Cool Halloween Games

Some of the more famous games that were played during Halloween when the festival first began to be celebrated included 'Bobbing for apples', 'Ghost stories', 'Fortune on Walnut Shells'. Each of these were associated with divination in one form or the other. 'Bobbing for apples' is one of the oldest Halloween games which continues to be played even today.

Objective
The first team that can pass an apple, without touching it, from the first member till the last and into the basket, wins.

Directions

• Divide the people at the party into groups. Each group must have an equal number of men and women.
• Get the groups to stand in a line.
• Place an empty bowl some distance away from the groups.

• The objective of the game is to pass the apple from one person to the other, without touching it (which naturally means they have to place it between their neck and pass it over like so) all the way to the last person.
• The last person has to carry the apple (without touching it) to the bowl.
• The first team to drop the apple in, wins.

Special Instruction
If, during the course of passing the apple, it falls to the floor, the passing has to start from the beginning.

Objective
The first team that finds all, or most of the items in the list, wins.

Directions

• A group of people are divided into teams and a list is given to them which contains the names of a few items. They have to find all or as many items as possible from the list in a limited time period.

• These items could either be objects that you can physically collect, for example - 'a yellow leaf' or things like 'a house with a red door' (which can't be physically collected).
• In case the items are such that they can't be physically collected, then a camera needs to be provided so that proof of the findings can be given.

Special Instruction
To make the game interesting and challenging, the items could be made quirky like 'A used tea-bag' or 'A man with a goatee wearing sunglasses.' The teams will be forced to be innovative to find all the items.

Objective
The person who can identify the outline of his/her partner first, wins.

Directions

• Once all the couples have gathered in a room, all the men are asked to leave the room.
• Once they've left, all the women have to lie down on the floor one by one, while their outlines are drawn with a piece of chalk.

• The men are then called into the room and asked to identify the outline of their partner. The person who correctly identifies the outline first, wins.
• The same can then be repeated with the women.

Special Instruction
Make the game more interesting by asking the people participating in it to come up with whacky poses for their outlines. Or the judges could even dim the lights to increase the difficulty level.

Objective
The person who tosses the maximum coins into the containers, wins.

Directions

• Decorate 10-15 cups or bowls (depending on the level of difficulty that you want to introduce) in the shapes of pumpkins.
• Place these in a row at some distance from each other.

• Give all the participants coins (as many as there are cups).
• Within a stipulated time (say, a minute) and a calculated distance, each person has to try to throw the coins into the cups.
• Once everyone is done, the person who has managed to put in the maximum coins within the shortest time, wins.

Special Instruction
You can increase the level of difficulty of the task by placing the cups in a haphazard manner instead of in a straight line.

Objective
The person who manages to wear and remove the clothes that have been laid out, the fastest, wins.

Directions

• Set out sets of a wardrobe (1 Trouser, 1 shirt, 1 wig, and a pair of shoes) in a bundle.
• Make sure that the clothes are loose so that the participants have no trouble changing into and out of them.

• Keep bundles like these ready at some distance from where the participants are standing, preferably on a table.
• All the participants have to stand in a line. At the ring of the buzzer, they have to rush to the wardrobe that has been set out and start wearing it.

• When they are done, they have to rush to the other side and remove the donned clothes, then rush to the original spot again.
• The person who manages to do this first, wins.

Special Instructions
The game can be played in two ways - one, either all the participants play it together (in which case you will have to arrange for a lot of sets of clothes) or, two, only a pair or two of clothes can be arranged and their timings can be calculated. The person who finishes in the fastest time, wins.

Objective
Designing a costume entirely from materials that are found around.

Directions

• Send the kids around the neighborhood (after they've been told not to steal or 'borrow' from neighbors) and ask them to pick out anything that will help them design a Halloween costume. It could be leaves, tin foils or the like.

• Set a time limit for the task.
• Once they are back, provide them with glue, string and other necessary equipment.
• They have to then get on to designing a costume with the things that they've collected, all in a set time.
• The most creative costume wins.

Special Instruction
You can also provide them with a rough sheet so that they can drape it around themselves and stick things on the same, instead of dirtying their clothes.

Objective
The 'tagged person' seeks all the hidden kids.

Directions

• Get all the kids to stand in a line and tag one of them.
• The tagged kid counts till 50 while the others hide.
• Once the counting is done, he starts to seek all the hidden children.
• Every time he catches a child, the child is out of the game.

Special Instruction
Give this age-old, highly popular game a Halloween twist by asking the seeker to don a scary mask and a flashlight. Every time he catches a person, he flashes the light onto his face.

Objective
Find the hidden treasure with the help of a set of clues.

Directions

• You will need to arrange for two sets of clues and two treasures.
• Divide the kids into two teams and give them the first clue.

• This clue will lead them to the next clue and the consequent clues thereafter till they find the final clue to the treasure.
• The team that manages to find their treasure first, wins.

Special Instruction
To make the game more interesting, have them do a task before they can get the next clue. That will be more challenging for them and more fun to watch.

Objective
One who can guess the maximum items correctly, wins.

Directions

• Arrange for 25-30 things that are Halloween-related - like plastic pumpkins, picture of a black cat, a witch's hat etc. Arrange these on a table.
• Cover these objects with a cloth.
• Give all the kids a writing pad and a pen.

• Once the buzzer rings, the kids have to gather at the table and make a note of all the objects with the objective of remembering them.
• They can look at the objects for a count of 10-15 seconds. After that the objects are covered.
• They are then given a minute to list out as many objects as they can remember.
• The one who gets the maximum right answers, wins.

Special Instruction
Make the game more interesting by setting out things that are not Halloween-related at all, along with the other objects on the table. Then ask them to only list out those objects that have to do with Halloween. This makes it very challenging.

Objective
One who can guess the maximum fruits correctly, wins.

Directions

• Collect all such fruits that can be squished and made into a pulp, like bananas, old pears, oranges etc.
• Squish them and put them in individual plastic bags that one cannot see through.
• Have each kid come and put their hands into each bag to feel what it contains.

• After they are done with all the bags, ask them to write down what each bag contained in the correct order.
• The kid that gets the maximum choices right, wins.

Special Instruction
Blindfold the kids to heighten their senses and prevent them from peeking. Win-win.

You have the games - a great mix of the old and new. You have the occasion. Now start planning that party already. And don't forget to have a blast, as we are sure you will.