23 Fun Halloween Games for Kids

Perfect for Classrooms or Parties

By
Stacy Fisher
Stacy Fisher, Writer
Stacy Fisher

Stacy is a writer and freebies expert with nearly two decades of experience. She has appeared as an expert on Dr. Oz Show and several radio shows, published hundreds of articles, and co-authored a book. Stacy's written about how to celebrate the holidays for less, decorate your home with free printables, and has curated the best free resources for parents and teachers. Stacy also has an extensive background in academia.

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and
Donna Pilato
Donna Pilato

Donna Pilato is an event planning expert who writes articles on planning parties and other events for over 20 years. She wrote for The Spruce for 16 years, covering entertaining trends from hosting a murder mystery dinner to catering food and drink for a bar mitzvah. Her advice has also been featured in Reader's Digest, Disney Family.com, the New Jersey Star Ledger, and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 09/16/22
Halloween kids party table setting

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Plan some Halloween party games for kids without breaking the bank. These games are perfect for kids' Halloween parties, classroom celebrations, or just fun at home in the weeks leading up to Halloween. And for many of them you might already have everything you need to play right in your house.

Here are 18 fun and festive Halloween games for kids.

  • 01 of 23

    Halloween Feel Box

    Halloween feel box decorated like a mummy next to a bowl of candy corn

    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

    This gross activity is always a popular Halloween party game. Make Halloween feel boxes with various foods, such as cold spaghetti (worms) or peeled grapes (eyeballs), and household items, and have the kids feel what's in the box without looking in it. Then, they get to guess what they think they felt in the box. Once everyone has had a turn to touch the items and make their guesses, open the box and show them what's inside.

  • 02 of 23

    Halloween Pumpkin Patch Hunting Game

    Cropped image of a kid balancing a small pumpkin on their head
    Cavan Images / Getty Images

    This fun game will have kids searching for mini or plastic pumpkins that are hidden around the house or classroom. The person or team that finds the most pumpkins wins. If you don't have any pumpkins on hand, draw some pumpkins on pieces of scrap paper to hide.

  • 03 of 23

    Monster Freeze Dance

    kids in Halloween costumes dancing
    mediaphotos / Getty Images

    Put on some Halloween tunes, and have the kids boogie until the music stops. Then, they have to freeze. Children are eliminated for not freezing. And the last person standing is the winner. For a fun variation on this game, tell kids to instead pose as different Halloween characters as they freeze, such as a cat, witch, pumpkin, or mummy.

  • 04 of 23

    Old Costume Relay Race

    A group of kids running in their Halloween costumes

    Sean Locke / The Image Bank / Getty Images

    Have kids race to put on and take off old Halloween costumes in this fun and frantic Halloween party game for kids. Divide the kids into even teams for the relay race. The team that has every member put on and take off their designated costume first wins.

    Continue to 5 of 23 below.
  • 05 of 23

    Wrap the Mummy

    Child dressed in a mummy costume
    Jodie Griggs / Getty Images

    Often used during classroom parties, this easy game is always a bit hit. To play, start by dividing children into groups of three to five kids. In each group, select one child to act as a "mummy," and give the others a roll or two of toilet paper or white crepe paper. Instruct the children to wrap the mummy with the paper, leaving the eyes, nose, and mouth uncovered. The first group to be done with their roll of paper wins. Or simply let the kids wrap to their heart's content to burn off a little energy!

  • 06 of 23

    Pass It on Ghost Story

    kids whispering in each other's ears
    Peter Muller / Getty Images

    Tell ghost stories in "round-robin" fashion with this spooky Halloween party game for kids. The activity calls for sitting in a circle with candles, but it can work just as well with mini flashlights. Have each person tell a portion of a spooky story and then blow out their candle or turn off their flashlight before passing the story onto the next person.

  • 07 of 23

    Candy Corn Relay Race

    Candy corn and orange scoop
    Garry Gay / Getty Images

    Split kids into teams, and have each team race to move candy corn from one bowl to another. The catch is they have to use a spoon and can't touch the candy corn with their hands. The team that finishes transferring the candy corn between its bowls first wins.

  • 08 of 23

    Wiggle Worm Race

    kids running in a row in their Halloween costumes
    Rawpixel / Getty Images

    This Halloween game will get kids moving. Kids hold hands to form a "worm" and then run from one spot to another trying to keep their worm intact. It can be played by teams or just be a fun activity for all the kids to do together.

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  • 09 of 23

    Scarecrow Races

    child making a scarecrow

    Stephen Mccabe / EyeEm / Getty Images

    Split kids into teams, and provide each team with a scarecrow and a bag of clothes. Then, have the kids dress the scarecrow one article of clothing at a time in a relay race format. The first team with a fully dressed scarecrow wins.

  • 10 of 23

    Pin the Stem on the Pumpkin

    one blindfolded kid with three others laughing nearby
    TIMLI / Getty Images

    Create a pumpkin out of posterboard or cardboard, and make a separate stem for it. Then, blindfold kids and have them try to pin the stem on the pumpkin. You can use masking tape on the stem if the kids are too young for pushpins.

  • 11 of 23

    How Many Halloween Candies Guessing Game

    Assortment of candy
    Mitch Diamond / Getty Images

    Fill a jar with Halloween candy, and have kids guess how many pieces are in the jar. The winner either guesses correctly or is closest to the correct number. They can take home the jar—after sharing a piece with everyone, of course.

  • 12 of 23

    Halloween Musical Chairs

    A group of children playing musical chairs

    Sabine Duerichen / LOOK-foto / LOOK / Getty Images

    This game is a fun twist on musical chairs. Print out Halloween-related images, and spread them around the room. Have smaller versions of the images to put in a jar. Have Halloween music playing, and when it stops the kids must choose an image on which to stand. Pull an image from your jar. Anyone standing on that image is out of the game. Remove the image, and keep playing until there's a winner.

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  • 13 of 23

    Candy Corn Catch

    Hands holding candy corn

    D. Sharon Pruitt Pink Sherbet Photography / Getty Images

    Partner up kids for this fun and active game. The object of the game is for one kid to catch candy corn thrown by their partner in a plastic pumpkin worn around their waist. The duo that's able to make the most pieces of candy corn in the bucket wins.

  • 14 of 23

    Halloween Capture the Pumpkins

    child running by pumpkins in farm
    Cavan Images / Getty Images

    Divide the kids into two teams, and assign each team a color. Supply each team with several pumpkins, with their bottoms painted in the team color. Have someone who’s not playing hide the pumpkins. Each team should designate pumpkin stealers, who tag opposing players trying to bring their pumpkins back to their home base, and pumpkin hunters, who try to find their own team’s pumpkins. The team that ends up with the most pumpkins in the end—from stealing the other team’s pumpkins or hunting their own—wins. 

  • 15 of 23

    Halloween Guess Who

    Children wearing Halloween costumes on an outdoor path
    Zing Images / Getty Images

    Tape a Halloween-related character name on each child's back, making sure the characters are suitable for the kids' age group. Also, don't allow them to see their character name. Then, have the kids walk around and give each other clues about the characters on their backs. The first person to guess the character they have wins.

  • 16 of 23

    Pumpkin Passing Game

    child holding a small pumpkin

    Annie Otzen / Getty Images 

    This game is essentially hot potato but with pumpkins. Kids pass around a mini pumpkin, and if they're caught holding the pumpkin when the music stops they're out. This is a fun Halloween party game that even the littlest kids can play.

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  • 17 of 23

    Pumpkin Hockey

    Autumn pumpkins and squash
    Matilda Delves / Getty Images

    Divide kids into two teams, and give each team a pumpkin and a hockey stick. Then, have each participant stick-handle their pumpkin to a designated spot and back before passing the stick and pumpkin off to the next person on their team. The team that finishes first wins.

  • 18 of 23

    Ghost Hunter

    girl in a Halloween costume holding up a lollypop
    Hero Images / Getty Images

    Create lollipops with paper covering them to make a ghost-like form. On each piece of paper should be a letter than spells a Halloween-related word of your choice. The game is played in two parts. First, have the kids hunt for the hidden lollipops. Then, have them work together to unscramble the letters and decipher the word. Everyone gets to enjoy their lollipop after that.

  • 19 of 23

    Make the Zombies Laugh

    Halloween is here
    M_a_y_a / Getty Images

    To play this next game, have all the children lie still on the floor like zombies, selecting one child to stay standing and be "it." That child's job is to make the other children laugh. "It" can make funny faces, dance, act silly, whatever inspires him or her. Once a "zombie" laughs, he or she can join "it" in attempting to make the group laugh. Whoever holds out the longest without laughing is the winner.

  • 20 of 23

    Halloween Memory Game

    Halloween food and table decorations.
    John Block/Photolibrary/Getty Images

    This is a great game for a group party, as it requires a bit of memory work. To play, sit the children in a wide circle and pick one kid to start. That child begins by saying "I went trick or treating and I collected..." and adds an item that starts with an "a" to the list. Continue around the circle in alphabetical order, with each child reciting the items that came before them and adding on with their letter. For example, the third child in the circle might say, "I collected A, an apple; B, a bat; C, a cat." Encourage the kids to help each other along the way—otherwise, it definitely wouldn't be fair to the last person!

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  • 21 of 23

    Left and Right Pumpkin Story

    girl holding small pumpkin

    Getty Images / Stefania Pelfini, La Waziya Photography

    Pre-party, write up a short Halloween story that repeatedly uses the words "left" and "right." For example, "On Halloween night, Susie left for trick or treating. Right away she ran into her friend Billy as she made a right turn at the corner. He was holding his trick or treat bag in his left hand." At your party, have the children sit in a circle and give one of them a pumpkin. As you read the story, they need to pass the pumpkin to the person seated next to them as the word left or right is spoken. Read the story quickly and watch them giggle as they try to keep up with the directions. For a twist on this game, you can give each student a candy bar and have them pass them around to the right and left in accordance with the story—each child will end up with a different piece than they started with when the story is over.

  • 22 of 23

    Halloween Word Scramble

    frankenstein's monster in pumpkin patch

    Getty Images / Patricia Marroquin

    This game has a lot in common with the classic word-creation game Boggle. Write the word Frankenstein on a large sheet of paper. Break the kids into pairs, and give each pair a piece of paper and a pencil. Set a timer for three minutes, and challenge the pairs to form as many words with three or more letters as they can from the letters in Frankenstein. When the timer goes off, have each pair read out their words. The pair with the most words wins. If the game is a hit, try it again with the word Halloween.

  • 23 of 23

    Candy Corn Relay Race

    Candy in jars, close-up
    Rob Melnychuk / Getty Images

    This game requires a bit of space to play. Start by creating a relay course with start and finish lines. Divide the kids into teams. Then, set out a bowl of candy corn for each team at the starting line and an empty bowl at the finish line. The players must use a large spoon to scoop candy corn out of their full bowl and then carry it to the empty bowl to fill it. If any candy corn falls off the spoon while they're on the course, they must immediately pick it up and bring it back to the starting line bowl and start over with their spoonful. Once a player makes a round trip, they should tag the next player on their team. The team that moves all of their candy corn from the start bowl to the finish bowl first wins.