29 best Halloween games for kids of all ages - tried, tested and recommended by families

Halloween games can provide all the spooky fun whether you're hosting a ghoulish get-together or seeking spine-chilling activities for a haunting family night. 

These simple and affordable Halloween games are sure to entertain kids of all ages, from classic apple bobbing to mummy wrapping races, zombie-themed wink murder, and more creepy competitions, we've rounded up 30 bone-rattling games that will really get your Halloween festivities going.

"I always find pressure to get games right when it comes to parties. Now I'm four kids in I've got the right formula, for a two hour party, you're looking at two games tops. And one has to burn some energy right off." Says mum, Jaq.

We've also included some slightly spooky options for little ones who don't like things too scary. Just add some Halloween decorations and creepy-crawly party snacks, and you'll have everything you need for a wickedly wonderful time that's fun too!

Halloween games

Despite Halloween getting bigger and more expensive every year, you don't have to spend lots of money to enjoy the scary season. We've got some of the most affordable Halloween costumes for kids and loads of ideas on getting the kids involved with our Halloween crafty activities. 

Halloween games for 1-9 year olds

1. Halloween Ring Toss

Suitable for: 12 months and up

This one's sure to get them screaming with laughter. Simply inflate these 10 wicked witch hats and spread them out in a large space. Each player takes turns throwing the hoops over the hats, trying to achieve the most points. And of course, the player with the highest points is the winner. A portable air pump is included and the witch hats are equipped with a safety air nozzle, plus they're easy to inflate and deflate.

Mum-of-three Anna says her boys loved the competitive edge to this; "The kids really enjoyed beating each other at this, it kept them entertained for a while. And once the game was finished I popped onto window sills as decorations."

Halloween ring toss game, £18.99 | Amazon

2. Apple Bobbing

Apple bobbing is a classic Halloween game that has been around for centuries. It's fun for kids and adults alike. The excitement of trying to grab an apple with just your teeth is thrilling, and all you need is a basin or water and some apples!

Mum of two Suz says, "There's something so silly about dunking your face in water to catch the apples and you never know if you'll get a good grip on an apple or come up empty-handed, or empty-mouthed, I should say! We love playing it every year, and it's one of those games that the kids enjoy no matter how old they are."

3. Pumpkin golf

Suitable for: 3 and up

Make the most of pumpkin season with this simple pitch and putt pumpkin golf game. A bit of DIY is in order with this activity: carve your pumpkins, making sure to leave an extra wide hole for the mouth. Then dot your stylised squashes around your back garden, equip the kids with a club and ball and let them tackle the course individually or as a team.

"This isn't for fair weather carvers, like me," mum-of-three, Jules tells us. "My wife had to bring out the big guns for this,  but it was totally worth it in the end. We managed to set up a great game with four pumpkins and used the kids toys as obstacles too."  

You can pick up plastic golf club sets that are colourful and kid-sized from Amazon these days for less than a tenner.

Kids golf clubs, £8.95 | Amazon

4. Ghost Races

Suitable for: 3 to 8 year olds

Give the good old-fashioned sack race a fun Halloween twist! Use old pillowcases (if you have them) for an added extra fun twist let the youngsters customise their 'sack' by drawing on a creepy ghost face with some fabric pens. Next, set up a start and finish line for the race. Then count them down before seeing who can hop to victory first. Dad Lee tells us; "This was the most fun when we tried it - mostly because we got the adults involved and they were far too big which led to chaos. 10/10 recommend."

Fabric pens, £5.90 | Amazon

5. Mummy Wrap

Suitable for: all ages

Get the kids into teams of 3 or 4. In each team, choose one child (or adult!) to be The Mummy. The rest of the team use a roll of toilet paper to wrap them up as a Mummy. The winner can either be the group that finishes first or the group that does the best job of wrapping up their Mummy.

Dad Gemy says, "I'm always the unwilling victim when it comes to Mummy Wrap; I think the kids love the idea of making Daddy into a Mummy! Either way, there's a lot of soggy toilet paper at the end of the game, but I don't mind - it's a great laugh, and it keeps the kids occupied for a bit and away from the sweet tin!"

6. Pumpkin Patch Stomp

Suitable for: 5 and over

"Pumpkin Patch Stomp is one of the best Halloween games for kids," mum-of-four Sarah tells us. "It burned off so much energy. I used orange balloons and Sharpie black pens to make lots of different faces on them."

Then arrange them outside, start a timer and see how many 'pumpkins' they can pop before the time is up. The winner here is the one with the most burst balloons. Or, for an inspired take, go for these perfectly punchable Pumpkin Punching Balloons and see who can punch them the hardest! Adults and kids alike will love this Halloween game.

Pumpkin Punching Balloons, £5.95 | Baker Ross

7. Marshmallow Game

Suitable for: 6 and over

Whilst this game does come with a sweet-tooth warning, it's one that will have everyone crying with laughter by the end. Pick up a couple of bags of marshmallows on your weekly shop. Line the kids up and go along giving them a marshmallow one by one, asking them to keep it in their mouth and say the phrase 'I'm the Wicked Witch of the West'. Repeat this as the marshmallows continue to build in their mouth, until they can no longer coherently say the line. 

We guarantee they'll be a few new funny sentences you'll not have heard of before. "We did this as part of a school fund raising activity and the kids went wild for it - so much fun! mum-of-one, Eliza tells us.

9. Give the Witch a Wart

Suitable for: 5-8 year olds

Just like the old classic Pin the Tail on the Donkey, but with a Halloween twist! Get the kids to take turns pinning the wart (or some green Plasticine) on the witch's nose. Blindfold them, spin them around three times and then set them off. The other kids can help by shouting 'hot' or 'cold' depending on how near they are to the witch's face. Once they've stuck the wart on, take it off but make a note of the child's initials where it was stuck. The winner is the child who gets the wart closest to the end of the nose.

Gran Jackie says, "What a great game! Everything you need is in the pack. There's a mask, elastic, the wart stickers, the game sheet and a certificate for the winner. I took it down for my grandchildren to play, and we loved it! You can play it quite a few times, especially as the stickers can be peeled off and reused. I just put everyone's initials on them. Definitely worth the money!"

Tip: Create your own DIY version - simply draw and cut out a picture of a witch and stick it on the wall before the party.

Give the Witch a Wart game, £35.99 | Amazon

10. Spider Splat

Suitable for: 5 and up

A kid-friendly dartboard with a Halloween twist! This set includes a spider web poster to pin on a wall with different pointed targets. Have your little ones take turns throwing (and aiming) the sticky spiders at the wicked web, totting up their points. The player with the highest points wins.

Reviewer Victoria tells us, "We stuck this to a door with tape and everyone in our family joined in the competition and had a great time. Even guests knocking the door for trick or treat would come in and have a go!"

Spider Splat party game, £6.99 | Amazon

11. Eyeball Pong

Suitable for: 5 and over

This is one of the most challenging Halloween games for kids, as they use their hand eye co-ordination skills to throw and land the eyeball into the plastic cup. 

Separate them into teams first, and the winning group is the one who manages to land all the eyeballs into their opponents' cups. Dad, Mark tells us; "The kids love this one, and so did the adults - so quick and easy to set up and gave hours of fun."

Halloween eyeballs, £6.59 | Amazon

12. Lights off Hide and Seek

Suitable for: 5-8 year olds

We don't need to explain the rules for this one! Add a Halloween theme to traditional hide and seek by getting the kids to wear costumes. If you're feeling brave you could let them play inside with the curtains drawn and the lights off and give the seeker a torch... "My kids loved this game," mum-of-two, Sam tells us. "Though, be warned, set those boundaries early such as downstairs only, and move anything breakable as things can get excitable."

Straight out of one of the famous Halloween movies, it's sure to give to up the fright factor so it's especially fun for older kids.

Halloween torch, £5.75 | Amazon

13. Spooky Pinata

Suitable for: 5 and over

Hang a spooky-themed piñata stuffed with scary sweets and let the children take it in turns to bash it until all the goodies fall out for a sweet treat.

Pumpkin pinata, £13 | Amazon

14. Jelly Fingers

Suitable for: 4 and over

Make up a big bowl of jelly and hide little Halloween toys and wrapped sweeties in it. Have the kids stick their hands in the gungy 'water' and guess what it is they can feel, before pulling it out to see if they're right.

"We did this at the school Halloween party," mum-of-two, Amy tells us. "We made up a huge bowl, and the kids had to pay 10p a go. We added a 10-second timer and a blindfold to see how many things they could find with their eyes closed."

15. Halloween Bowling

Suitable for: 3 and over

One of those fun Halloween games for kids that the whole family can get involved in. Make a note to hang onto empty cans or water bottles in the lead up to the party. Wash thoroughly before getting creative with the poster paints - turning them into funny and frightful looking monsters. After you've decorated the full set (5 minimum), grab a tennis ball and line them up on an even service, ready for these 'pins' to be knocked down.

Alternatively pick up a fun game of knocking over Halloween themed cans. 

Halloween bean bag toss game, £18 | Amazon

16. Halloween Post It Game

Suitable for: 5 and over

This one's not just for kids. Revamp the classic post-it 'guess who' game that's played around most Christmas tables. Stick a post it with a different Halloween character or symbol - witch's broom, Frankenstein or a pumpkin - drawn or written on their head. Have them ask the other players Yes or No based questions to help them discover their identity before the others do.

Mum Akersha says, "This game adds an extra layer of creativity to our Halloween parties, and you can adapt it for kids or adults. It just goes to show that a simple idea, like using Post-It notes, can make for a really fun game."

17. Sweetie Guessing Game

Suitable for: 5 and over

You've all played the 'guess-how-many-sweets-in-the-jar' game and with Halloween calling for sweets, this one's a great activity that ticks all the boxes. 

Have each child write down their number on a sheet and the kid closest to the correct answer gets to take the whole jar home with them. "My son won a whole jar of mixed sweets, as he came closest, at his friend's Halloween party, it was a great guessing game." mum-of-three, Anna tells us.

Plastic sweet jar, £10.99 | Amazon

18. Halloween Charades

Suitable for: 6 and over

This creative Halloween Charades set does the work for you - so you don't have to. Split the party up into teams, set a timer and have the kids mime a classic Halloween movie, character or other spooky topic to team members. The group that correctly guesses the most charades in the minute wins.

Halloween Charades, £4.99 | Amazon

19. Scary Face Painting

Suitable for: 3-9 year olds

Buy some cheap face paints, take a look at our spooky Halloween face paint ideas and follow the step-by-step tutorials to create creepy faces like this vampire face paint. "I saved a fortune doing the face painting at my daughter's Halloween party. As long as you have a list for them to choose from, you're sorted. As there's no way my 'talents' stretched as far as Batman." Mum-of-three, Dionne admitted to us.

Halloween Face Paint Kit, £7.59 | Amazon

20. Halloween I Spy

Suitable for: 3 and over

Works brilliantly if you have kitted your house out with Halloween decor. Task your child to spot Halloween themed objects around the house. Or similarly you could play this kid's game in the car, driving past the decorated houses for inspiration.

21. Duck, Duck...Ghost!

Suitable for: 3 and over

Play this spooky spin on an old classic in exactly the same way you would Duck, Duck, Goose. Have all the children sit in a circle as ducks. Have one child as the ghost and they go around the circle tapping each child's head saying, 'duck, duck, ghost.' When they say ghost the child who their hand lands on must get up and chase the ghost around the circle and back into their empty spot. If the ghost gets to the space first and sits down then the child without a place becomes the new ghost. Continue in this way until they're all tired out!

22. Halloween Scattergories

Suitable for: 6 and over

Fans of the original board game will be happy to know there's a Halloween version available, this gem from Etsy comes up with the categories for you. But if you'd rather save some pennies, draw up a list of your own before handing around to the kids to play. "My seven year old loved playing this, especially as sweets were the 'trophy'." Dad-of-one, Rob explains.

Halloween Scattergories, £3.05 | Etsy

Halloween games for 10-year-olds and over

23. What's in the bowl?

Suitable for: 5-10-year-olds

Prepare bowls filled with gross, slimy-feeling foods that could be mistaken for Halloween-themed nasties, such as peeled grapes as eyeballs or slimy spaghetti as brains. Each child has to put their hands in the bowls and guess what they're feeling.

Mum Jaq says, "We LOVE playing this creepy game - the kids squeal with fright and delight and we all find their reactions hilarious! Just be sure to add some really disgusting extras, like bug sweets and popcorn for witch warts!"

Give this Halloween game a twist by swapping a standard bowl for a spooky cauldron.

Cauldron, £10.79 | Amazon

24. Halloween Bingo

Suitable for: 5-10 year olds

Bingo - but a bit spookier! We love this pre-made Halloween-themed bingo set - which instead of numbers has characters like Frankenstein, a skeleton and a ghost to tick off. Appoint a host who picks a caller image randomly and reads out the Halloween-related item for the players to cross out on their bingo card. The host continues to read aloud caller images until a player has a full house - and shouts 'BOO' instead of Bingo!

Halloweem Bingo, £4.99 | £4.9

25. Skeleton Relay

Suitable for: 5-12 year olds

Draw out all the bones to make up two skeletons on a sturdy piece of card and lay all the bones in a pile on one side on the room, with a surface or card to place or pin them on at the end other end of the room. Split your little monsters up into two teams and on the whistle one by one they must run to assemble the skeleton tagging in the next person. The first team with a full skeleton wins - educational AND fun. Mum-of-three Anna tells us this was a 'game of two halves', "My 8-year old and his friends loved this 'lie size Operation game."

26. Creepy Crawly Treasure Hunt

Suitable for: 3-12 year olds

Buy some Halloween-themed small toys (like toy spiders, bats, mini toy pumpkins) and hide them around the garden or house. 

Separate the kids out into groups of 2 or 3 and give them a list of what they have to find. Once they've collected everything on their list, they can collect their prize.

Novelty creepy crawlies, £9.99 | Amazon

27. Spider Races

Suitable for: 3-12 year olds

Make some spiders out of pipe cleaners, or buy some plastic spiders, and have the kids blow them across the table using straws. Whoever crosses the finish line first wins.

Pipe cleaners, £3.95 |Baker Ross

28. Doughnut Game

Suitable for: 5-10 year olds

Tie string around a jam doughnut (that looks like it's filled with blood when you bite into it) and hang it from the ceiling so it's at the kids' head height. The kids have to eat the doughnuts with their hands tied behind their backs. 

"This game was hilarious fun," mum-of two, Jas, tells us. "We only had a small party with eight kids, so could line them all up in one go - they loved it."

29. Wink Murder Zombies

Suitable for: 6-10 year olds

One child is the detective and leaves the room, while the others sit in a circle and close their eyes. You select one child to be the zombie. The detective comes back in and the zombie starts winking - when a child is winked at, they become a zombie. Get them to wander around in a zombie-like state until the detective works out who the original zombie is and the game starts again. Get ready for some very over-the-top performances!

Mum Fran says, "This is a brilliant mash-up of Wink Murder and our sons' favourite topic - zombies. They love playing this game with their mates when they come round for our annual Halloween party."

If your little ghouls love nothing more than a fright-filled feast, explore our best Halloween trick-or-treat recipes, learn how to hold a spell-binding Halloween party and get witch-crafty with these top Halloween craft activities.