Halloween is a magical time of year: the costumes, the candy, and just the right amount of spookiness. Enjoy Halloween thrills without the scares by planning a few fun, spooky-themed games that are age-appropriate, laughter-filled and festive. These games rely on creativity, laughter and just enough “boo!” to keep things playful — so whether you’ve got toddlers, tweens or a mixed group, there’s plenty of fun for everyone. They’re perfect for a classroom party, neighborhood gathering or a low-key family night. As an added bonus, they’re easy to pull off with minimal prep.
Mummy Wrap Relay (ages 5+)
Divide kids into teams and give each team a roll of toilet paper. One teammate becomes the “mummy” while the others race to wrap them up from head to toe. The first to finish — or the best-looking mummy within a time limit — wins.
Why kids love it: The chaos of wrapping (and unwrapping) a giggling friend is half the fun.
Tip: Play inside, or on a smooth outdoor surface for easy cleanup.
Witch Hat Ring Toss (ages 3+)
Transform an ordinary ring toss into something spellbinding. Use a cone-shaped witch hat (or several) and glow stick bracelets or plastic rings. Place the hats at various distances and challenge kids to land the rings over the tips. Assign point values to each hat for added excitement.
Why kids love it: It’s simple, silly and the glow-in-the-dark option is especially fun at dusk.
Tip: Use small cauldrons or pumpkins in place of cones if you don’t have hats.
Spoonful of Eyeball(s)(ages 5+)
This is like the classic egg-and-spoon race, but with plastic eyeballs (found at any party store). Mark a start and finish line, hand each racer a
spoon with an “eyeball,” and let the wobbly fun begin.
Why kids love it: It’s goofy, and the challenge of not dropping the “eye” adds suspense.
Tip: Add obstacles or make it a relay for older kids.
Haunted Feel Box Challenge (ages 7+)
For this Halloween favorite, fill shoeboxes or foil-covered bowls with mystery items and cut holes for hands to reach in. Label them with spooky names like “witch’s hair” (cooked spaghetti), “eyeballs” (peeled grapes), “zombie brains” (Jell-O), or “vampire teeth” (candy corn).
Why kids love it: The gross-out factor (without being truly gross) gets lots of giggles.
Tip: Keep it optional; some kids might be squeamish, and that’s OK.
Pumpkin Bowling (ages 3+)
Paint empty cans or plastic bottles with spooky faces and stack them into a pyramid. Use a small pumpkin as the bowling ball and let kids take turns knocking down the pins.
Why kids love it: It combines silliness with a satisfying crash when the pins fall.
Tip: Add glow sticks inside clear bottles to turn it into a nighttime glow bowl.
Monster Jam (all ages)
Put on a playlist of Halloween hits — like “Monster Mash” or “Ghostbusters” — and have the kids dance like monsters. Pause the music randomly and call out a spooky pose in which they have to
freeze: zombie arms, vampire cape, witch’s cackle, etc.
Why kids love it: It gets them moving and laughing while keeping energy high.
Tip: Have a panel of “mad scientist judges” award prizes for silliest poses.
Candy Corn Guessing Game (all ages)
Fill a jar with candy corn, gummy pumpkins or Halloween-colored M&Ms, and let kids guess how many pieces are inside. Closest guess wins the jar — or a smaller prize, if you’d like to avoid sugar overload.
Why kids love it: Everyone gets a chance to win, and it’s surprisingly suspenseful.
Tip: This works well as a calm activity at the start or end of your event.
Skeleton Scavenger Hunt (ages 6+)
Buy an inexpensive plastic skeleton and disassemble it. Hide the bones around your house, yard or party area. Give kids a checklist or diagram and send them off on a hunt to find and assemble “Mr. Bones.” Adapt the hiding spot difficulty to participants’ ages.
Why kids love it: It’s part mystery, part puzzle and feels like a spooky adventure.
Tip: For younger kids, hide larger pieces in easy-to-spot locations and give clues.
Spider Web Obstacle Course (ages 3+)
Create a web using yarn or streamers taped across the length of a hallway in various directions. Kids must crawl, duck and twist their way through without touching the “web.”
Why kids love it: It’s like a mini spy mission with a Halloween twist.
Tip: For a party version, add glow-in-the-dark tape or blacklights.
Ghost Bingo (all ages)
Create custom Halloween bingo cards with images like black cats, candy corn, ghosts, pumpkins and spiders. Use candy corn or another small favorite treat as markers. Play rounds with small prizes like stickers, fidgets or temporary tattoos.
Why kids love it: It’s familiar, festive and encourages a bit of friendly competition.
Tip: Download free Halloween bingo templates online or let older kids design their own.