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48 Fun Halloween Games for Kids to Play at Their Halloween Party

Whether the party's at home or school, these silly (and spooky!) activities will be a hit.

By Amanda Garrity, Marisa LaScala and Lyndsey Matthews

Sep 13, 2021

Brian Woodcock

Halloween is usually all about the trick-or-treating, with all the focus on getting dressed up in a cool kids costume, heading out with a bucket and not coming back until it's filled with Halloween candy. But when Halloween falls on a weekend — and this year, October 31 is a Sunday — there's a lot of hours to fill before it's time to suit up. Time to break out a family-friendly activity to fill the time.

These Halloween games for kids will keep the day rolling with lots of laughter and spooky surprises. Some are geared towards toddlers who might still be too little to stay up for trick-or-treating, others could be used for tweens and teens at a Halloween party and there are definitely more than a few that the whole family can play together. Best of all, a lot of them are also part Halloween craft, so everyone in the family can use their imagination and creativity. While you play these games, don't forget to blast some of the best Halloween songs and eat your favorite festive candies. Then, it'll be time for trick-or-treating before you even know it.

Studio DIY

Black Light Halloween Candy Hunt

No trick or treating this year? No problem. Use some white paper and a black light (or turn your phone into one) to create a super fun candy hunt.

Get the tutorial at Studio DIY »

Make and Tell

Halloween Candy Baubles

Have the kids stuff clear baubles with candy, and then, let them decorate 'em with stickers. To make this more of a game and less of a craft, time them to see who can get theirs done the fastest.

Lear more at Make and Tell »

SHOP CLEAR BAUBLES

Typically Simple

Counting Pumpkin Seeds

A game and learning moment all in one. Kids can pick a number card, place it in the square, then count out how many "seeds" are needed to match the number. You can use candy as the seeds to make it even more fine.

Get the printable at Typically Simple »

Getty Images

Pumpkin Tic, Tac, Toe

This game is as easy as drawing Xs and Os on your little pumpkins and creating a tic, tac, toe board on a table with tape.

See Vanessa Craft

Frankenstein Hat

Once they've created their hat, let me act out what Frankenstein would say on the spookiest holidy of the year!

Get the printable at See Vanessa Craft »

SolStockGetty Images

Halloween Heads Up

Everyone has to write down a Halloween word on a post-it. Then, one person picks a word from the pile (without looking!) and tries to guess what it is based on the clues.

Brian Woodcock

Bean-Bag Toss Pumpkins

This year, get two spooky season activities for the price of one: carve your pumpkins into a fun bean-bag toss. To make this game, cut a large hole in the bottom of one large and one medium pumpkin and scoop out the pulp and seeds. Trace this face template onto the pumpkins, scaling up or down as necessary. Cut out the faces, and then stack the medium pumpkin on top of the large one, using skewers to help hold them in place. To play, toss beanbags into the pumpkins' mouths and award 10 points for the bottom gourd and 20 for the top.

Play Party Plan

Truth or Scare

A twist on Truth or Dare, Truth or Scare tasks players with Halloween-themed questions and physical challenges. You can even head to the Play Party Plan website for lists of family-friendly "truth" questions.

Get the tutorial at Play Party Plan »

gpointstudioGetty Images

Cup Knock Down

Draw little faces on white cups and assemble them in a tower. Kids can then try to knock as many as they can down with a small ball. Whoever gets the most is the winner!

Brian Woodcock

Pumpkin Checkers

'Tis the season for rustic fall crafts — and this is one that you can reap the benefits of year-round. To make this checkers game, paint a board onto a slab of wood. Then, play checkers using mini gourds of different colors.

Pink Oatmeal

Pumpkin Relay

Celebrate Halloween and work on kids' gross motor skills all at the same time! For this relay race, take a mini pumpkin (or an orange ball, or an orange balloon, depending on the kids' ages) and come up with a series of physical challenges for them: walk with the "pumpkin" between their knees, move the pumpkin with their feet etc. First team to complete all challenges win!

Get the tutorial at Pink Oatmeal »

halloween i spy printable game board on table

Courtesy of Alice & Lois

Halloween I Spy Game

These fun Halloween-edition "I Spy" games are the easiest ways to keep the kids occupied — and the best part is that all you have to do is print them out.

Get a free printable at Alice & Lois »

Our Sutton Place

Pumpkin Ring Toss

Take pumpkins with long stems and glow sticks and you've got yourself a seasonal, DIY ring toss game. Color the pumpkins with glow-in-the-dark paint and you can even play it at night!

Get the tutorial at Our Sutton Place »

gpointstudioGetty Images

Witch Hat Ring Toss

No pumpkins? No problem. Buy or DIY witch hats and let the ring tossing begin!

SHOP WITCH HATS

boy in skeleton costume holding bowl full of candies

mediaphotosGetty Images

Candy Jenga

Grab a bucket of relatively flat Halloween candies (think rectangular ones Kit-Kat or Hershey's bars) and take turns stacking them on top of one another. The first person to knock down the stack loses — and the winners get to split the sweet loot.

Vanilla Joy

Balloon Catch

For little ones, blow up orange balloons — bonus points if you draw a jack o' lantern face on them with black marker — and give each kid a funnel. See who can catch their balloon in the funnel the most times. (Adults, you might have fun trying this one, too.)

See the tutorial at Vanilla Joy »

A Pumpkin & A Princess

Glow-in-the-Dark Ring Toss

Wrap glow-in-the-dark duct tape around a few bottles and see how many glow stick bracelets kids can get around the bottle necks.

Get the tutorial at A Pumpkin & A Princess »

B-Inspired Mama

Pumpkin Chuckin'

What's under the orange and green felt? Rolls of toilet paper! How many can you toss into the basket? The most points wins.

Get the tutorial at B-Inspired Mama »

cobweb painted on paper with a spider silhouette seen ominously behind

Elva EtienneGetty Images

Pin the Spider on the Web

To play this classic game, draw a spiderweb onto a roll of paper or piece of cardboard, and attach the paper to a wall. Give each player a cutout spider with a piece of double-sided tape on the back and have them pin the spider onto the web. Whoever gets closest to the center of the web wins.

A Girl and a Glue Gun

Pumpkin Golf

First one to make a hole in one wins everyone's Halloween candy! (Just kidding.)

Get the tutorial at A Girl And A Glue Gun »

Tried and True Blog

DIY Mini Piñatas

These little guys make a lot less mess than traditional piñatas and are made with something you already have at home — toilet paper rolls!

Get the tutorial at DIY Candy »

SolStockGetty Images

Halloween Charades

This Halloween game is perfect if you're staying home with a small group. Simply write Halloween-related movies and phrases onto index cards and play a spooky game of charades. And bone up on your Sanderson Sisters impression!

halloween tic tac toe game with washi tape and rhinestones

Courtesy of White House Crafts

Halloween Tic Tac Toe with Washi Tape

The little ones can help make this game using festive washi tape and glitter paper — then use it for a fun round of good old tic tac toe!

Get the tutorial at White House Crafts »

Courtesy of See Vanessa Craft

Halloween Cakewalk

Think of this fun cakewalk game as similar to musical chairs. Kids walk around a circle of numbers on the floor — then stop on a number when the music stops. Whoever's standing on the number that's drawn from a tin wins!

Get a free printable at See Vanessa Craft »

Courtesy of PintSizedTreasures

Pumpkin Twister

Put a *twist* on the classic party game with this adorable DIY mat that swaps colorful circles for printable paper pumpkins. This helps little ones master colors and following directions.

Get the tutorial at Pint-Sized Treasures »

Project Denneler

Poke-a-Pumpkin

Keep the kids entertained with this mystery prize game. Fill plastic cups with little trinkets, then cover with orange tissue paper and glue to poster board in the shape of a pumpkin. One by one, kids can poke a hole through the tissue paper and see what's inside.

Get the tutorial at Project Denneler »

Courtesy of Merriment Design

Eyeball Surprise

If there's anything better than a fun Halloween game, it's one that doubles as a cool science experiment! This one calls for kids spooning vinegar on top of a bouncy ball frozen in baking soda and water — then watching it reveal a spooky eyeball surprise.

Get the tutorial at Merriment Design »

Courtesy of A Kailo Chic Life

Halloween Bean Bag Toss

For some spooky outdoor fun, play this bean bag toss with an extra festive Halloween twist. Don't forget the spook-tacular pumpkin and ghost-shaped bean bags!

Get the tutorial at A Kailo Chic Life »

Mike Garten

Halloween Eyeball Slime

Kids love slime — and this Halloween-inspired green glop with eyeballs is perfect for October 31.

Get the tutorial for Halloween Eyeball Slime »

Typically Simple

Halloween Scavenger Hunt

Hide a variety of items throughout your home, and ask the kids to find them all. The winner can receive extra candy ... or perhaps a delicious, nutritious piece of fruit?

Get a free printable at Typically Simple »

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Amanda Garrity Associate Lifestyle Editor As the Associate Lifestyle Editor for GoodHousekeeping.com, Amanda oversees gift guides and covers home, holidays, food, and other lifestyle news.

Marisa LaScala Parenting & Relationships Editor Marisa LaScala covers all things parenting, from the postpartum period through empty nests, for GoodHousekeeping.com; she previously wrote about motherhood for Parents and Working Mother.

Lyndsey Matthews Freelance Writer Lyndsey Matthews is the Destination News Editor for AFAR; previously she was a Lifestyle Editor across all of Hearst Digital Media's brands, and a digital editor at Martha Stewart Weddings and Travel + Leisure.