57 Best Halloween Games for Kids and Adults

Oct 17, 2024

Celebrate the spooky season with these clever activities.

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Trick-or-treat… can we answer “games”? Because whether you’re perusing kids’ activities for a family-friendly gathering (don’t forget the hot dog rattlesnake bites and mummy pizzas on the buffet) or you’re hosting a grown-up crowd for a costume party and are on the hunt for 21-and-up Halloween games, there’s one constant: You need fun Halloween games to make it a spooky night to remember.

For the kiddos, try a game of “freeze dance” (last person to stop dancing when the music stops is out; repeat until one winner is left standing). We gathered up plenty of kids’ Halloween songs for this one because you gotta work out all that excitement over the Halloween treats table somehow.

Looking for something different? Try eyeball pong, pumpkin bowling (or bocce!), or a rousing game of ring toss (choose between witch hats or safety cones painted like candy corns for your targets).

The gaping grin of a carved jack-o-lantern can be incorporated into a game of bean bag toss or rounds of backyard miniature golf. Or host a pumpkin decorating contest—we found a tutorial for the cutest DIY prize ribbons! With a mix of Halloween games for both indoors and out, kids and adults, we’ve got you covered no matter the fright-night forecast.

Mwahaha Halloween party essentials:

Let the games begin!

Who can build the tallest ghostly tower? One thing’s for sure, the results of this Halloween game will be delicious.

See how it’s done at @Chasing50Toes.

Can you eat the cookie on your face without using your hands? Fans of the international game show Minute to Win It will know this one, and any game that ends with a treat is Halloween-approved in our book. The only non-edible supplies you’ll need is a one-minute timer.

Get the tutorial at LiveAbout.

You might have grown up calling this folded fortune-telling game a "cootie catcher." This printable one features spooky images and fun Halloween-themed prompts like "Pull your scariest face" or "Take 1 piece of candy."

This printable also comes with a second version with blank spaces for you to fill in your own prompts. If you want one that gives replies to yes or no questions, fill the blank spaces with typical Magic 8 Ball answers ("yes," "no," "signs point to yes," "ask again later," "reply hazy, try again," "don't count on it," "my reply is no," "it is decidedly so," etc).

This backyard game is just like traditional bocce ball except the jack (the small ball thrown at the beginning to serve as the target) is replaced with a jack-o-lantern (which, of course, must be placed instead of thrown). Instead of tossing bocce balls, players roll small sugar pumpkins (stems removed), or similarly sized gourds (the rounder, the better), with the objective of landing closest to the jack-o-lantern.

Spray-paint the top and bottom of 8-inch orange safety cones. Let dry, then corral your "candy" with yellow carnival rings.

Not a fan of candy corn? Play Witch Hat Ring Toss instead. Simply swap out the cones for witch hats.

This fun card game is easy to learn and will get all ages laughing in no time. The Halloween edition is a must-have for the spooky season.

The key to a great DIY backyard game? Take a classic game—and make it BIG. This Halloween-themed tic-tac-toe game uses a square table for the board so that partygoers can stand as they play, while small pumpkins marked with black X's and O's serve as game pieces. Spray-painting your table black, like the one shown here, is optional. Using black painters’ tape for the grid will add a spooky accent to a light-colored table.

Glow-in-the-Dark Variation: Use glow-in-the-dark tape and paint for the grid and game pieces.

Everyone's already in costume—might as well throw some play acting into the mix. For a game of charades with kids, the Happiness Is Homemade blog offers free printable cards with easy Halloween-themed prompts. For an adult crowd, this charades box set is full of prompts based on classic Halloween movies and TV shows.

This game plays like beer pong (with or without the alcohol, depending on the age group). Kids or adults will take turns bouncing “eyeballs” (yep, they make ping-pong balls with eyeballs) on the table to get them into the cups, if the ball lands in the middle cup, you instantly win.

Get the tutorial at Productive Pete.

We love a double feature. Add plastic spoons to the spooky ping-pong balls purchased for eyeball pong and you have the equipment for another competitive game: an eyeball spoon relay race.

Divide up into teams, and pick one person on each team to be the mummy. There's a few ways to determine the winner in this competition, whether it's which team uses all their toilet paper first, which team fully covers their mummy first, or which mummy is most realistic. (House rules.)

Combine pumpkin carving with playing. Use the pumpkins for a fun bean bag toss game. Once you are finished playing around, add a tea light and they can serve as jack-o'-lanterns.

It's a witch hunt—will you be accused?

If your Halloween revelers are the sort who appreciate social deduction games like Mafia or Among Us, this card game will be a winner. Up to 12 can play, making it good for a party crowd. We love that the box looks like a centuries-old book and that all the roles assigned to the players are based on historical figures from 1692 Salem when the witch trials occurred.

Amazon reviewers say it can take a few rounds to get a grasp of it, but that it's addictive once you get the hang of it. Watch the YouTube tutorial for instructions more straightforward than the rulebook.

Queue up some fun Halloween songs for kids (think "Monster Mash," "Superstition," "Ghostbusters," "The Purple People Eater," and so on) to get the dance party going. When the music stops, the last person to freeze is out. After multiple rounds, the last one standing wins.

Get the tutorial at Marathon Kids.

Aaaand, they’re off! Who can propel their handmade spiders across the yard the fastest? The cute patterns available on paper straws these days makes this game all the more festive.

Get the tutorial at Kid Friendly Things to Do.

Put a Halloween twist on this traditional Mexican birthday game with pumpkin or ghost pinata.

Give each attendee a sticky note emblazoned with a popular Halloween word or costume idea and have them place it on their forehead. They'll have to ask other party-goers questions until they figure out what they are. Makes for a great ice-breaker!

Does your whole group have a Halloween sugar high? This classic game will burn off that extra energy. Here are a few Halloween twists found across the web:

Witch and Warlock Tag: The witch is "it," while the warlock has the power to bring tagged players back into the game. A pool noodle serves as a wand/soft tag. Get the tutorial at The Physical Educator.

Wolf, Monster, or Mummy Tag: This version is good for big groups. Each player is designated a wolf, monster, or mummy, and when their group is called, they must run across the room or yard without getting tagged—or they'll be sent to the graveyard. Get the tutorial Great Group Games.

Zombie Tag: If you are in a recreation center, gym, or other place with an expansive smooth floor, you can play zombie tag, where the zombies chase the other players, but with a catch—they must drag a hoola hoop on their foot. Get the tutorial at PE School.

Now, you could simply play are round of a Nancy Drew-themed murder mystery game. Or, hear us out, you could make could make the game just one component of an entire Nancy Drew-themed Halloween party.

This adults-only Halloween party game is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: acting out various ways to kick the can! For ages 13 and up.

Terri Robertson is the Senior Editor, Digital, at Country Living, where she shares her lifelong love of homes, gardens, down-home cooking, and antiques.

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