11 Fun Halloween Games to Play with the Entire Family

Directions

1. Ghost Puzzle: Assemble a Halloween-themed jigsaw puzzle, and enjoy seeing family members collaborate to complete a spooky image of a ghost or witch.
2. Pumpkin Piñata: Whack a paper pumpkin stuffed with sweets. Adults can join in, but remind them to let the children have the satisfying final hit.
3. Pop Goes the Pumpkin: Pop balloons that are filled with confetti and candy in this Halloween party activity, leading to laughs as surprises burst out.
4. Spider Toss Game: Create a giant web on the floor using tape, and use toy spiders as the game pieces to toss onto the web.
5. "Blackout" Ghost Story Prank: Station an accomplice outside; at the most suspenseful moment of a scary story, have them scratch at the windows. For extra fright, set up candles around the room that will extinguish one by one as the story reaches its peak. To make this happen, cut each candle in half, remove a tiny segment of wick from the middle, then melt the ends and press them back together. Once the flame reaches the gap, the candle will sputter out.
6. Nosey: Split guests into two groups in separate rooms. Hang a sheet with a small slit in the doorway. One player pokes just their nose through the slit, hiding everything else. The leader says, "The witches have stolen somebody's nose. Who does it belong to, do you suppose?" The opposing team tries to identify whose nose it is. If they guess correctly, they earn a point and the other group sends a new nose. If wrong, the guessing team must then present noses for identification, which is tricky since only the nose is visible.
7. Doughnuts on a String: Stretch a rope between two trees. Hang doughnuts from the rope using ribbons so they dangle just above each child's mouth. On the count of three, everyone must eat their whole doughnut without using hands or letting it fall. The first to finish wins, and the doughnut itself is the prize.
8. Bobbing for Apples: Have lots of apples and towels ready. Use a wide tub filled with water set on a low table (not the floor, to avoid soaked knees). Add apples without overcrowding. For little ones, use smaller apples or leave stems on to make grabbing easier. Then let the bobbing commence.
9. Witch's Hat Ring Toss: Kids can try a ring toss game using a big black witch hat as the target. For rings, spray paint flying discs black. To craft the hat, download and print the hat top and brim templates, tape together, and cut out. Transfer to black card stock. Form the top into a cone and fasten with double-sided tape. Fold the brim's tabs and tape inside the cone. Print and cut out the hat band clip art, wrap around the hat, and tape. Secure the brim to the floor with rolled painter's tape.
10. Pin the Tail on the Cat: Give this classic game a Halloween spin by using a black cat instead of a donkey. Players are blindfolded and try to pin the tail in the correct spot; closest wins a prize. Print the cat clip art on heavy white matte paper, cut out, and mount on a wall with rolled tape. Print extra tails, number them, and add tape. Before starting, let each guest pick a number.
11. Halloween Decor Challenge: Set up a table with various craft supplies, start a timer, and let creativity flow to build a spooky decoration. Family and friends will judge the results, giving everyone a chance to impress.