Halloween at home · the weekend before Oct 31

Halloween Family Game Night

6 easy games with stuff you already have. Every game you play lights up a window. Light all 6 and the house throws a party.

Kite in a pumpkin costume, your game night host

Welcome, brave family! Play any game to light the first window.

0 of 6 windows lit·0 candies won

See the plan first

Tonight in 10 seconds

45–60 minthe whole night
Ages 3–10little ones welcome
Indoorseven a small apartment
$0no shopping needed

Who’s playing?

Grab this from your house

0 of 8 gathered

Name your teams (or skip it if it’s just you two).
Play the 6 games in any order, about 8 minutes each.
Snack break after game 3.
Crown your Spooky Champions and get your certificate.

The candy scoreboard

Tonight’s champion:

Badges

Mummy Master
Ghost Bowler
Hat Trick Hero
Web Wiggler
Freeze Monster
Guess Wizard

The 6 games

Game 1 of 6

Mummy Wrap Race

5 minAges 3+1 min setup

You need

2 rolls of toilet paper per team (crepe paper works too)

How to play

Each team picks one person to be the mummy. Grown-ups make great mummies.
On “Go!”, wrap your mummy from shoulders to ankles before the 60-second timer runs out.
The mummy shuffles to the couch and back. The team with the most paper still on wins.

Under 4: Let little ones be the mummy, or give them the big job of yelling “Go!” and “Stop!”.

Just you two: Just you two? Your child wraps you, then you switch. Fastest wrap wins.

A party: Big group? Make teams of 3: one mummy and two wrappers.

Why are mummies great at keeping secrets? They keep everything under wraps!

Game 2 of 6

Pumpkin Bowling

10 minAges 2+5 min setup

You need

10 empty toilet paper rolls or plastic cups
A black marker
A small pumpkin or any ball

How to play

Draw ghost faces on the rolls and stack them in a 4-3-2-1 triangle at the end of a hallway.
Roll the pumpkin from a line about 8 big steps away (closer for little ones).
Two rolls per turn, one point per ghost knocked down. Most points after 3 rounds wins.

Under 4: Sit them up close and let them roll with two hands. Every ghost that falls gets a cheer.

Just you two: Take turns, then try to beat your own best score.

A party: Big group? Set up two lanes and play teams side by side.

What do ghosts use to go bowling? Boo-ling balls!

Game 3 of 6

Witch Hat Ring Toss

10 minAges 3+3 min setup

You need

4 paper plates + scissors
3 empty bottles (or a witch hat, or an upside-down stool)
Optional: glow sticks

How to play

Cut the middle out of each paper plate to make rings. No glow sticks needed.
Stand up 3 bottles or a witch hat, and mark a throwing line with a sock.
Five tosses each: 1 point for a bottle, 3 for the hat. Dim the lights and add glow sticks if you have them.

Under 4: Let them stand right next to the target. Paper rings are soft and safe.

Just you two: Count how many of 10 tosses land, then try to beat it.

A party: Big group? Relay style: each player tosses once and runs to tag the next.

Why do witches wear name tags? So they know which witch is which!

Game 4 of 6

Spider Web Escape

10 minAges 4+5 min setup

You need

A ball of yarn or string
2 chairs, about 6 feet apart (nothing taped to your walls)

How to play

Zigzag the yarn between the legs and backs of two chairs to make a web.
Climb through without touching the yarn. Touch it and the spider gets you: back to the start!
Use the stopwatch. Fastest clean escape wins.

Under 4: Make the web low and wide so they can crawl underneath. Keep loops away from necks.

Just you two: Race the stopwatch, then try to beat your time.

A party: Big group? Time each player and post the scores on the fridge.

Why are spiders so good online? They really know how to make a web!

Game 5 of 6

Monster Freeze Dance

8 minAges 2+No setup

You need

Any music you can pause

How to play

Everyone dances like the silliest monster they can.
Tap the Freeze-o-matic. It shouts FREEZE at a surprise moment: pause the music and freeze in your scariest pose.
Anyone who moves or giggles becomes a judge. The last monster standing wins.

Under 4: Nobody is out. Little ones get a big “monster roar” turn instead.

Just you two: Dance together. If the grown-up giggles first, the kid wins (it happens a lot).

A party: Big group? The judges get to make the next round's monster rule: one leg, slow motion, no arms.

What kind of music do mummies love? Wrap music!

Game 6 of 6

Spooky Guess Jar

5 minAges 4+2 min setup

You need

A clear jar or glass
Any small snack: cereal, crackers, mini pretzels or candy
Paper and a pen

How to play

A grown-up secretly counts snacks into the jar.
Everyone writes down a guess. No touching the jar!
Count them together out loud. The closest guess wins the jar (and shares it, of course).

Under 4: Use big snacks like crackers and count together. Skip hard candy, nuts and whole grapes for little ones.

Just you two: Your child counts the jar for you, then you guess. Then switch.

A party: Big group? Make 2 jars and let teams guess as a group.

Why didn't the skeleton eat any candy? He had no stomach for it!

A homemade Halloween table with mummy hot dogs and pumpkin snacks — AI-styled photo

The 10-minute snack break

Three easy treats for the break after game 3:

Mummy hot dogs Wrap thin strips of crescent dough around hot dogs, leaving a gap for the face. Bake at 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes, then dot on mustard eyes.
Clementine pumpkins Peel clementines and poke a tiny piece of celery on top for the stem.
Banana ghosts Cut bananas in half and add chocolate chips for eyes and a surprised mouth.

The free game night kit

4 Halloween bingo cards, a scorecard and a Spooky Champions certificate. Bingo works for the class party too.

Halloween Family Game Night: 6 easy games, no shopping needed

Save it for the weekend

Pin it now so it’s ready when the costumes come out, or invite a few families over.

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Your week, planned.

5 dinners, lunchbox ideas, weekend fun and the grocery list. Every Saturday morning, so you can shop over the weekend.