30 Fun DIY Halloween Games for Kids
Boil, boil, but no toil and no trouble! You may think DIY Halloween games for kids mean a ton of work. But they don’t have to be—and you can forget bobbing for apples. We’ve borrowed the brains of top DIY bloggers to gather the best Halloween games for kids from the web (complete with easy how-to tips and tricks) so that you can make your next scary shindig an out-of-this-world delight—full of (kid-friendly!) fright. Whether it’s Pin the Spider on the web or a Witch Hat ring toss, these Halloween game ideas will make your next fright fest a ghoultastically good time.
If fun, fast and painless are on the agenda, then these easy Halloween games for kids are your best bets for a quick party fix.
The Game: Halloween Ghost Cup Smash
The Inspiration: Organize Your Stuff Now
What You’ll Need: Halloween party games don’t get any simpler than this Ghost Cup Smash! All you need is a ball, translucent plastic cups and a black sharpie—draw ghost eyes on the cups and you’re ready to play!
How to Play: One of the easiest Halloween party games there is, simply stack the cups and toss the foam ball to see how many ghosts you can smash at once.
The Game: Mini Pumpkin Tic-Tac-Toe
The Inspiration: It’s Overflowing
What You’ll Need: A mix of mini orange and white pumpkins—real or faux—plus fun Halloween washi tape to make a tic-tac-toe “game board” on your table.
How to Play: Use the orange and white pumpkins in place of the Xs and Os. Whoever gets three in a row first wins!
The Game: Halloween Touch & Feel Game
The Inspiration: The Mumsy Blog
What You’ll Need:: Halloween party games should give a good scare! Everyday goodies get ghoulish when you fill a spookily painted box with containers stuffed with slimy worms (noodles), bleeding hearts (peeled tomatoes), brains (cooked cauliflower), and witch fingers (green beans).
How to Play: This fun game is a classic: Have kids stick their hands into the box and feel the creepy, crawly things inside. (No peeking!)
The Game: Pin the Spider on the Web
The Inspiration: Ella Claire Inspired
What You’ll Need: Make Halloween games easy with this simply spooky version of Pin the Tale on the Donkey. The Ella Claire Inspired blog’s printable version (scroll down to nearly the end of the post) means you can put it together without hassle. The only other items you need are tape and a blindfold.
How to Play: Tape the spider web poster to the wall. Hand each player a sticky spider printout or plastic spider (put tape on the back for easy “pinning”), blindfold them and give them a little spin as they aim to pin the spider onto the web. The player that gets closest to the center wins.
The Game: Dress the Mummy
The Inspiration: The Invitation Boutique
What You’ll Need: Lots of toilet paper! What’s easier than Halloween games for kids that only need one item?
How to Play: Pair the kids into groups of two, and hand each team a roll of toilet paper. The pair that gets mummified the fastest wins.
The Game: Pumpkin Hunt
The Inspiration: Crystal And Comp!
What You’ll Need: Lots of mini pumpkins for stashing, the smaller the better!
How to Play: If your kids have done a classic Easter egg hunt, they’ll know what to do! Ask them to look for hidden pumpkins throughout the designated space (we suggest a backyard or single room). Whomever has the most at the end wins a treat. This one works well as a pre-school Halloween party game too!
The Game: Easy I Spy Halloween Game
The Inspiration: Simple Play Ideas
What You’ll Need: All you need for this easy and fun Halloween party game for kids are candy corn and printouts of the site’s I Spy challenge Printable.
How to Play: During snack time at the table, give each child a Halloween games printout. Have an adult call out specific I Spy pumpkins. For instance, “I Spy a pumpkin between a rat and cat.” Have each child cover the correct pumpkin on their printout with a candy corn. Once all the pumpkins are found, everyone gets to eat all the candy on their printout!
If your party style is all about DIY details and gorgeous, fun crafts, then we’ve got some sure bets when it comes to DIY Halloween games for kids.
The Game: Mini Ghost DIY Piñatas
The Inspiration: Oh Happy Day!
What You’ll Need: Balloons, glue, newspaper, scissors, cardstock, tape, crepe paper—and of course candy and a long stick. This makes a fun craft project for bigger kids who want to get in on the Halloween party games planning too.
How to Play: Once you’ve done the hard work of making these fun Halloween candy games, the rest is easy. Just hang and it’s time to play ghost busters!
The Game: Halloween Bean Bag Toss
The Inspiration: A Kailo Chic Life
What You’ll Need: Halloween games for kids are often a twist on traditional party games. This Halloween bean bag toss game for kids one is a colorful take on the traditional bean toss, involving wood planks and a drill. But you could just as easily do it by cutting holes into a large cardboard box. Whatever you use, paint it orange and black and collect a stash of store-bought bean bags.
How to Play: Even the littlest monsters can get in on the action here: Just toss the bean bags, aiming for the holes.
The Game: Halloween Glitter Slime Monsters
The Inspiration: The 36th Avenue
What You’ll Need: Halloween games for kids involving slime? How appropriate! Create slime out of glitter glue, Borax and water, then stash it in baby food jars decorated with paint, googly eyes, pipe cleaners and other ghoulishly fun goodies.
How to Play: Talk about boo-tastic toddler Halloween games! Little ones decorate the jars for a monstrously good time. Then let them take home their ghoulish glitter slime as party favors!
The Game: Halloween Sort-Of Skeeball
The Inspiration: Gets Bored Easily
What You’ll Need: This one goes on the list of Halloween party games for kids that involve a drill and a wood plank—but the results are worth it, promise! You’ll need a drill, nuts, bolts, buckets, a wood plank, paint, plus these handy instructions. Don’t forget bean bags or balls to play with.
How to Play: Once your faux-skeeball board is assembled, let your party people have at it, tossing the bean bags (or balls) to see who can score the most points in a short, timed session.
The Game: Mummy Bowling
The Inspiration: Sometimes Creative What You’ll Need: In these super-fun Halloween party games for kids, plastic containers take on a new life as bowling pins when you wrap them in ghostly white gauze and add googly eyes for ghoulish drama. The only other thing you need is a black foam ball decorated into a pumpkin (though any small light ball would do).
How to Play: STRIKE! Halloween games for kids don’t get easier than this: set up five or more “pins” on one end of the room, then knock ‘em over with the ball.
The Game: Pumpkin Golf!
The Inspiration: A Girl & a Glue Gun
What You’ll Need: If your pumpkin pal’s gap-toothed grin got a little too wide, no worries. Put that gorgeous gourd to work as your Halloween games centerpiece of ghoulish golf. For these swinging Halloween party games for kids, all you need are the pumpkins, an X-ACTO knife, plus kid-friendly putters and golf balls.
How to Play: Once your friendly old Jack has his mouth wide open, line up your putters to see who can score the most holes in one.
If your party is meant for the smaller set, then these toddler Halloween games will be a sure (but maybe just a little scary!) bet. And, of course, the bigger kids can participate in these super-fun Halloween party games too!
The Game: Witch Hat Ring Toss
The Inspiration: Housewife Eclectic
What You’ll Need: Halloween party games that challenge your munchkins’ hand-eye coordination are always super-fun and easy. For this one, make or buy mini witch hats and nab some rings for tossing!
How to Play: Have kids take turns tossing rings onto the hats to see who can hook the most. As with all Halloween party games, offer up bags of candy corn or other treats as prizes.
The Game: Pumpkin Memory Game
The Inspiration: Simple Play Ideas
What You’ll Need: Even the littlest trick-or-treaters will love this easy Halloween party game—a fun and colorful update on the classic memory challenge. Use orange paper plates, black construction paper, scissors and glue to make unique pumpkin faces. Don’t forget to make a twin for each one.
How to Play: Lay out the pumpkin plates face down, making sure to shuffle well. Let the little ones take turns picking out pumpkins to see if they can make a match.
The Game: Halloween Stack and Squirt Game
The Inspiration: Momma’s Fun World
What You’ll Need: Another one for the easy and fun Halloween party games for kids list, this one repurposes those plastic cups with scary faces. Just add water, whether it comes from a spray bottle or squirt gun!
How to Play: Stack the scary-faced cups upside down so that they form a pyramid. Hand each kid a spray bottle or water gun, and let them take aim, seeing how many cups they can knock down during a 10-second squirt session.
The Game: Pass the Pumpkin
The Inspiration: Ms. King Rocks
What You’ll Need: A pumpkin or pumpkin-shaped ball.
How to Play: This one definitely goes on the list of easy toddler Halloween games, because toddlers do love a good game of hot potato! This version replaces the spud with a ghoulish gourd, which the kids can pass along the circle as music plays. When the spooky song stops, whoever’s left holding the pumpkin is out.
The Game: Halloween Balloon Catch Game
The Inspiration: Vanilla Joy
What You’ll Need: Funnel cones—perhaps painted black and decorated as witches’ hats?—and plenty of orange balloons, blown up big and bright.
How to Play: This simple and straightforward game will get kids moving, which makes it perfect to go on the list of Halloween games for toddlers. Hand each kid a cone and a balloon and let them bounce them, seeing how many times the can consistently catch the balloon.
If you’re all about earning and burning off that sugar from those Halloween treats, then these active Halloween party games for kids are going to top your playlist.
The Game: Pumpkin Patch Stomp
The Inspiration: Delia Creates
What You’ll Need: Inflated orange balloons, candy and plenty of room for stomping! Set up this most fun of Halloween party games by blowing up a bunch of orange balloons, filling each one with a bit of Halloween candy before you tie them up. Then spread the balloons out in an open, stomping-friendly space.
**How to Play:**Let the kids stomp on as many balloons as they can within a set amount of time, and claim the candy from the balloons they’ve popped.
The Game: Lair of the Spider Queen Obstacle Course
The Inspiration: Chicken Babies What You’ll Need: White crepe paper streamers, plastic spiders and lots of tape. Find a hallway or other enclosed space and set up a tangle of streamers, with scary plastic spiders ready to gobble up anyone caught in the web.
**How to Play:**Let each kid have a turn making her way through this Halloween games obstacle course of streamers. If they knock any down, that means that they’ve been caught and are about to become spider chow!
The Game: Eyeball and Spoon Race
The Inspiration: From the Blue Shed
What You’ll Need: Scary, painted eyeballs! And an over-sized spoon for each player.
How to Play: Have each player nestle their eyeball in the spoon, then let them all race to the finish to see who can keep their eyeballs in place until they reach the end. Repeat the races, eliminating players until only one winner remains.
The Game: Spider Web Walk
The Inspiration: No Time For Flash Cards
What You’ll Need: Green or black masking tape to make the web walk, plastic spiders and other spooky pals to scatter throughout the maze, and a prize (such as a glow stick), placed in the middle of the web.
How to Play: Let your little ones follow the path the web makes, warning them that they’ll fall into the icky, sticky “spider goo” if they wander off. For older kids, add to this Halloween games challenge by making them hop the maze on one leg, or pair off for a “three-legged” jaunt.
The Game: Ghost Races
The Inspiration: Fireflies and Mud Pies
What You’ll Need: White pillow cases and plenty of black felt (and glue!) to decorate them with.
How to Play: Once the kids have decorated their pillow cases with scary ghost faces, let them jump into the pillow cases, then race across a designated course to see who gets their fastest without toppling. Put this one on the list of toddler Halloween games too!
The Game: Halloween Scavenger Hunt
The Inspiration: Play Party Plan
What You’ll Need: When it comes to Halloween games, there’s nothing like a good old-fashioned scavenger hunt to get the party started. Write up your own clues with marker on index cards, or get some inspiration from the Play Party Plan site or Pinterest. Then strategically stash the clues so that teams of two can plot their course. Don’t forget to leave a stash of candy or other “treasures” at the end!
How to Play: Share the first clue to get the teams started. They’ll have to find the rest of the clues on their own and complete challenges (like bobbing for apples, maybe?) to continue the game. Whoever gets to the end first wins!
The Game: Broomstick Relay Race
The Inspiration: The Spruce
What You’ll Need: For this fun, active Halloween party game for kids, you’ll need broomsticks, witch hats and a timer.
How to Play: Pair kids into teams of two, handing each group a broomstick and a witch hat. The first child dons the hat and rides the broomstick in a timed race against other players, running to and back from a set point. Then the first runner hands off the broom and witch hat to the second player, who runs the same course. Whichever team finishes both rounds fastest wins.
Forget the tricks! Halloween is all about the treats. And these fun Halloween party games for kids put the candy front and center.
The Game: Candy Corn Toss
The Inspiration: The Partiologist
What You’ll Need: To make these fun—and yummy!—kids’ Halloween party games, you’ll need cardstock, a hole punch, cookie dough, icing, candy corn and The Partiologist’s handy-dandy template!
How to Play: One you’ve baked, iced and cooled your cookie game boards for these fun Halloween games, toss candy corn bits into the holes and keep score. Whoever has the most points wins!
The Game: Poke A Pumpkin
The Inspiration: Project Denneler
What You’ll Need: Orange plastic cups, prizes like small toys or candy, orange napkins, rubber bands, black foam or poster board and glue. Each cup (except a few left as “tricks” instead of “treats”) is filled with a Halloween party games prize, then “sealed” with the napkin and attached to the board.
How to Play: Let each kid have a chance to poke into one of the cups to see if they’ve scored a treat (or trick!).
The Game: Halloween Donut Chomp
The Inspiration: So Festive!
What You’ll Need: Another one for the super-easy (and yummy!) Halloween games for kids list! All you need are donuts, a broom (or pole), and plenty of string.
How to Play: Using the pole, play keep away with the donuts, letting the kids aim to take a big bite. No hands allowed! And add this super-fun activity to your list of Halloween games for toddlers too, because no one loves donuts like toddlers love donuts!
The Game: Tin Can Pumpkin Bowling
The Inspiration: A Girl And A Glue Gun
What You’ll Need: Bowling is definitely among the best Halloween party games for kids. And this alternate version uses tin cans—stuffed with yummy treats (or maybe tricks?) instead of pins. Decorate lightweight tin cans (of uniform size) with Halloween decorations, and stuff with candy or other goodies. Use a real pumpkin as a ball for extra traction!
How to Play: Stuffed with tricks and treats, this one goes on the list of fun Halloween candy games for kids! Arrange the tin cans in a triangle, then let kids “bowl” with the pumpkin ball to see how many they can knock over. They score the treats inside the cans they hit.
The Game: Counting Candy Corn!
The Inspiration: The Dating Divas
What You’ll Need:: A jar and a lot of candy corn (or rubber spiders, eyeball gumballs or other scary fun goodies), plus construction paper and crayons for kids to write their guesses down.
How to Play: Kids love Halloween candy games the best. And we don’t blame them! In this one, have each child guess just how many spooky items are in the Halloween games jar. The player who guesses the closest to the actual number gets to the take the jar home.
Published August 2017
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