44 Best Halloween Party Games for Kids and Adults 2023
Celebrate the spooky season with these clever activities.
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Some holidays are all about the food. Others are rich with tradition. But Halloween? It's all about fun—and, okay, a little bit of fright. From creative costumes and clever pumpkin decorating ideas to inventive desserts and DIY Halloween decorations, Halloween is chock-full of merrymaking and scary-making, and no gathering is complete without a few on-theme Halloween party games to keep kids—and kids at heart!—entertained. (Besides, you can't expect partygoers to sit still after consuming all of that candy!)
From classic crowdpleasers (bobbing for apples!) to quirkier contests (eyeball pong!), you'll find plenty of ways to let the good times roll (pumpkin bowling, anyone?). And with a mix of options for both the indoor and out, we've got you covered no matter the fright-night forecast.
To keep your revelers as sustained as they are entertained, be sure to check out our fall appetizers (hot dog rattlesnake bites! mummy pizzas!), beverages (candy corn cocktails! apple cider punch!) and the most delicious Halloween treats, including an impressive pumpkin patch cake that will have the whole neighborhood crowning you the reigning queen of Halloween. (Mwahahahaha....)
Eyeball Pong
This game plays like beer pong (with or without the alcohol). Kids or adults will take turns bouncing "eyeballs" on the table to get them into the cups, if the ball lands in the middle cup, you instantly win. (On another eyeball note, this relay game is pretty fun.)
Get the tutorial at Productive Pete.
Candy Corn Toss
Spray-paint the top and bottom of 8-inch orange safety cones. Let dry, then corral your "candy" with yellow carnival rings.
Sack-O-Lantern Bean Bag Toss
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.
Witch Hat Ring Toss
For an easy, entertaining game for little ones, set up a ring toss with witch hats as cones. You can even DIY your own rings by cutting the center out of paper plates.
Shoot the Skeleton
What kid wouldn't want to shoot slime at a skeleton?
Get the tutorial at Brandy's Happy Home.
Spider Race
Aaaand, they're off! Who can propel their handmade spiders across the yard the fastest?
Get the tutorial at Kid Friendly Things to Do.
Halloween Forehead Detective
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!
Murder Mystery Party Game
Set the (crime) scene with an ominous display of clocks, then start the countdown. One of your party guests has met their demise, and it's up to the rest of the crew to solve the mystery!
Death Charades
This adults-only Halloween party game is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: acting out various ways to kick the can!
Bobbing for Apples
Give this classic fall activity a Halloween-worthy upgrade by swapping the glass bowls with life-size witch cauldrons.
Apple Bushel Basket Toss
Start with apple bushels of varying sizes and assign points based on level of difficulty (the smaller the bushel, the higher the point value). Assign a certain number of apples to each player; whoever can "produce" the most points wins.
Donuts on a String
Kids can't use their hands to retrieve donuts hanging from a string in this classic Halloween party game that always makes for lots of laughs and funny photos.
Mummy Sack Race
A sack race with a twist! Wrap up everyone's legs with white crepe paper. The first one to the finish line with no rips in the paper wins.
Get the tutorial at Delia Creates.
Pumpkin Checkers
This super easy DIY involves painting a checkerboard pattern on a hearty piece of wood. After that, it's as simple as adding miniature orange and white pumpkins as playing pieces.
Pumpkin Patch Stomp
Before inflating, fill orange balloons with candy, loose change, or other treats. Trick-or-treaters can then clobber the "pumpkin patch" in your backyard to claim each prize inside.
Get the tutorial at Delia Creates.
Pumpkin Drop Game
It doesn't get much better than a Halloween party game that gets kids outside and on their feet. This one will get them active before they indulge in their Halloween sweets.
Get the tutorial at Get Your Holiday On.
Witch Pitch
Which witch will win? Actually, you will—once you realize how easy this game is to put together!
Get the tutorial at Chica and Jo.
Eyeball Hunt
Think along the lines of an Easter egg hunt and have little ones collect as many googly eyes hidden around the backyard as they can. Turn it into a timed relay and see who can snatch the most for even more fun.
Get the tutorial at Get Your Holiday On.
Ghost and Pumpkin Bowling
Sacrifice a few toilet paper rolls to convert into ghoulish bowling pins. Cut the stem off a pumpkin and you're all set with the perfect festive ball.
Get the tutorial at I Dig Pinterest.
Halloween Bean Bag Toss
Source a few pieces of leftover wood to DIY this fa-boo-lous yard game, complete with pumpkin- and ghost-shaped felt bean bags.
Get the tutorial at A Kailo Chic Life.
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