7 Frightfully Delightful Party Games to Bring Your Halloween Party Back from the Dead
There’s a chill in the air, and the leaves are starting to fall. It can mean only one thing: spooky season is here again. With Halloween just around the corner, many are preparing for a night of tricks, treats, and ghastly galas. But what separates the harrowing from the humdrum? What does a Halloween party need to capture the spirit (pun intended) of the season?
Games!
After your guests have marveled at your décor and complimented each other’s costumes, there are only so many deviled eggs and hot dog mummies a person can eat before the vibe begins to die. Unless you want your party to join the legions of the formerly undead, you need a plan to keep your guests entertained. Activities and games can make or break a Halloween party. There are classics, like bobbing for apples, that everyone knows, and then there are some that many have never heard of that can provide some fresh variety.
In this guide, the party professionals at American Carnival Mart will break down the 7 games you should have at your Halloween party to keep your guests partying till the break of dawn.
Halloween Games for Kids
Halloween is one of the holidays children look forward to most every year. They get to stay up late, dress up in cool outfits, and get free candy. What’s better than that? That’s also why, if you’re throwing a party that kids will attend, you need to keep them entertained. Here are three party game ideas to keep all the little ghouls and monsters happy.
Braaaaaaaains
Everyone is familiar with the classic bobbing for apples game played on Halloween. However, it can be a bit unsanitary. Luckily, there are some clean alternatives you can try that are even more fun!
In a zombie-themed alternative, you have strings hanging down from the ceiling with a pink colored donut, or another confection you can easily loop a string through, on the other end. Children have their hands tied behind their backs and must attempt to use nothing but their heads and mouths to eat the baked goods. Whoever finishes theirs first can win a prize like inflatable zombie toys or brain splat balls that will keep the party going long after the night’s festivities come to an end.
If that game seems a little too messy (and it definitely will get crumbs everywhere), you can try giving each child a Jell-O cup on a flat surface and seeing who can devour all of theirs first without using their hands.
The Mummy Wrap
This is another classic game many who have frequented Halloween parties are likely already familiar with. However, it requires no setup, is easy for kids of all ages to compete in, and needs relatively little cleanup if you’re smart about it.
In this game, teams of two compete against one another in a race to see who can fully wrap the other in toilet paper fastest. One teammate will be designated as the mummy, while the other will be the wrapper. It’s recommended to get cheap toilet paper rolls for this, as it may take more than one per team.
You can reward the first team, or the first few teams depending on how big the competitor pool is, with a prize for their fast-wrapping skills. For quick cleanup, gently pull the toilet paper off and place it in a garbage bag.
Pin the Bones on the Skeleton
This spooky variation of Pin the Tail on the Donkey sees children working together to assemble a skeleton by pinning parts of it onto a bulletin board or a similar surface while blindfolded. First, get a sizeable graphic of a skeleton, or draw one if you can manage it, and cut it into different pieces (skull, torso, right upper arm, left upper arm, right lower arm, left lower arm, right hand, left hand, pelvis, right thigh, left thigh, right lower leg, left lower leg, right foot, left foot). Place the skull near the top of the board to start.
Each child will take a turn attempting to place their piece in the correct spot while blindfolded. This is less of a competition and more of a fun activity, so feel free to encourage the children to help each other out by calling out directions.
For each correct piece, you can give out a prize like monster finger puppets or these very appropriately themed skull rings.
Halloween Games for Adults
Halloween celebrations may cater to a younger crowd, but adults can get their share of thrills and chills, too. If you’re planning a party for a more mature crowd, some of the kiddie games mentioned above likely won’t have the same appeal. But luckily, there are plenty of games for adults as well.
Pumpkin Bowling
In this game, your guests will take turns rolling a large, round pumpkin towards a set of bottles, toilet paper rolls, or glasses with glowsticks in them to see how many they can knock down.
Put your guests into teams, with each player getting two shots. Tally up the scores at the end and reward the top-performing team with a prize. While many adults are just as happy to receive candy prizes as children are (who doesn’t like candy?), your adult prizes might need to be more of a novelty or fun little goodie that reminds them of the fun they had at your party. Consider awarding winners with light-up jack-o-lantern keychains or a candy corn stress ball they can take into work and put on their desk.
Spooky Scavenger Hunt
Get guests motivated and moving after gorging themselves on candy with a good old-fashioned scavenger hunt. Create a list of typical Halloween-themed items you’re likely to find around the house and out in the neighborhood (ghost decoration, carved pumpkin, etc.). Divide your guests into teams and send them out to find everything on the list. Make sure each team takes a picture of every item they find as proof!
Not only does this provide an active diversion for your guests to get them excited and moving, but it also provides a short respite for you to lay out desserts, whip up a few Halloween-themed cocktails, clean and prepare for the next activity, and so on.
Games for Everyone
If you’re expecting a lot of families for your Halloween party or know there will be both adults and kids present, you’re going to need a little something for everyone. Here are a couple of games that kids and adults can both enjoy and play together.
Macabre Mystery Boxes
This is a simple game you can run in the background during the whole party while people mingle and enjoy other activities.
The concept is simple. Create boxes with openings large enough for people to insert their hands but not see inside. You may need a bit of fabric to obscure the opening. On each box, write a label claiming the contents are something creepy, like an eyeball or worms. In reality, you’re going to be placing food items in those boxes that feel like the thing on the spooky label. For example, use peeled grapes for the eyeballs and cooked spaghetti for the worms.
Have any guests who want to participate go through and stick their hands in the boxes to feel the contents, then write down what they think the items actually are on a piece of paper with their name. Assign points for every correct guess. At the end of the party, announce the person with the most correct answers as the winner.
Monster Bean Bag Toss
Bean bag tosses or cornhole are a backyard staple of many parties throughout the year. However, monster bean bag toss games put a fiendishly fantastic spin on a familiar activity. Set up some themed cans and challenge guests to knock them over as best they can. If you’re feeling especially festive, you can even swap out bean bags for mini pumpkins.
Of course, no monster toss game would be complete without a prize. American Carnival Mart provides bulk candy for all your Halloween party needs. In addition, if you’re looking for a fun little package of sweets and other treats to give your game winners, or even just as a party favor to take home, we offer pre-filled Halloween Goody Bags that are ready to hand out the second they arrive.
Prepare for a Devilishly Delightful Halloween Party with American Carnival Mart
With a bit of ingenuity and the right atmosphere, you can easily create fun Halloween party games that will have your guests howling in delight. Whether you need activities for kids, adults, or fun for the whole family, there are plenty of low-effort ways to put the “Aaaaah!” in “amazing.”
Whether you’re hosting a horde of guests or are just keeping it simple with your own coven of friends, American Carnival Mart has the supplies you need to throw the perfect Halloween Party. From novelty prizes to Halloween candy in bulk, we’ve got you covered better than moss on an ancient tombstone. Shop our Halloween party supplies today!