Halloween games enhance Halloween parties so much, and can really determine the tone of your party. Depending on the size and age level of your party, one idea that I use often is to create several "stations" around the party room/area that have different games or activities at each. Here are game and activity ideas:
Bobbing for Apples - Bobbing for Apples is a favorite. In case you aren't already familiar with this game, basically you fill a large container with water (preferably warm if you are in colder climates!) and put some apples in the water. The apples will float. To play, you hold your hands behind your back and bend over, trying to bite into one of the floating apples without submerging your face. It is harder than it seems!
Pumpkin Carving Contest - Pumpkin Carving is probably for an older crowd, but you can include younger ones by having a pumpkin painting contest instead or in addition to pumpkin carving. This "game" (really more of an activity) can be really messy, so providing smocks of some sort is a good idea. Camping rain ponchos that are available for around a buck at Wal-Mart work well, or even trash bags with a hole cut for your head. Basically, you give each person a pumpkin and provide carving supplies along with patterns for those who want one, and let them carve away! For painting, obviously, provide brushes and paint.
Pumpkin Penny Toss - The Pumpkin Penny Toss is a somewhat simple Halloween game. Carve out the inside of a few pumpkins. (I find that three works well, so three people can play at once.) Alternatively, you can use the plastic pumpkins, but it's not quite as much fun and these pumpkins can be used later for carving as well. For this game, after cleaning out the inside of each pumpkin, line the inside with foil. Then place them on a table in a row and on the floor, put a line of tape (or something similar) parallel to the table a few feet away. The object of the game is (you guessed it!) to toss a penny into the pumpkin. You can make this more difficult by carving the holes in the top of the pumpkin different sizes. If kids are playing, the prize for getting a penny in can be a piece of candy. If it's an adult game, the prize can be a shot or some small trinket.
Halloween Scavenger Hunt - A Scavenger Hunt is always fun! Items can be hidden all over the party area and possibly in other rooms of the house or outside as well. Each guest is given a list of riddles to solve and then find. The first person to get all of the items is the winner. The real fun is in making some of the items very strange. For example, one of the items could be to find an eyeball. (And the item is an eyeball shaped candy.) There are places online where you can get a list of riddles.
BOO word - When each guest arrives at the party, give them a little pin or necklace with a Halloween theme. Tell them that if they catch someone saying the word "cookie" or some other word likely to be said often at a Halloween party, you take their pin. If they say the word and are caught, they have to give their pin to the person who caught them. The person who ends up with all of the pins is the winner!
Candy Corn Relay Race - This Halloween game always seems to get a lot of laughs. The object of the game is to race to move the contents of a bowl of candy corn from one bowl to another using only a spoon in their mouths. If any are dropped, they have to pick them up with the spoon in their mouths. It can get really hilarious!
Guessing Games - you can have guests guess the weight of a pumpkin or how many candies are in a container. Whoever gets closest is the winner.
Mystery Man (or Woman) - have someone appear for a few minutes, and then disappear. Then question your guests about how much they remember about him or her. How many details can they remember?
"Head" Waiter/Waitress - Divide your guests into two teams. Each team is given a blown up balloon that has a face drawn on it, which is perched on a paper plate. Each team member must carry the plate with the balloon on it to the finish line and back, without losing the balloon. They must carry it "waiter-style," e.g., arm up, and never touch the balloon. If the balloon floats to the ground, they may then pick it up, but must finish their leg of the "serving" by walking backwards. Before each team member begins their walk, their teammates have to yell, "Waiter, there's a head in my soup!" The team in which each waiter/waitress completes "serving" their heads first is the winner.
Halloween games are a really fun way to engage your guests at your Halloween party. Be sure to have a number of door prizes to award for winners. Ideas for door prizes for adults include: candy, koozies, shot glasses, candles, key chains, gift cards, lottery tickets, cash, Halloween gifts like dishware, knick-knacks... Check the Halloween and dollar sections of Target or Wal-Mart for more ideas! I hope your Halloween games are the best ever!
Cheryl Williams owns the website http://www.party-planning-ideas.com, where you can get all kinds of ideas and tips for planning the best party ever!
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