35+ Super Fun Halloween Games For Kids

Outdoor Halloween games are a fantastic way to keep kids entertained and active during Halloween celebrations. These games add a spooky twist to traditional activities and allow kids to enjoy the crisp autumn air while celebrating the holiday. Here’s a look at some engaging outdoor Halloween games that are sure to be a hit at your Halloween party.

1. Ghostly Relay Race

Equipment Needed:

• White sheets or ghost costumes
• Cones or markers to set up the relay course
• Stopwatch or timer (optional)

Instructions for the Relay:

1. Setup: Create a relay course using cones or markers to designate start and finish lines, and any additional checkpoints or obstacles.
2. Prepare Teams: Divide the kids into teams and have each team line up at the starting line. Each player should have a ghost costume (a white sheet with cut-out eye holes works well).
3. Relay Race: On “Go,” the first player from each team puts on their ghost costume and runs to the first checkpoint. Once they reach it, they must perform a specific task (like hopping or skipping) before running back to tag the next teammate.
4. Completion: The next player in line then puts on the costume and repeats the process. The first team to have all members complete the course wins.

Ideas for Ghost-Themed Costumes:

• Simple white sheets with ghostly eye holes
• DIY ghost costumes with glow-in-the-dark paint or fabric
• Ghosts with faux chains or tattered edges for a more haunted look

2. Zombie Tag

Rules and Variations:

• Basic Rules: One player is chosen as the “Zombie” and tries to tag the other players, who are “Survivors.” Once tagged, a Survivor becomes a Zombie and helps tag the remaining Survivors.
• Variations:
  • Freeze Tag: When tagged, Survivors freeze in place until another Survivor tags them to unfreeze.
  • Zombie Infection: The game starts with only one Zombie, but each tagged Survivor becomes a Zombie, increasing the number of Zombies over time.

Safety Tips:

• Clear Play Area: Ensure the play area is free of obstacles or hazards to prevent accidents.
• Designated Boundaries: Set clear boundaries for the game to keep kids within a safe area.
• Age Appropriateness: Adjust the level of physical activity based on the age and ability of the kids participating.

Fun Ways to Enhance the Zombie Theme:

• Zombie Makeup: Apply face paint or use makeup kits to give players a more authentic zombie appearance.
• Zombie Sounds: Play eerie zombie sound effects or music to enhance the atmosphere.
• Costumes: Encourage kids to wear creative zombie costumes, adding props like torn clothing or faux blood.

3. Witch Hat Ring Toss

Materials Required:

• Witch hats (can be purchased or DIY with cones and black fabric)
• Glow sticks or rings (you can use glow-in-the-dark rings or create rings from pipe cleaners or hula hoops)
• Stakes or stands to hold the hats in place

How to Play and Score:

1. Setup: Place the witch hats on stakes or stands at varying distances from the throwing area. Make sure they are stable and won’t tip over easily.
2. Gameplay: Players take turns trying to toss rings onto the pointed tip of the witch hats. Each ring that lands on a hat earns points.
3. Scoring: Assign different point values for rings that land on different hats based on their difficulty. Keep track of each player’s score to determine the winner.

Variations and Tips:

• Distance Variation: Adjust the distance from which players throw the rings to increase or decrease difficulty.
• Themed Rings: Use Halloween-themed rings or add glow sticks to make the game more festive.
• Team Play: Turn it into a team game by having teams compete for the highest combined score.

Outdoor Halloween games not only bring excitement and fun to the party but also offer a great way for kids to enjoy the Halloween spirit and stay active. Whether through racing as ghosts, tagging as zombies, or tossing rings onto witch hats, these games are sure to make your Halloween celebration memorable.

Indoor Halloween Games

Indoor Halloween games are perfect for keeping kids entertained when the weather isn’t suitable for outdoor play. These games bring the Halloween spirit indoors and can be easily adapted to fit various spaces. Here’s a guide to some exciting indoor Halloween games that will keep the festivities alive.

1. Halloween Bingo

Creating Bingo Cards:

• Design: Create bingo cards featuring Halloween-themed images or words such as pumpkins, ghosts, witches, bats, and candy. You can use online bingo card generators or design them yourself using a word processor or graphic design software.
• Printable Options: Alternatively, find and print pre-made Halloween bingo cards from online resources. Ensure that each card is unique to make the game fair.

How to Play:

1. Distribute Cards: Give each player a bingo card and markers (such as candies, coins, or buttons) to mark their cards.
2. Caller’s Role: The caller draws Halloween-themed items or words from a hat or bowl and announces them to the players.
3. Marking: Players mark the items on their bingo cards as they are called out.
4. Winning: The first player to complete a row, column, or diagonal (or a specific pattern) shouts “Bingo!” and wins a prize.

Ideas for Halloween-Themed Prizes:

• Halloween-themed stickers or tattoos
• Small toys like spider rings or ghost figurines
• Treat bags with candy and small Halloween trinkets
• Costume accessories such as vampire fangs or witch hats

2. Pumpkin Tic-Tac-Toe

Materials Needed:

• Board: A large piece of cardboard or a foam board to create the game board. Decorate it with a Halloween theme.
• Game Pieces: Mini pumpkins or cutouts (such as Jack-o’-lanterns and ghosts) for the game pieces.
• Markers: You can use paint or markers to draw the game grid on the board.

Instructions for Setting Up and Playing:

1. Prepare the Board: Draw a 3×3 grid on the board. You can decorate each square with Halloween-themed designs.
2. Create Game Pieces: Use mini pumpkins or Halloween-themed cutouts as X’s and O’s. Alternatively, you can use stickers or stamps to mark the pieces.
3. Gameplay: Players take turns placing their game pieces (pumpkins or cutouts) on the board, aiming to get three in a row, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
4. Winning: The first player to align three of their game pieces in a row wins. If the board fills up without any player achieving this, the game is a tie.

Tips for Keeping Kids Engaged:

• Themes: Customize the game pieces with different Halloween faces or expressions to make it more engaging.
• Prizes: Offer small prizes or stickers for winners to keep kids motivated.
• Team Play: Turn it into a team game to encourage collaboration and make it more fun for larger groups.

3. Haunted House Hide and Seek

Setup for the Game:

• Designate Hiding Spots: Use Halloween decorations to create a spooky “haunted house” environment. Make sure there are plenty of hiding spots, such as under tables, behind curtains, or inside boxes.
• Decorate: Add Halloween props like cobwebs, bats, and skeletons to enhance the spooky atmosphere.

Rules and Variations:

1. Basic Rules: One player is the “Seeker” who counts to a predetermined number (e.g., 20) while the other players hide. After counting, the Seeker tries to find all the hidden players.
2. Variation – Haunted House Seek: As players hide, they must stay within a designated “haunted house” area. The Seeker can use Halloween-themed sound effects to make the game spookier.
3. Variation – Ghost Seek: Use glow sticks or LED lights to make hiding more challenging and fun. Hidden players can only move if they are in the light.

Safety Considerations:

• Safe Hiding Spots: Ensure that hiding spots are safe and not too cramped. Avoid places where kids could get hurt.
• Supervision: Keep an eye on the game to prevent any accidents and ensure that all players are accounted for.
• Age Appropriateness: Adjust the level of difficulty based on the age of the kids. For younger children, simplify the hiding spots and keep the game less intense.

Indoor Halloween games offer a great way to celebrate the holiday and keep kids engaged, even when they’re inside. Whether it’s through a spooky game of bingo, a festive tic-tac-toe challenge, or a haunted house adventure, these games are sure to bring fun and excitement to your Halloween celebration.

DIY Halloween Games for Kids

DIY Halloween Games for Kids are a fantastic way to add a personal touch to your Halloween celebration while engaging kids in creative and hands-on activities. These games not only bring fun and excitement but also encourage creativity and imagination. Here’s how to create three fantastic DIY Halloween games.

1. Monster Bean Bag Toss

Materials Needed:

• Bean Bags: Small bean bags or fabric pouches filled with rice or beans. You can use Halloween-themed colors (orange, black, purple) or create custom designs.
• Target Board: A large piece of cardboard or plywood. Decorate it with monster faces or spooky designs.
• Paint or Markers: To decorate the target board.
• Scissors or Craft Knife: For cutting holes in the target board.
• Tape or Glue: To secure decorations and attach the target board.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Create the Target Board: Cut the cardboard or plywood into a large rectangular shape. Paint or decorate it with Halloween-themed designs. Draw or paint monster faces with various sized mouths.
2. Cut Out Holes: Using scissors or a craft knife, cut out holes in the monster’s mouths on the target board. The holes should be big enough for the bean bags to pass through.
3. Decorate Bean Bags: Use fabric paint or markers to decorate the bean bags with monster-themed designs or Halloween colors.
4. Setup: Place the target board against a wall or prop it up securely. Set a line or distance from which players will toss the bean bags.

Tips for Customizing the Game:

• Themes: Create different monster faces or spooky creatures on the target board for added fun.
• Difficulty Levels: Adjust the size of the holes or distance from the target to change the difficulty level based on the age of the players.
• Prizes: Offer small Halloween-themed prizes for players who get the most bean bags through the holes.

2. Spooky Sensory Bins

Ideas for Sensory Bin Themes:

• Haunted Pumpkin Patch: Fill a bin with orange-colored rice, small plastic pumpkins, and spider rings.
• Witch’s Cauldron: Use black beans or pasta as the base, and add plastic eyeballs, toy bats, and Halloween-themed sensory objects.
• Monster Mash: Create a bin with green or purple-colored pasta or slime, and include monster fingers (cut-up pipe cleaners) and creepy crawly toys.

Instructions for Creating and Using the Bins:

1. Prepare the Base: Choose a sensory bin container and fill it with a base material such as colored rice, pasta, or beans.
2. Add Themed Items: Place Halloween-themed objects or toys into the bin. These could include small plastic figures, spooky decorations, or textured items like cotton balls or foam shapes.
3. Create Sensory Experiences: Add elements that provide different textures or sensations. For example, mix in slime or gelatin for a squishy feel, or use dried corn kernels for a crunchy texture.
4. Encourage Exploration: Allow kids to dig through the bin, find hidden objects, and explore different textures and sensations.

Safety Tips:

• Age Appropriateness: Ensure that all items in the sensory bin are safe for the age group participating. Avoid small items that could be a choking hazard for younger children.
• Supervision: Always supervise children while they are playing with sensory bins to prevent any accidents or ingestion of non-edible items.
• Cleanliness: Regularly clean and sanitize the sensory bin and its contents to maintain hygiene.

3. Witch’s Brew Sensory Bags

Materials Needed:

• Seal-able Plastic Bags: Clear plastic bags with zip closures.
• Gelatin or Cornstarch Slime: For creating a gooey, slimy texture.
• Halloween-Themed Items: Such as plastic eyeballs, small plastic spiders, glow-in-the-dark beads, and rubbery worms.
• Food Coloring: To add spooky colors to the sensory bags.
• Duct Tape: For sealing the bags and preventing leaks.

How to Create the Sensory Bags:

1. Prepare the Base: Mix gelatin or cornstarch with water according to the package instructions to create a slime-like substance. Add food coloring to make the “brew” look more Halloween-themed.
2. Add Themed Items: Place Halloween-themed items into the plastic bags. Be sure to include a variety of textures and objects to keep the sensory experience interesting.
3. Fill the Bags: Pour the prepared slime or gelatin into the bags, covering the items inside. Seal the bags tightly using the zip closure, and use duct tape to reinforce the seal if necessary.
4. Ensure Safety: Check the bags for any leaks or weaknesses. If necessary, reinforce or replace bags to ensure they are safe for play.

Ideas for Sensory Experiences:

• Exploration: Encourage kids to squish, press, and manipulate the bags to feel the different textures and discover the hidden items.
• Themed Sensory Games: Challenge kids to guess the items inside the bags without looking, or have them search for specific items within the “brew.”

DIY Halloween games are a fantastic way to add a personalized touch to your Halloween festivities. From the fun of tossing bean bags at monster mouths to the sensory exploration of spooky bins and bags, these games provide endless entertainment and creativity for kids of all ages.

FAQ

What are some easy Halloween games to set up for kids?

Here are some easy Halloween Games for Kids:

1. Bobbing for Apples: Fill a tub with water and apples. Kids try to grab an apple using only their mouths.
2. Pin the Hat on the Witch: Create a large poster of a witch without a hat. Blindfolded kids try to pin the hat in the right spot.
3. Pumpkin Bowling: Set up empty plastic bottles as pins and use a small pumpkin as the bowling ball.
4. Witch’s Hat Ring Toss: Make or buy a witch’s hat and have kids toss rings to land them on the hat’s point.
5. Halloween Bingo: Create bingo cards with Halloween-themed images or words. Players mark off items as they’re called out.

How can I adapt Halloween games for different age groups?

To adapt Halloween games for different age groups, you can:

1. Simplify for Younger Kids:
   • Bobbing for Apples: Use shallow water and larger apples to make it easier.
   • Pin the Hat on the Witch: Reduce the spinning or skip it entirely to help younger kids.
2. Increase Challenge for Older Kids:
   • Zombie Tag: Add more complex rules, like “safe zones” or tasks to complete before tagging others.
   • Pumpkin Bowling: Increase the distance or use smaller pumpkins to make it more challenging.
3. Offer Team Play:
   • Group kids of different ages together to balance the skills and make games like relay races or scavenger hunts more inclusive.
4. Adjust Difficulty Levels:
   • For games like Witch’s Hat Ring Toss, adjust the throwing distance based on age.
   • Create multiple versions of games like Halloween Bingo with simpler or more complex cards for different age groups.
5. Provide Age-Appropriate Prizes:
   • Tailor prizes to the age group, offering small toys for younger kids and more challenging puzzles or games for older children.

What are some safe Halloween games for indoor play?