Halloween Games for Kids
1-WRAP THE MUMMY
Supplies: toilet paper or crepe paper rolls; timer/clock
You have to admit, the mummy is one of the best all-time Halloween monsters. Your kids will get a kick out of making mummies of themselves. In this competition game, kids pair off in twos. The object of the game is for one player to wrap their partner from ankles to shoulders before the other team does the same. The winner is the team that gets the best time. Teams can compete head-to-head or one-team at a time with someone keeping track of the times. Just make sure an adult is present- no kids should ever be given free reign to wrap up another kid without supervision!
2-THE GREAT MONSTER-OFF
Supplies: face paint, mirrors, old clothes, hats, etc.
No time is better than Halloween for letting kids go nuts with face paint and costumes. As a twist on the traditional costume party, ask kids to come to your child’s party without costumes and then provide them each with some old clothes and some face makeup (hypoallergenic) and present them with the party’s first game: make your own costume with what’ve you got! Give kids a time limit and then, when everyone’s done, give prizes for winners. You can find a way to make everyone the “best” at something: scariest, prettiest, funniest, most creative or just give one door prize for the best of all. You can set limits if you want, too (nothing too scary or supernatural) or set a theme (animals, occupations, etc.)
3-BOBBING FOR APPLES OBSTACLE COURSE
Supplies: Two buckets, apples, water, indoor sports equipment, etc.
Bobbing for apples is always a crowd pleaser. But what if you have a little extra challenge. In this version of the game, kids form two teams. AFTER each kid successfully gets an apple, he or she then has to go on and do other things which could include, jumping rope, once for each letter in the word “w-i-t-c-h”, bouncing a pumpkin balloon on a tennis racket, hopping around a table on one foot, writing “Halloween” backwards on a chalkboard, or pinning the nose on a witch. Each player must complete all the obstacles before the next team member can start bobbing. Keep adults on hand since water is involved and to keep everyone honest in the obstacles. Kids may even want to plan the game’s obstacles for their friends before the party. People in temperate climates can even bring the fun outside.
4-THE WONDER BRAIN
Supplies: white napkins, paper towel, or toilet paper, water, freezer bag, red marker or dye
In this Halloween version of “Wonderball”, kids get in a circle and pass a “brain” around to the famous jingle (The wonder brain/goes round and round/to pass it quickly/you are bound/if you’re the one to hold it last/the game for you/has surely passed/and you/are/out.). The person stuck with the brain has to leave the circle. Eventually, it becomes a two-person game to the finish. Adults should be on hand to judge. To make a non-messy brain, get a bunch of absorbent paper, wet it into a big ball, add some red color for a little “blood” effect, and then stick the whole thing, with a little more water (brain juice!) into a (very) sturdy and sealed freezer bag. It will look brainy enough for the kids but not get wet paper all over the place.
5-THE PUMPKIN TOSS
Supplies: poster board, scissors, marker, rolled socks or bean bags
Before the party, attach some poster boards together and draw a large (a few feet wide and tall, or larger) orange pumpkin or circle on the resulting surface. Cut out jack-o-lantern features big enough for a roll of socks or bean bag to easily fit through. Suspend the pumpkin from your ceiling or lean it against a chair. Have kids throw a sock roll or beanbag through the eyes, nose, and mouth, if you like for varying points then pick a winner. For an extra challenge, blindfold the kids or make two pumpkins and have teams compete. Another version of this game utilizes witch-hat shaped cones and rings for tossing.
Be safe and enjoy Halloween watching your kids and their friends take part in fun and simple games!
