Halloween Party Ideas - 8 Games Your Little Monsters Will Love
Whether you’re keeping your kids safe with a home party this Halloween, or you just need some ideas for the elementary school celebration, here are eight favorite Halloween party games sure to delight your little monsters.
1. Halloween Charades. Write a variety of Halloween words and phrases that the kids can act out on slips of paper and place them in a plastic pumpkin. Everyone takes turns acting, and the audience members have one minute to try to guess the subject. For younger kids, use such Halloween concepts as “vampire,” “spider,” “pumpkin pie,” or “ghost.” If your group is comprised of older kids, you can use more difficult phrases, such as the “headless horseman,” “trick or treat,” or “goosebumps.” Give small prizes to the kids who guess correctly. (Halloween Pictionary is a fun variation to try, too.)
2. Pass the Apple. Divide the kids into teams of 6. Each team stands in a single file line. Give the first person in line an apple to place under her chin. She has to turn around and pass the apple to the person behind her without using her hands. Again, give prizes for the winning team, which will be the first to successfully pass the apple to the last person in line without dropping it. If the apple hits the floor, it goes back to the front of the line.
3. Halloween Scavenger Hunt. Create a series of 5 or so rhyming clues, which will lead children (or groups of children) to a Halloween treasure chest, filled with toys or candy.
4. Play “Guess How Many Pumpkin Seeds” or “Guess How Many Pieces of Candy” in a large jar or plastic pumpkin. The person who estimates the closest gets a prize.
5. Play Pin the Tail on the Black Cat (or Pin the Nose on the Pumpkin.) Young kids love any variation of Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
6. Word Games. How many words can the kids make from Halloween-themed words and phrases, such as “Halloween Surprises” or “Trick or Treat, Give Me Something Good to Eat.” Give prizes for the kids who come up with the most words.
7. Guess the goo. Fill a variety of bowls with foods with icky textures - such as cooked, cold spaghetti and peeled grapes. Let the kids feel the intestines and the eyeballs without being able to see what they’re feeling. See if the kids can guess what it really is. Use your imagination to come up with some creepy-feeling cuisine.
8. Have a monster mash. Spend 5 minutes or so dancing like crazy to Halloween music.
Jamie Jefferson writes for Momscape - an online magazine that provides practical tips for raising happy, healthy families. Momscape also features a special section on family fun ideas.