Yard GamesNo. 3232 · The 2026 edition
Pumpkin Bowling
Roll a pumpkin to knock down ghost pins in this spooky Halloween bowling game!
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Set up a Halloween-themed bowling alley with ghost-decorated pins and small pumpkins. Adjust the number of pins and lane length for different age groups. Teams take turns rolling to see who can knock down the most pins for candy prizes.
Directions
- First, choose how many pins to use. For little ones, six pins work well; for older children and grown-ups, go with ten.
- If you're using two-liter bottles, turn them into ghost pins by spraying white paint, adding a spooky face, and putting some gravel at the bottom for stability. Alternatively, with paper towel tubes, print out pumpkin face designs, cut them out, and tape them onto the tubes.
- Set up your bowling lane: for young children, a distance of 5 to 8 feet, and for older participants, 10 to 15 feet.
- For younger bowlers, you might want to outline a box beyond the pin area—any pin that ends up outside that box is still considered knocked over.
- Position the pins in classic bowling formation: one in the front row, two in the second, three in the third, and four in the back if you're using ten pins. Use masking tape to mark where each pin goes so every player has the same setup.
- Decide whether each bowler gets one or two chances to roll. One attempt per turn keeps things quick and straightforward.
- Split the players into teams of three to six members, making sure each team has the same number of participants.
- Give each child a pumpkin to roll down the alley, aiming to knock over as many ghost pins as possible. An adult should demonstrate with a practice roll first.
- Every team member gets a chance to bowl.
- Award candy prizes for strikes. If you're playing in teams, keep track of how many pins each person knocks down.
- Add up each team's total pins. The team with the highest score wins.
