The best Halloween games for children - 21 spooky game ideas
Are you looking for spooky Halloween games for kids aged 5-12?
Then you've come to the right place at Halloween-Jack.com!
Every year, parents are tasked with finding new spooky ideas for Halloween and coming up with a variety of games for children.
Once all the great ideas for Halloween are implemented, parents often find themselves drained of energy. However, preparing a few scary games for eerie party guests can be quite easy.
Whether they're in kindergarten or elementary school, here you'll find 21 great ideas to make your Halloween party a complete success. All stress-free!
But before you start reading and planning your spooky party – there's a twist with this list!
The order of the spooky games is deliberately chosen and considers the dynamics of play.
There are four categories, each with suitable spooky games.
Of course, you don't have to prepare all of them for your Halloween party, but you can choose the games that best fit from the list. These are suitable for children both in kindergarten and elementary school, taking their ages into account.
There are "Halloween Games for Arrival," "Halloween Games for Exerting Energy," "Halloween Games for Eating," and "Halloween Games for Winding Down."
You can start with a "Warm-Up Game" where the guests get settled into the Halloween party. This allows the little ones to get to know each other if they're not already acquainted. Once the initial ice is broken, you can start the action-packed games for exerting energy. This is where energy is spent! After a while, the games become a bit calmer and are ideally linked with some snacks. Who wants to be spooked by rumbling little bellies?
Halloween Games for Winding Down belong to the last category.
They are your savior when the spooky party gets too wild, and the little ones (or you!) need a break.
Halloween Games for Arrival
Mummy Wrapping
Age: 5-9 years
Duration: 15 minutes
Required Material: A few rolls of toilet paper
Instructions:
Guests are divided into teams. Each team chooses a "mummy" and must wrap them as quickly as possible without tearing the toilet paper. This game requires speed and skill. However, be careful around the head area to ensure the mummy can still breathe easily.
For very young children, it's recommended not to wrap over the shoulders. If the paper tears, simply tuck it into the clothing and continue wrapping!
Journey to Spooky Land
Age: 5-11 years
Duration: 15 minutes
Required Material: Witch hat, music for playing
How to Play:
The well-known game "Musical Chairs" gets a spooky twist! Kids dance to eerie songs and pass around a witch hat, which is placed on one child's head at a time. That child then chooses the next wearer. The one wearing the hat when the music stops is out and must go to Spooky Land.
Pumpkin Race
Age: 6-11 years
Duration: 15 minutes
Required Material: Large carved pumpkins, stopwatch for timing
Instructions:
Party guests pair up to form teams. If not all children know each other, this is a great opportunity to pair up new pumpkin partners! Once everyone has found their partner, the teams receive a large carved pumpkin. They must race against other teams with it.
The pumpkin should be chosen to be large and heavy enough that both children can carry it together, appropriate for their age.
Variation for Older Kids: Add obstacles to the racecourse!
Halloween Games for Exerting Energy
Witch Hat Ring Toss
Age: 6-11 years
Duration: 15 minutes
Required Material: Witch hat, ring from a paper plate
How to Play:
One child becomes the "witch" and wears the witch hat on their head. The other children must try to toss a paper ring (e.g., cut out from a paper plate) onto the witch hat. The "witch" can try to assist but should not intentionally dodge. The first to land their ring becomes the next witch.
Eyeball Race
Age: 5-12 years
Duration: 15 minutes
Required Material: Painted "eyeballs" (use table tennis balls, styrofoam balls, small white boiled eggs, or ready-made candies), one spoon per participant, stopwatch for timing
How to Play:
Each child gets an eyeball, which they must balance on their spoon across a set course. The eyeballs can be pre-prepared or painted by the Halloween guests themselves. If the eyeball is dropped, the runner must start over.
Variation for Older Kids: Add obstacles or carry two eyeballs at once.
Tip: The painted eyes can also be used as spooky decorations.
Weaving the Spider Web
Age: 6-9 years
Duration: 20 minutes
Required Material: Rolled yarn or wool
Instructions:
Party guests are assigned fixed spots in the room. One child starts by throwing the yarn ball to another child, who must then hold onto a piece of the yarn and throw the ball to someone else. Gradually, a large spider web is formed.
Variation: Use as a get-to-know-you game. Here, a "leader" calls out a child's name, who then receives the yarn ball. Little guests should at least be able to throw and catch to enjoy the game. Older kids can join once the web is formed: navigate through without touching the threads!
Blowing Spiders
Age: 5-11 years
Duration: 15 minutes
Required Material: Straws, small "spiders" made of cardboard or plastic, possibly painter's tape
How to Play:
The spiders are placed on a "race track" (e.g., the kitchen table or a course marked with painter's tape). Each guest receives a straw. In pairs, the kids' spiders compete against each other, being blown towards the goal with the straws.
Variation: For older kids, incorporate curves and obstacles into the race track!
Blowing Spiders
Age: 5-11 years
Duration: 15 minutes
Required Material: Straws, small "spiders" made of cardboard or plastic, possibly painter's tape
How to Play:
The spiders are placed on a "race track" (e.g., the kitchen table or a course marked with painter's tape). Each guest receives a straw. In pairs, the kids' spiders compete against each other, being blown towards the goal with the straws.
Variation: For older kids, incorporate curves and obstacles into the race track!
Ghost Hunt
Age: 6-12 years
Duration: 15 minutes
Required Material: A dark room
How to Play:
The birthday classic "Hide and Seek in the Dark" becomes a spooky "Ghost Hunt" on Halloween. All children (the ghosts) except one (the hunter) hide in a room (while still light). Then the light is turned off, and the ghost hunter enters the room. Carefully, they feel along the furniture trying to catch the ghosts.
Variation: Young children catch ghosts with the beam of a flashlight.
Knock Down the Monsters
Age: 6-12 years
Duration: 15-30 minutes
Required Material: Cardboard or plastic cups, monsters made of cardboard, a small ball
How to Play:
Little monsters made of cardboard are glued onto cardboard or plastic cups and then stacked into a pyramid. Players take turns trying the scary can knockdown. Who can knock down the most monsters with just one throw?
Variation: To add more crafting time or fun, guests can make their monster cups beforehand while listening to spooky songs.
Ghost Bowling
Age: 6-12 years
Duration: 15-30 minutes
Required Material: Cardboard or plastic cups, ghosts made of cardboard, a small ball
Instructions:
A variation of Knock Down the Monsters. Here, the cups are not stacked but set up as bowling pins in a 9-pin formation (for younger participants: set up side by side). It's bowled in turns. Guests can also craft their ghosts first.
Spooky Shadow Dance
Age: 6-10 years
Duration: 15-20 minutes
Required Material: A white wall, a light source, possibly props (chopsticks, wooden sticks), music for playing
How to Play:
The kids dance to music in a dimmed room in front of a strong light source, casting spooky shadows on the wall.
Variation: Using props like chopsticks, sticks, or branches, children can create amazing skeleton shadows with long, bony arms!
The Sticky Spiderweb
Age: 8-12 years
Duration: 15 minutes
Required Material: Tape, a door frame
Instructions:
First, set the sticky trap: a door frame is covered with a web made of tape strips. Make sure that the tallest participant can just barely squeeze through. One by one, party guests attempt to navigate through the sticky spider web without getting caught (touching it).
Spooky Halloween Scavenger Hunt
Age: Suitable for a broad range of ages, can be tailored to fit both younger and older children
Duration: Varies, can be adjusted to fit the party schedule
Required Material: Items for the scavenger hunt list, clues, and maybe some decorations to fit the theme
How to Play:
Prepare a list of Halloween-themed items or clues that lead to different locations around the house or yard. Each clue leads to the next, with a small treat or spooky task at each stop. The hunt can lead to a final grand prize or simply conclude with a Halloween surprise for all participants.
Variation: For younger kids, the scavenger hunt can be straightforward with items easy to find. For older children, teens, and adults, make the clues more challenging and the tasks spookier or more complex. You can incorporate storytelling elements, where each clue also tells a part of a spooky Halloween story.
These games are designed to get kids moving and enjoying the Halloween spirit, from blowing spiders across a finish line to weaving through a sticky spider web without getting "caught." Tailor these activities to the age and interests of your guests to ensure everyone has a frightfully fun time!
Halloween Games for Eating
Monster Menu
Age: 5-12 years
Duration: 15 minutes
Required Material: Chocolate kisses, cookies, small snacks for decoration (e.g., pretzel sticks)
How to Play:
First, create the monster menu. The hungry guests can turn some ordinary sweets into extraordinarily spooky monster dishes. For example, chocolate kisses and pretzel sticks can be used. Once the scary monsters are ready, they are eaten.
Variation: To make it more exciting, the scariest monster can be crowned before eating, with the children voting to decide. For even more thrill, turn it into a competitive eating contest.
Snatching Spiders
Age: 5-12 years
Duration: 10 minutes
Required Material: Gummy spiders (or other animal-shaped candies), string
Instructions:
The spiders are tied to strings and hung from a line. The height should be adjusted according to the size of the little Halloween guests, who must now snatch their spiders.
Variation: For older children, the animals can hang high enough that they can only be reached with a small jump.
Mummy Meal
Age: 6-12 years
Duration: 20 minutes
Required Material: Gloves, scarf and hat, a wrapped "mummy," a dice, knife, and fork
How to Play:
First, an edible "mummy" is wrapped in many layers of newspaper. This could be a bar of chocolate that has been shaped into a mummy form. The children sit around a table or on the floor with the mummy in the middle.
Players take turns rolling the dice. Whoever rolls a six must quickly put on the gloves, scarf, and hat, and then start unwrapping the mummy with a knife and fork. As soon as the next guest rolls a six, they take a turn. Whoever uncovers the mummy gets to cut off a piece and eat it.
Variation: If the turns change too quickly due to lucky dice rolls, you can roll with two dice (in this case, a pair counts). This adds an extra layer of challenge and excitement to the game, ensuring everyone gets a fair chance to participate and enjoy the tasty treat.
Halloween Games for Winding Down
Monster Diving
Age: 5-12 years
Duration: 20 minutes
Required Material: Small flat stones, waterproof markers, a large vessel filled with water, a smaller vessel for submerging
How to Play:
First, the children transform small flat stones into monsters using waterproof markers. Once the paint has dried, players sit in a circle around the large vessel filled with water (a bucket or a large open vase). They must then submerge the stones into the smaller vessel in the water without touching the water themselves.
Note: For this to work, stones need to be flat and light (alternatively, use small coins) as they might sink straight to the bottom otherwise. The player who gets the most monsters into the small vessel wins.
Creepy Feeling
Age: 6-12 years
Duration: 15 minutes
Required Material: Wrinkly fruit, vegetables or carved nuts, objects with an interesting shape, a blindfold
Instructions:
One child is blindfolded and must touch a spooky object. Dried fruit, vegetables, or carved nuts work well as dried zombie eyes or tongues. Any object with an interesting shape or texture can be used, adjusting the spooky factor for the age group.
The older the children, the more challenging and spookier it can be.
Pumpkin Snuff Out
Age: 5-9 years
Duration: 15 minutes
Required Material: Carved pumpkins, tealights, lighter or matches
How to Play:
Hollow carved pumpkins are filled with tealights and lined up (on a fireproof surface, such as outdoors on the street or on patio tiles for safety).
Children take turns trying to snuff out the lights in the pumpkin faces with one breath. After each attempt, the tealights are relit so all participants have the same chance. Who can snuff out the most?
Variation for young children: Use just one tealight in the pumpkin and adjust the distance so it's challenging enough. This game also doubles as perfect decor!
Spooky Memory Training
Age: 7-12 years
Duration: 15 minutes
Required Material: None!
How to Play:
Children can let their spooky imagination run wild. The Halloween version of "I Packed My Bag" works on any spooky party without props. However, for little witches, it's "I brew my potion," and magicians say "I mix my poison drink."
Each child names a new ingredient and the ones previously mentioned. Whoever makes a mistake is out. Who will become the Spooky Memory Champion?
The Grab into the Unknown
Age: 5-11 years
Duration: 10-30 minutes
Required Material: Materials to feel (ideally something to take home) and a creepily painted cardboard box
Instructions:
The Grab into the Unknown is an ideal closing game for any party. An object is placed in a spooky painted cardboard box. Then, one child reaches through an opening into the unknown and guesses what they are touching. Ideally, gifts used can be taken home by the party guests at the end of the day.
Caution: Do not use sharp-edged objects!
Variation for an extra spooky factor: Have an opening at the back of the cardboard box. Reach for the groping hands for a spooky shock effect!
Now It's Your Turn!
Hosting a successful Halloween party is no sorcery! With the right Halloween ideas and a bit of clever planning, you can organize a fantastic spooky day for your little ones and their friends. The games are suitable for children in elementary school and kindergarten. However, with a little variation in execution, almost every game can also be enjoyable for children over 10 years old. This flexibility ensures that everyone, regardless of age, can have a fun and memorable Halloween experience.
I've made sure that you only need minimal preparation time and no expensive accessories.
Most of the game materials can be found in any household. With these spooky ideas for Halloween, you can consciously select the games to inject some excitement or calm into the party.
I wish you a lot of fun at your party!
Halloween Jack
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