all the qualities she saw in mothers weaving webs and repairing them again and again.
Show a few images of Maman or one of her Cells and talk about how she used structure to hold emotion. Ask: what could we build that feels strong or secret or safe? How can materials tell stories without words?
When kids build haunted houses, they’re doing what Bourgeois did; turning ordinary materials into spaces that hold feeling, memory, and a little bit of mystery.
Variations
Create a flat haunted mural instead of a 3D build
Add torches or fairy lights behind windows for glow
Use chalk pens or white paint pens for details once dry
Materials
• Large recycled cardboard sheets or boxes
• Makedo or ChompShop tools
• Masking tape or glue gun (for adult use, or supervised with kids)
• Tempera or poster paint
• Brushes, rollers, sponges
• Optional chalk pens, torches, string lights
Back to Top
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Thoughts?
Would love to hear if youv'e tried this or have any ideas on how to make it even better!
