Halloween Party Games for Kids: Nine Ideas With Rules

Which games fit your group and room?

Start with the space you can clear and the time between arrival, food, and pickup. For a short gap, use one song of Monster Statues or a few guessing objects. Save the relay or several toss rounds for a longer activity slot, and allow everyone their agreed turns. A circle game or seated guessing game needs less open floor than a toss or relay. If younger children and readers are playing together, let them take different roles: one child can throw from a closer line while another keeps score, or a pair can guess together.

Use the age labels as starting points when choosing games; children of the same age may enjoy different activities or need different help. Adjust the rules to the children and room you have. For age-specific options, see preschool party games and the broader party games guide.

Ghost Toss Lane

Suggested age and space: 3+; a clear hallway or driveway lane
Have ready: 6 sock ghosts or bean bags, 3 buckets, painter’s tape

Mark three throwing lines at 3, 6, and 9 feet from the buckets. Divide players into teams with the same number of throwers, or play individually if the numbers do not match. Each player gets three throws per round. A ghost that lands in a bucket scores one point from the nearest line, two from the middle, or three from the farthest; a miss scores zero. Add the points to each team’s total. Finish the whole round so both teams get the same number of turns before checking whether a team has reached 15. If either has, the higher total wins. Otherwise, play up to three complete rounds, then compare totals. A tied total is a shared win. Use the same finish and tie rules for individual play. Rotate the scorekeeper after each round. Younger players can throw from a closer line, with the host deciding in advance whether all lines use the same points.

Monster Statues

Suggested age and space: 2+; any open area where children can move
Have ready: Music and a speaker

Play Halloween music while everyone dances. Pause it and call “freeze.” Anyone still moving does a monster pose or roar, then rejoins; no one is eliminated. Choose one song before starting and stop when it ends, or stop sooner if the group wants a break. A guest can take turns pausing the music if they would like a job.

Spider Web Crawl

Suggested age and space: 3+; a hallway with room to move through
Have ready: Painter’s tape and optional stickers for marking a result

Before guests arrive, make a loose web of tape between two suitable surfaces. Leave openings wide enough for the children who will play. Let each child try twice to get through without touching the tape. If you want to keep score, count each child’s clean passes; the group can also simply take turns. Finish after everyone has had two tries. If you count results, the most clean passes wins; equal results are a shared win. Skip the timed race if the hallway is narrow or children would have to wait in the play area.

Skeleton Assembly Relay

Suggested age and space: 5+; one wall area per team
Have ready: Paper skeleton pieces and tape for each team

Make a matching set of paper bones for each team. Place the pieces in a pile. Players take turns carrying one piece to their team’s wall and taping it in place. Use equal-size teams and matching sets of six pieces: a head, rib cage, two arms, and two legs. In each round, every player gets one turn to add a piece or adjust one already on the wall. Finish the full round before checking the skeletons. If either team has all six pieces correctly placed, stop; if both do, they share the win. Otherwise, play up to six complete rounds, then compare the number of correctly placed pieces. The team with more wins; equal totals are a shared win. Add names to the pieces for readers, or use different shapes or colors to help players tell them apart.

Witch’s Hat Ring Toss

Suggested age and space: 4+; clear floor space
Have ready: 3 cone hats and 6 rings, or paper-plate loops

Set the hats at increasing distances. Each player gets three tosses per turn. Count one point for a ring around a nearer hat and three points around the farthest hat; misses score zero. Give everyone four turns, with three tosses each time, then compare totals. The highest score wins; tied players share the win. Move the hats closer if players are having trouble reaching them.

Pumpkin Bowling

Suggested age and space: 3+; a clear lane
Have ready: 10 plastic bottles, painter’s tape, and a small pumpkin or soft ball

Set the bottles in a triangle at the end of a marked lane. Give each player two rolls, then reset the bottles. After three turns, the player who knocked down the most bottles wins; count bottles knocked down across both rolls in each turn, leaving fallen bottles down until the second roll is over. Give everyone all three turns before comparing totals; tied players share the win. A small pumpkin is one option; use a ball if the pumpkin is awkward to hold or roll. Keep the lane clear while someone takes a turn.

Cauldron Feel Test

Suggested age and space: 4+; a seated group
Have ready: A bowl or covered container, eight familiar objects, and paper for guesses

Put one familiar object at a time in the container and cover it with a cloth. Tell players they can feel the object without looking, watch someone else, or pass. For scored play, have everyone write a guess or whisper it privately to the host before revealing any answers or showing the object. Award one point for each correct guess. Use spoken guesses only for an unscored round. Finish after all eight objects; the highest score wins, and ties are shared wins. Children who pass can still help reveal the objects. Use clean, dry, non-food items such as a sponge or toy spider; do not mix play objects with food served to guests.

Candy Corn Sprint

Suggested age and space: 5+; a clear lane
Have ready: Two bowls per team, one spoon per team, and candy corn or small pom-poms

Set an empty bowl at one end of the lane and a filled bowl at the other. Players take turns carrying one spoonful to the empty bowl and walking back to pass the spoon. Leave dropped pieces where they fall. Use equal-size teams; if the numbers do not match, play together toward one shared total instead of comparing team scores. Set a five-minute timer and send players in the same order, giving each the same number of turns. When the timer rings, finish the current rotation so both teams have had equal turns, then stop. Count what reached the far bowl; the team with more wins, and equal totals are a shared win. Pom-poms are a non-food option. Ask families about food needs before using candy as a game material.

Costume Catwalk

Suggested age and space: 3+; any open area
Have ready: Music and optional paper ribbons

Give each child up to 30 seconds to walk, spin, or pose in a costume while music plays. Finish after everyone has been offered one turn; this is a parade rather than a scored contest. Guests can clap, and everyone can receive a playful paper award if they want one. Keep the walk optional; children who prefer not to perform can choose the next song or hand out ribbons. This works as a closing activity if the group still has time and interest.