The best Halloween games for a kids party are the ones that need almost no setup, work for a mixed age range, and give every child a moment to shine: spider hunts, mummy wrap relays, and a glow-in-the-dark freeze dance are the three that consistently get repeat requests. You don't need a huge budget or a marquee full of props. A handful of cheap, reusable bits of Halloween decor double up brilliantly as game gear, so this list leans on things you can also use to decorate afterwards.
How to get the look: pick three or four games that suit your group's age range, gather the props below the week before, set the room up with lights and hanging decorations first, then run the games back to back so nobody has time to get bored.
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1. Spooky spider hunt
Hide plastic spiders around the party room or garden before guests arrive, then send the kids off with small bags or cups to collect as many as they can find in a set time. Younger children do better with an easier hiding spread (on furniture, in plain sight); older kids will want them tucked into corners and behind curtains. Whoever collects the most spiders wins a small prize, but keep a stash back so nobody goes home empty-handed.
Halloween plastic spiders, pack of 100
One hundred spiders is enough to hide across a whole downstairs and still have spares for the goody bags. They're a good size for small hands to spot and grab.
2. Web and spider hunt combo
Stretch cobweb across doorways, banisters and furniture before the party, tucking a few extra spiders into the webbing itself. This turns the room into part of the game: kids have to search through the webs as well as the open floor, which slows down the fastest runners and keeps things fair for smaller ones. It also means your spider hunt decorations do double duty as your party backdrop.
Stretchable spider web with 30 spiders
Pulls apart easily to cover doorways, bannisters and furniture, and the bundled spiders mean you don't need to buy hiding props separately.
3. Musical pumpkins (musical statues, Halloween style)
Play musical statues but rename it musical pumpkins: when the music stops, every child has to freeze in their scariest or silliest pose. Anyone who wobbles or laughs is out, and the last one standing wins. Dim the room and switch to fairy lights before you start so the freeze poses look properly dramatic under orange light rather than under a bare bulb.
Orange and purple fairy lights, 50 LED
Battery-powered with a timer, so you can drape it round the party room without hunting for a socket, then leave it running for the rest of the evening.
4. Glow tag and glow limbo
Hand out glow sticks as bracelets or necklaces once it gets dark, then play a round of glow tag where the person who is "it" also glows, or set up a glow-stick limbo bar for a quieter alternative. Both games work well as a change of pace between the running-around games and give every child something to take home afterwards.
Glow sticks, bulk pack of 100
Enough glow sticks for bracelets and necklaces across a full class-sized party, with plenty left for a limbo bar or a glow-tag round once the sun goes down.
5. Witch's cauldron bean bag toss
Set a witch-themed bucket or cauldron a few steps back from a throwing line and let kids take turns lobbing bean bags, scrunched-up paper balls, or soft toys into it. Move the bucket closer for younger children and further away for older ones so everyone gets a fair number of hits. Keep score if you want a winner, or just let it run as a drop-in game while other activities happen alongside it.
Witch bucket with skeleton
Wide enough to be a forgiving target for younger throwers, and it looks the part as a doorstep or hallway decoration once the games have finished.
6. Bat scavenger hunt
Hang small bats around the house or garden before the party and give each child a checklist or a photo of what to look for. This one works well as a quieter game for younger guests or as a wind-down activity near the end of the party, since it doesn't need much energy or running about. Hide a couple of bats in obviously tricky spots for older kids to keep it challenging.
Hanging bats with glowing eyes, pack of 12
Twelve bats is enough to spread across a garden or hallway for a proper hunt, and the glowing eyes make them easy to spot once it starts getting dark.
7. Pass the pumpkin
Play pass the parcel but swap the parcel for a small pumpkin-shaped bucket filled with wrapped sweets or stickers. Sit everyone in a circle, play music, and have them pass the bucket around; when the music stops, whoever is holding it takes one item out. Keep going until the bucket is empty so every child gets a turn.
8. Mummy wrap relay
Split the group into teams of two or three and hand each team a roll of toilet paper or crepe streamer. One child stands still while the others wrap them up like a mummy as fast as they can within a time limit. The team with the neatest, most complete mummy when time runs out wins. It needs no props beyond paper you likely already have in the house, and it's reliably one of the loudest, funniest games of the afternoon.
Shop the look
Shop all Halloween decorationsRead our Halloween party decorating guide
If you're planning the rest of the party too, our guide to kids' Halloween costumes covers outfit ideas that suit a games-heavy afternoon, and a quick sweep through Halloween makeup can turn the mummy relay winner into an actual mummy for the group photo.
FAQ
What Halloween games work for very young children?
Spider hunts with an easy hiding spread, bat scavenger hunts, and pass the pumpkin all work well for under-6s because they don't need speed or fine motor skills, just looking and taking turns.
How many games do I need for a two-hour party?
Three or four games is usually enough once you add food, cake and free play time. Mix an active game (spider hunt, mummy relay) with a calmer one (pass the pumpkin, bat hunt) so energy levels don't crash halfway through.
Do I need to buy separate decorations and game props?
Not really. Cobwebs, hanging bats, fairy lights and a witch's bucket all work as party decorations before and after the games, so the same items cover both jobs.
What age group is a mummy wrap relay best for?
It suits school-age children upwards, roughly age 6 and older, since it needs some coordination and a sense of timing. Younger kids can join in as the mummy being wrapped while older siblings do the wrapping.
How do I stop one child winning every game?
Rotate who goes first, hand out small prizes for effort or creativity as well as speed, and keep a spare stash of sweets or stickers so every child leaves with something regardless of the scoreboard.
Curated by Halloween Kingdom, updated June 2026. Meet Halloween Kingdom.
Related guides: kids' halloween costume ideas, halloween party decorating ideas and ghost costume ideas for kids. kids' halloween costumes.
