35 fun Halloween party games for kids

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35 fun Halloween party games for kids

If you're hosting a Halloween party this year, our selection of ghoulish party games and spooky activities is bound to keep the kids entertained.

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1. Guess the ghost

You will need: - a blindfold How to play: Sit the kids in a big circle. Put some music on and take it in turns for one child to be blindfolded and walk around the circle, touching the other children's heads.

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1. Guess the ghost

When the music stops, the child that the person who is 'it' has their hands on, must let out a ghostly wail. The person who is 'it' must try and guess who it is.  If they guess correctly they swap around. If they don't guess correctly, they go around the circle again.

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1. Guess the ghost

When the music stops, the child that the person who is 'it' has their hands on, must let out a ghostly wail. The person who is 'it' must try and guess who it is.  If they guess correctly they swap around. If they don't guess correctly, they go around the circle again.

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2. Apple bobbing

You will need: - a large bowl or bucket - a large towel or plastic sheet - apples - towels for drying off How to play: Fill your bowl or bucket to 3/4 of its capacity with cold water and place your towel or sheet under the bucket.

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2. Apple bobbing

Put about 4-6 apples in the water and let each child have a turn at getting as many apples as possible – hands must remain firmly behind backs! The easiest way to get the apples involves getting very wet (you need to push the apple all the way to the bottom of the bucket) so have a towel ready to mop up wet faces!

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2. Apple bobbing

Netmums member, Jo says: 'For a cool variation on the theme, why not fill a big cardboard box with soft plastic play balls and place mini boxes of smarties in amongst the balls. 'The kids can try and fish out with their teeth! I figured that balls are less messy and safer than water!'

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3. Halloween treasure hunt

You will need: - suitably scary decor - items to hide How to play: First of all, decorate the room - the treasure hunt will be taking place with Halloween decorations!

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3. Halloween treasure hunt

You could make cardboard stand-up gravestones, for example, and paper spider-webs and cut-out bats to attach to the ceiling.  Then simply hide various goodies like sweets around the room for the kids to find.

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4. Dead man's last meal

You will need: - some green or red jelly - plastic spiders and other creepy crawlies - Halloween sweets such as jelly snakes - a blindfold How to play:

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4. Dead man's last meal

In advance, make up a big bowl of jelly - ensure its slightly runny by using a little too much water, so it's more like green or red 'goo' rather than firmly-set jelly.

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4. Dead man's last meal

Drop in your creepy crawlies and other bits and bobs.  Then gather the kids round and blindfold them in turn, so they can dip their hands into the goo and guess what the dead man ate for his last meal!

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5. What's the time, Mrs Witch?

You will need: - a witch's hat and broom - a spacious room How to play: This is a simple variation on the 'What's the time, Mr Wolf' game. Elect one player to be Mrs Witch. They can put on the witch's hat and hold the broom.

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5. What's the time, Mrs Witch?

The rest of the players stand at one end of the room with the witch at the other, with her back to them. The players ask: 'What's the time, Mrs Witch?' and the Witch shouts out a time, eg. 7 o'clock. The other players take the corresponding number of steps in the direction of the witch.

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5. What's the time, Mrs Witch?

When the players get close to the witch, the witch can then shout out 'midnight' and chase the other players. Whoever the witch catches is out of the game.

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6. Sleeping monsters

A 'dead' (excuse the pun!) easy take on the party-game standard and a great one to calm down the kids if they're getting a little over-excited! Everyone (the 'monsters') lies down on the floor, with the aim of staying as still as possible. When somebody moves they're out, until only one player remains.

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7. Pass the pumpkin

You will need: - music - a hollowed-out pumpkin - goodies to fill the pumpkin How to play: A fun way to give pass-the-parcel a Halloween twist. 

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7. Pass the pumpkin

This is played in the same way but you should fill the pumpkin so that each time the music stops, whoever has the pumpkin at that time can select a goody from inside.

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7. Pass the pumpkin

At the very end, when everyone has had a turn, a random lucky winner can get the pumpkin and the remaining goodies left inside.

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8. Make your own toffee apples

You will need: - selection of apples, ready-pierced with sticks - bowls filled with melted toffee*, hundreds and thousands, chocolate strands or other things to stick on the apples - greaseproof paper to cool the toffee apples on

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8. Make your own toffee apples

How to play: This is a fun one as the children can take their handiwork home at the end of the party (if they can hold off eating them!) Each child takes an apple and dips it into the toffee and then rolls their apple into their preferred sweeties!

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8. Make your own toffee apples

*It's easy to make your own toffee mixture, or you can melt down shop-bought toffee sweets. Be sure that the mixture is not boiling hot when the children are making their toffee apples as it can burn their skin on contact.

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9. Pin the tail on the black cat

You will need: - a large cut-out of a black cat, without its tail - a cut out tail - blindfold - blu tack - a marker to write down where each player places the tail

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9. Pin the tail on the black cat

How to play: A variation on an old classic. Each child has a go at sticking the cat's tail in the right place. Mark the place where each player places the tail and whoever is closest to the correct position wins a prize.

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9. Pin the tail on the black cat

You can also play this game using a skeleton, as suggested by Amy B, and use a cut-out heart to pin on instead.

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10. Halloween relay races

You will need: - two witches' brooms How to play: If weather permits and you can get outside for a while, this is a great way to add a seasonal twist to racing while having the kids let off some steam outdoors.

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10. Halloween relay races

Divide the party into two equal teams.  Each child takes it in turns to run to the end of the garden and back while 'riding' the broomstick. They must then pass the broomstick to the next person in their team. The first team to complete the relay wins.

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11. Ghoulish Guess what?

You will need: - a large tray - paper plates or plastic bowls - a selection of tactile foods (eg: jelly, marshmallows, jelly shoelaces) - blindfold - blanket or protective floor covering in case things get messy!

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11. Ghoulish Guess what?

How to play: Ghoulish guess what. This is a great game for older kids who like being scared!  Place all your food items in the bowls or plates and place them on the tray.

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11. Ghoulish Guess what?

Cover the tray with a cloth and bring it out to the assembled children. Tell them in a suitably scary voice that the tray contains body parts from different ghouls. By touching and smelling the items the participants have to try and guess what each different thing is actually made of.

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11. Ghoulish Guess what?

The first player is blindfolded and one of the bowls or plates is brought out from the tray.  So, you could bring out a couple of marshmallows and say something like: 'Here we have two yukky ghoul ears' or a bowl of jelly could be the inside of a ghoul's tummy - let your imagination run wild!

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11. Ghoulish Guess what?

The idea is for the children to get mucky sticking their fingers into and handling various different foods, trying to guess what they are.  The brave can then be tempted into trying a mouthful. (You'll want to ensure all the children wash their hands before they start...!)

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11. Ghoulish Guess what?

Encourage the other kids to make a noise of disgust as the nominated player sticks their fingers into things or takes a mouthful!  Go around the circle until each player has had a go.

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12. Witch's cauldron

You will need: - a large cooking pot - a damp sponge - a shelled hard-boiled egg - a large piece of orange peel - selection of rubber toys from the toyshop (frog, snake, etc.) - a blindfold

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12. Witch's cauldron

How to play: Fill your cooking pot with items such as the above (and any other suitable things you can think of - you'll need enough bits and bobs to allow each child a turn). Each child has a turn at being blindfolded and plunging their hand into the cauldron to find the imaginary item you name.

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12. Witch's cauldron

So, you would ask them to look for: 'A hairy giant's tongue' (the damp sponge), 'a dragon's eye' (the egg), 'a goblin's skin' (the orange peel), 'a frog/snake' (rubber toys), etc.

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13. Digging for eyeballs

You will need: - a big bowl of cooked pasta - some ping-pong balls or similar - some small bags of sweets How to play:

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13. Digging for eyeballs

First, cook up a big pan of pasta, leave to cool for a moment, add tomato sauce and then turn into a big bowl. In amongst the pasta, hide some ping-pong balls or similar. Three balls have 'treat' written on them, and three have 'trick' written on them. Each child gets a turn to dig inside the slime and pull out an eyeball.

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13. Digging for eyeballs

If they choose a trick ball they have to do a forfeit (something silly, like run around the garden twice, or do a silly impression), but if they pick a treat they get a small prize, such as a bag of sweets.

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14. Toilet paper mummy

You will need: - lots and lots of toilet roll How to play: Split the children into groups of three or four and give each group a couple of toilet rolls each.

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15. Pop the pumpkin

You will need: - A4 sheet of paper - orange balloons - a black marker pen - sweets for prizes How to play: Cut the paper into squares, you'll need one square for each balloon.

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15. Pop the pumpkin

Write 'trick' or 'treat' on each piece of paper, roll it up and slip one inside each balloon before you blow them up. Blow up all the balloons and then draw pumpkin faces on each of them. The players take it in turns to pop a balloon with a pin and see whether they've won a trick or treat.

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16. Witch's hat hoopla

You will need: – Large sheets of black card or paper – Paper plates Create two or three large witches hats using black card (or you can buy them if you prefer). Cut the centre out of a number of paper plates to form hoops.

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16. Witch's hat hoopla

See if kids can throw the hoops over the witches hat. They can play as individuals or in teams.  Make sure you have some sweets for the winners.

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17. Broomstick limbo

You will need: – A broomstick It's not a party without a game of limbo! Add a spooky twist by getting your guests to limbo under a broomstick.

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18. Ghost hunting

Ghost hunting – also known as hide and seek – is really easy to play and doesn't require any equipment. Pick a 'ghost hunter'.  They count to 100 while the 'ghosts' run and hide. They then have to try and find all the ghosts.

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19. Ghost knock down

You will need: – 6-15 white paper cups (depending how big you want your tower to be) – a black marker pen – lightweight ball, such as a ping pong ball

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19. Ghost knock down

This is such a simple game but so satisfying. Draw ghost faces – two eyes and an open mouth – on white cups with a marker pen. Stack up the cups and give the kids a lightweight ball. They can then take it in turns trying to knock down the ghosts from a distance. Whoever knocks down the most is the winner.

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20. Halloween charades

You will need: – some paper Charades is a great game for older kids. Write down the names of some spooky Halloween films and books on pieces of paper. Give one to each child and split the group into two or three teams.

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20. Halloween charades

They then have to act out the charade without speaking and their team have to guess the film or book title.

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21. Doughnut bobbing

You will need: - A selection of ring doughnuts - Some string This is a great alternative to apple bobbing and the treats are a bit tastier, too. Tie a piece of string across the room or between two trees in the garden. String up some doughnuts – enough for one each.

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21. Doughnut bobbing

Get the kids to line up with their hands behind their back and try and eat the doughnut. The one who finishes first is the winner.

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22. Halloween Heads Up

You will need: – Post-it notes This is best played with kids around seven or above. Write the names of some Halloween creatures and characters on post-it notes – such as witch, ghost, vampire, black cat etc.

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22. Halloween Heads Up

Stick a post it on each child's head so everyone can see what they are but they can't. They have to work out their character by asking others yes or no questions, such as 'do I have a tail?'.

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23. Hungry pumpkins

What you will need: – 3 cardboard boxes – Sheets of card – A number of ping-pong balls Draw some large pumpkins on orange card and cut out a large mouth on each one. 

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23. Hungry pumpkins

Now cut out the pumpkin shapes and stick them to the cardboard boxes. Make sure they're on the open side of the box. Give the children some balls and work in teams to see who can get the most through the pumpkin's mouths.

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24. Guess how many eyeballs

You will need: – Some eyeball sweets – a large, empty jar Fill a large see-through jar with eyeball sweets.  Get kids to write down on a piece of paper how many sweets they think are in there. 

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24. Guess how many eyeballs

(Give them a while to think about it, this is a good game to play at the beginning of the party to get them warmed up)

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25. Pumpkin decorating competition

You will need: – a pumpkin for each child or team – paint and craft supplies A nice party activity that will keep kids of all ages entertained. Set up a crafting table with biodegradable glitter, paint, spooky stickers, googly eyes etc and let kids get creative.

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25. Pumpkin decorating competition

If you want to turn it into a competition, split the kids into teams of around three children and get them to decorate their pumpkins together. The best pumpkin wins.

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26. Build the skeleton

You will need: – white card or sugar paper – black card or sugar paper – blu tack Draw a large simple skeleton (you might want to print one off the internet to copy). Use this as a template to cut out two skeletons. Separate the bones so you have a skull, ribs, leg bones, arms bones etc.

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26. Build the skeleton

Alternatively, you can buy large, jointed skeleton decorations and separate them. Jumble the bones up and give each team a pile. They then have to work together to build their skeleton in a set time, sticking the bones to the black card as they go.

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27. Three-legged mummy race

You will need: – toilet paper If you have the space, such as a garden or community hall, let the kids burn off some energy with a three-legged race.

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27. Three-legged mummy race

Split the children into pairs and tie their inside legs together with toilet roll.  They then need to walk/run like mummies (with their arms outstretched) to the finish line. See who can get their fastest!

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28. Spooky obstacle course

If you've got access to a garden or a big space, create a spooky obstacle course for kids to complete. You can use your imagination to come up with the obstacles but some ideas include:

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28. Spooky obstacle course

Weaving in and out of pumpkins Crossing a paddling pool full of slime (jelly) Battling giant cobwebs (climbing through ropes) Jumping over witches' hats Riding a broomstick Jumping on the trampoline to collect toy spiders

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29. Monster bowling

What you will need: – 10 x toilet rolls – Card, paper, pens and googly eyes – a ball Decorate 10 toilet rolls to look like monsters. Then play a game of monster bowling and see who can knock the most down!

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30. Wink murder

Best played with slightly older kids – around eight and above, wink murder is a traditional party game that's perfect for Halloween. Get the kids to stand in a circle with their eyes closed.  Choose one child to be the murderer by tapping them once on the head. Then choose a detective by tapping them twice.

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30. Wink murder

Everyone opens their eyes and the detective goes to the middle of the circle. The murderer has to kill people by winking at them without the detective seeing.  When a child has been 'murdered', they have to die in a dramatic fashion and lie on the floor. The detective has to try and spot who the killer is.

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31. Truth or Scare

A Halloween-y twist on the old classic Truth or Dare, you can creep your kids out with spooky truths and horrify them with fun (if a bit embarrassing or silly) forfeits or dares.

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31. Truth or Scare

Ask them questions like what item they would bring with them if they had to spend a night in a haunted house, or what they think is the scariest thing in the whole world. For the 'Scares', stay on theme with dares like walking back and forth across the room like a zombie, or doing their best werewolf howl.

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32. Pumpkin Bean Bag Toss

This one's not only a lot of fun for the kids, but it's also a handy little two-for-one if your kids are old enough to carve pumpkins with you. Carve a medium-sized pumpkin and a large pumpkin with wide open mouths, and hollow them out. Put the little one on top of the big one. then get take turns trying to throw bean bags into their mouths.

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32. Pumpkin Bean Bag Toss

You can work out points, with the smaller pumpkin worth more, or give out a small treat for the big pumpkin and a bigger treat for the small one.

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33. Spider Racing

A fun and simple game where all you need is a few small plastic toy spiders and straws. Whoever blows their spider across the finish line first wins!

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33. Spider Racing

You can go as big or as small as you like with this game. It could just be a track the size of a few pieces of paper, or you could make a whole course to race around if you want your party goers to burn off some extra energy.

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34. Pumpkin Sweeping

You need two brooms (straw ones are ideal, but whatever you have available should be fine), two pumpkins, and some open space like a garden to play in. Split the players into two even teams, and set up a start line and a finish line. The kids stand in a line at the start line, and the one at the front of each team's line gets a broom.

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34. Pumpkin Sweeping

The goal is to sweep the pumpkin to the finish, and then back to the next player in the team.  Everyone takes a turn, with the last player on each team stopping when they get to the finish line. First team to finish wins!

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35. Spiderweb Maze

Mark out a spiderweb on the floor with black or coloured tape. Each player takes turns seeing how long they can stay walking on the web. You can make it more rewarding and challenging by adding treats to pick up and obstacles like little cardboard ghosts or plastic spiders to avoid along the way.

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35. Spiderweb Maze

You could have a goal at the center of the the maze that they have to try to get to, or it could be whoever keeps walking without stopping or falling over for the longest.

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