Halloween weekend is the perfect time to enjoy some cozy at-home fun. You don’t need fancy supplies, store-bought kits or complicated rules.
Most of these games take only minutes to set up with a quick online search and a few things you already have around the house. Whether you want to make kids laugh or give adults a few lighthearted challenges, these ideas will do the trick.
1. Mummy wrap relay
Split into teams and choose one person as the mummy. Use toilet paper or streamers to wrap them from head to toe as fast as possible. Set a timer and see who can cover their mummy the most neatly before time runs out.
For extra laughs, make the mummies race a short distance to the finish line.
2. Pin the eye on the monster
Give “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” a Halloween twist by using a large drawing or printed monster face. Players take turns wearing a blindfold and trying to stick paper eyes in the right spot.
Add spooky music or cheering to keep it lively. This one works well for all ages and needs only paper, tape and scissors.
3. Haunted scavenger hunt
Hide Halloween-themed items like spiders, skeletons and small pumpkins around your home or yard. Make a list of clues and have individuals or teams race to find everything.
You can make it educational by mixing in riddles or wordplay.
4. Freeze dance: Halloween edition
Put on a Halloween playlist and have everyone dance until the music stops. When it pauses, players must freeze in place in a scary pose.
Anyone who moves before the music starts again performs a funny Halloween-themed challenge, such as pretending to be a zombie or making a witch cackle.
5. Apple bobbing on a string
Tie apples to strings and hang them from a doorway or tree branch so they swing freely. Players take turns trying to bite their own apples without using their hands.
It’s less messy than the traditional water version and safer for kids or indoor play.
6. Halloween word search
Print free word searches or crossword puzzles with Halloween themes. They are perfect for a quiet moment between party games or when guests arrive early.
You can find printable sheets online by searching for “free printable Halloween word search.”
7. Spooky bingo
Search online or make bingo cards with Halloween images instead of numbers, such as bats, cauldrons, pumpkins and black cats.
Players cross out the pictures as they’re called. The first person to complete a row wins a small treat.
8. Ghost bowling
Draw ghost faces on empty plastic bottles and line them up like bowling pins. Use a small pumpkin as the bowling ball.
It is easy to set up indoors or outside, and you can adjust the distance to make it more challenging for adults.
9. Eyeball spoon race
Two activities in one. First, decorate ping pong balls to look like eyeballs with permanent markers or stickers. Each player balances one on a spoon and races from start to finish.
If the ping pong eyeball drops, they must go back and start over. This is great for kids, but adults tend to get competitive too.
10. Halloween charades
Write down Halloween-related actions or characters such as “carving a pumpkin,” “zombie walk” or “ghost in a haunted house.” Players take turns acting out the clues while others guess.
Keep score or just play for fun. For variety, try a Halloween version of Pictionary using the same prompts.
11. Costume relay
Pile up costume pieces like hats, capes, scarves and glasses. Players race to put on an item, run to a spot, and return to pass the next piece to a teammate.
The game ends when one team finishes the pile. The sillier the costume pieces, the funnier the results.
12. Virtual Halloween games
If you are playing remotely with friends, try a free browser game like Magic Cat Academy, or set up a video call scavenger hunt. Ask participants to hunt around the house for items like something orange, something spooky or something that glows.
It is a fun way to include friends or relatives who cannot attend in person.
13. Halloween trivia challenge
Put together a list of Halloween-themed questions about horror movies, candy history and spooky traditions. Split into teams and keep score, or make it casual and play for laughs.
Trivia is easy to personalize for kids or adults, and you can find plenty of question ideas online.
Time to get your party started
Choose a few games that fit your group and space. None of these requires special supplies or a lot of preparation, and each adds to the Halloween spirit in its own way.
Add some background music, a few prizes and plenty of snacks, and your weekend will be full of laughter and memories.
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Spooky sources of inspiration
- 15 Halloween Party Games for Kids, Clif Bar
- Halloween Games and Activities, SwagMagic
- Free Printable Halloween Games and Activities, PJs and Paint
- Best Halloween Party Games for Adults: Fun and Frightful Ideas, My Halloween Land
- Free Halloween Browser Games, Primary Games
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