Frightfully Fun Halloween Kids Games

Halloween kids games will entertain little ghosts and goblins and make you giggle right along with them. Only for Halloween could you plan hair-raising games and activities to keep the party atmosphere exciting and let the spirit of the season shine through. Any familiar children's game can be terror-ized to capture the magic of Halloween with a spooktacular presentation. Halloween is time for fun, so let the games begin.

Share your enthusiasm for the season with
tricked out Halloween kids games.

From guessing the "body parts" to a hunt that ends in a treasure chest brimming with booty, there is one consistent element--spirit filled. Spooked out Halloween games for kids go a long way in enhancing the mystery of the night. 

Photo credit: Giggles Galore

Guess The Body Parts. 
This game is more of an experience than a contest. One by one each player was guided by a local witch to reach inside the coffin to feel the "body parts". As the victims howled with horror and disgust, the game became as much fun for the spectators as the participants.

Dracula stood nearby reading this scary story of a frightful death. . .

Once upon a Halloween night, living in this spooky town, was a man who died of fright bearing the name of Brown. Many and many a year has passed since they buried Brown away, but his withering corpse we've here amassed dug up from his tomb today!

Here is his brain, which feels no pain. (cauliflower)
Here are his eyes, frozen in surprise. (frozen grapes)
Here is his heart, nevermore to start! (jello jigglers)
Here is his hair, once so fair! (yarn)
A few drops of blood, the rest turned to mud! (ketchup)
One hand all alone, rotting flesh and bone. (plastic glove filled with water and frozen solid)
Now touch his ear, which does not hear! (ear shaped from Play-Doh & allowed to harden)
And here is his nose, cold in his repose. (nose shaped from Play-Doh & allowed to harden)
All that's left of his skin are these worms within! (spaghetti noodles)
Poor Brown is dead and withered away, can you guess what we really felt today?

Here's what we did.
We made the coffin from foam boards, painted it black, and bewitched to the hilt with a spray of flowers and a creepy hand. On the back side of the coffin was an opening for the "body parts" to be placed, keeping them mysteriously hidden from sight. Giving Halloween kids games a proper haunting makes them memorable--it was the hit of our party.

Game prizes.
Awarding prizes can be a fun way to highlight the playful side of Halloween kids games. We filled coffin shaped boxes with candy and presented to each guest as a fitting tribute to the theme--frighteningly simple.

Guess How Many Candies Are In The Jar.
Test your guessing skills and take a guess at how many candies are in the jar. The person who guesses closest to the actual number will win a special prize. Let's play Halloween Guess How Many Candies Are In The Jar!

Mr. Bones.
Step right up and test your skill. Players throw plates of mashed potatoes at the head of Mr. Bones. Simple enough for young players but enjoyed by all. We made our own target by attaching a Halloween poster to a board, but any version of the pin the tail game is a fun substitute.

Spudtacular showdown...

Pumpkin Bowling.
Decorate ten 2-liter plastic bottles. Fill these bottles with just enough sand to keep them from toppling over too easily. Roll a small pumpkin into bottles. If your looking for a ready to bowl version there are plenty of Halloween bowling games, some glow in the dark.

Photo credit: Mudpie Studio

According to Jeanetics, toilet paper rolls make a grand reaction to being bowled over by a pie pumpkin. The faces on the tissue got a grand reaction from us.

Photo credit: Jeanetics

Or maybe just purchase special Halloween-themed bowling games and contests, like glow-in-the-dark or inflatable bowling sets. It's a great way to combine the thrill of Halloween with the classic fun of bowling. Halloween bowling is sure to be a hit.

Musical Numbers.
Orange and black plastic tablecloths are laid out to form our game board. Numbers are placed on each square. A pail is prepared containing corresponding numbers. Children march around the giant board as music plays. When the music stops, children stop on a square. A number is drawn and the child standing on that number wins. We preferred to have each child leave the game a winner, but having one winner at the end is also an option.

Pass The Ghost.
Ring Around The Rosie is the basis for this Halloween kids game. Have children form a circle. Start the music and allow the children to pass around a ghost until the music stops. When the music stops, the child with the ghost is out. The winner is the last child standing.

This ghostly decoration will become one neighbors look forward to seeing year after year. Thanks to A Life Inspired for providing step-by-step instructions.

Halloween Cornhole.
Cornhole has become one of the most popular lawn games. Combine the excitement of cornhole with the spookiness of Halloween, making it the perfect activity for a Halloween party or gathering. Halloween cornhole is sure to add extra fun to your Halloween festivities.

Knocking Down Pumpkins.
Some Halloween kids games are more age specific than others, but this game idea works for all ages. Simply paint or color the inside of bottles and let the kids have fun throwing a ball for the big knock down. Another fun way to play is to knock down Halloween themed cans.

Photo credit: Toddler Approved

Apple Bobbing.
Traditional apple bobbing is a good way to pass fond memories along.  Fill wash tub with water and add apples. The child must retrieve the apple with his mouth only.  For older children, no hands allowed or blindfolds may be used.

A new twist to old favorite Halloween kids games keeps participants dry as they bob. Tie apples to a tree branch leaving the apple at an appropriate height for the age of children.

Photos credit: Scout And Charm

Limbo Game.
Limbo is a fun and exciting game. It involves dancing under a horizontal pole, while bending backwards and moving your body lower and lower without making the pole fall. Wow everyone with your Limbo skills and find out how low can you go.

Doughnut On A String Game.
In this game, participants must eat a dangling donut without using their hands, making it a hilarious and challenging contest. Suspended by strings from a sturdy structure, the donuts swing unpredictably, adding to the fun and difficulty. First one to finish is the winner. For smaller children, try mini-doughnuts.

Photo credit: Famtivity

Pumpkin Ring Toss.
You will need pumpkins with long stems and small rings to toss. Players attempt to toss rings onto the stems of pumpkins, testing their aim and coordination. The setup typically features a variety of pumpkins placed at different distances, offering various levels of difficulty. Allow each player three attempts to ring the pumpkin stem. The player who rings the most wins. Short on time? There are many ring toss games available that are ready to play.

More ring toss Halloween party game ideas.
The kids will love this after dark version.

Photo credit: Cute Decor

Pumpkin Search.
The quest is simple...find the pumpkin with the winning sticker on the bottom. There is only one sticker on one pumpkin, so it's an easy game to set up and play. The fearless seeker who finds it wins a prize. It's a fantastic way to entertain guests while celebrating the season's iconic symbol, the pumpkin.

Witch Pitch.
Kids Halloween games that allow children to throw candy are always a big hit. Participants try to toss candy into a cauldron from a set distance, challenging their aim and precision. The game can be played individually or in teams, adding a layer of friendly competition. The one with the most candy corn in a cauldron wins.

Photo credit: Oopsey Daisy

Candy Corn Pitch.
This is a spooky take on a candy tossing game. Allow each player to toss candy corn into each bucket awarding points according to difficulty. We awarded Silly String as a prize, making the end as much fun as the beginning.

Treasure Hunt.
Hunting for treasure is an exhilarating activity for kids. We turned our treasure hunt into a team relay with clues attached to foam shaped pumpkins. The final clue led to a treasure chest brimming with goodies as a tantalizing reward.

Scavenger Hunt.
Divide your guests into teams equipped with their lists and return time. The team returning with the most correct items is the winner.

The printable Halloween Scavenger Hunt list shown above
is available for download at Rook No. 17

Try a Halloween themed scavenger hunt.
Put a Halloween spin to a scavenger hunt with a search for things that are orange and black. Compile your own list or consider some of these creepy ideas.

Pumpkin Basketball An orange Orange candy Orange baseball cap Orange jello Orange t-shirt Nehi orange soda

Black witches hat Blackberry Black jack Black sunglasses Black cd case Black lock of hair Black ink pen Black t-shirt

Haunted Hayride 

Nothing provides more opportunity for spooking kids than a haunted hayride. Guests in full character, a few hay bales, and a somewhat twisted imagination was all it took to run chills down the spines of our favorite trick-or-treaters. Here are some of the numerous terrors that we encountered on our haunted hayride. . .

Spirited greeting.
Ghosts were hung from tree branches all along the way. We created these ghoulish handmade greetings from plastic tablecloths and applied a variety of facial expressions cut from black duct tape.

No worries here.

Scene of the crime.

Here lies Fannie Licker, Willie Rott and Ima Goner.

Scared to death.
Towards the end of the hayride, guests visited a graveyard to pay their respects. A witch storyteller enthusiastically described the dearly departed and the cause of death. 

More Halloween kids games
for your gruesome gathering. . .

Bouncing Jack-O-Lanterns.
Draw jack-o-lantern faces onto orange ping pong balls. Hollow out five to six pumpkins or use plastic pumpkins and place in a row. Each child is given a ball and tries to bounce their ball into the pumpkin. For smaller chidren decorate large baskets or plastic buckets with jack-o-lantern faces.

Creepy Crawler Diving.
Fill decorative Halloween bowls with whipped cream and add gummy worms. Place the same number of worms in each bowl allowing the worms to appear to be crawling out of the whipped cream. Give each child a bowl of worms and at the sound of go, the first child to retrieve all the worms wins.

Pumpkin Decorating.
Have markers, stickers, yarn, pipe cleaners, construction paper, scissors and glue available for the children. Award a prize for the best pumpkin or award them all for their participation.

Face Painting Station.
Have someone available to paint the children’s faces or maybe apply tattoos. If you can’t think of anyone, try kid friendly tattoos instead. The Halloween tattoos are easy to apply and the kids love them.

Carnival Theme.
Set up stations that offer a variety of activities or games. This idea works particularly well for large groups. Review the Halloween kids games shown here as many would fit perfectly into a carnival themed party.

One Stop Party Ideas Tip

As the Halloween kids games begin, play spooky music in the background to set the scene. Eerie and scary Halloween party songs will capture all the mystery and magic of Halloween.

Photo courtesy of Hilton Music Studio