26 Halloween party games that are wicked good

October 31 is nearly here and there's no time to waste putting the final touches on your Halloween celebration.

Whether your spooky activities include carving jack-o'-lanterns, watching not-so-scary movies at home or trick-or-treating, these clever Halloween games deserve a spot on your must-do list.

From spirited scavenger hunts and potion-mixing, to a broomstick relay and silly mummy wrap, there's a little something here for just about everyone including kids, teens and adults.

Get your boo crew up and moving this Halloween with a rousing game of zombie tag or turn the lights off and send players on a glow-in-the-dark ghost hunt.

It's Halloween after all and adding a few festive games into the mix is sure to get everyone howling in delight, not to mention creating perfect Instagram moments to caption with a funny Halloween quote or greeting.

According to Nicole Johnson, writer and contributor at TheJoyFilledMom.com, playing Halloween games is "simple, fun, and perfect for family bonding."

"These DIY activities add an extra layer of enjoyment to your Halloween festivities,” says Johnson.

So, what are you waiting for? Put on some Halloween tunes, grab the gang and prepare to have a frightfully good time.

Trick or treat card game

Kids of every age will love this new twist on the classic game of Go Fish. A deck of cards is all it takes to play this old favorite that has players competing to lay down the most pairs before running out of cards. If you don't have the card your opponent is seeking, instead of saying "go fish," tell them to go trick-or-treating instead. Raise the stakes by offering the winners a stash of candy.

Mummy Wrap

Grab your broomsticks and cauldrons, and your toilet paper! “Divide into teams and provide rolls of toilet paper. One team member becomes the mummy, and the others wrap them as quickly as possible,” explains Sohaib Hasan, founder of OhMyClassroom.com, noting that the team that wraps their mummy the fastest wins. For a prize, may we suggest one of these stellar Halloween cookie recipes?

Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost Hunt

Artem Minaev, co-founder at Playtoday, is a fan of this adventure to brew up some joy. “Create small ghost shapes from white paper or cloth and paint them with glow-in-the-dark paint. Hide them around your home or yard, and have a ghost hunt in the dark using flashlights to find them,” says Minaev. Make sure you have several flashlights on hand so each participant has their own.

Spooky Charades

Try a Halloween version of charades where you act out Halloween movies or characters without speaking, offers Dr. Avigail Lev, PsyD, licensed California therapist and director at Bay Area CBT Center. “This promotes creativity and physical activity, beneficial for the nervous system,” she says. Bonus: This game is sure to bring out the ghoulish giggles in everyone.

Candy Corn Toss

“Make hoops from pipe cleaners and try to toss candy corn through them,” says Johnson. “This can be an indoor or outdoor game and can be scaled for all ages.” Her pro-tip? Use larger hoops for younger kids and smaller hoops for a tougher go at it.

What Time is it Mummy Monster? 

Taryn Parker, Director of Curriculum at The Little Gym recommends this movement-based activity where children can practice different skills such as following directions, counting, and even trying some gymnastic challenges like balancing.

“Each round children will ask, ‘What Time Is It Mummy Monster?’”explains Parker. “Then the Mummy Monster shouts out the time and an activity or challenge ‘It’s 1 o-clock, and time to jump over 1 bat!’ When the Mummy Monster says, ‘Midnight,’ chase the children back to the start line.

Spider Web Walk

This concept from Iesha Mulla, co-founder of Parental Questions involves creating a spider web with tape on the floor. “The goal is for the children to walk on the tape without stepping off,” says Mulla, noting that you can make it more challenging by adding “spiders” (small toys or bits of paper) that they have to pick up without stepping off the web.

Pumpkin Bowling

Hasan also suggests the clever idea of setting up a bowling alley using empty plastic bottles as pins and a small pumpkin as the bowling ball. “Keep score and aim for strikes,” he says, adding that if you don’t have a pumpkin, any round object will do.

Pumpkin Mini Golf 

Similar to the bowling idea, this is another way to incorporate pumpkins into the holiday fun. Here, Minaev suggests carving mini pumpkins into golf ball-sized spheres and setting up a mini golf course throughout your home or yard.

“Use a broomstick or a wooden spoon as the club and aim for ghost-shaped holes,” he says, elaborating that you should feel free to get creative with obstacles like cardboard haunted houses or spiderwebs.

Witch’s Broom Relay

We’re batty for this one. “Divide players into teams and give each team a broomstick,” says Matt Carlson, the founder of ParentPresents.com.

“Set up a relay race where players take turns hopping on the broomstick and racing to a specific point and back. The team that finishes first wins.”

Candy Corn Stack

Got more candy corn lying around? Probably. Use it to play Hasan's Candy Corn Stack game. Line candy corn pieces atop each other, then challenge participants to stack as many candies as possible in a minute. “The one with the tallest stack that doesn’t topple wins,” he says of the sweet challenge.

Haunted Scavenger Hunt

“Create a list of Halloween-themed items for participants to find around the house or yard,” says Hasan. “Give them clues or riddles for each item. The first to collect all items or solve all riddles wins.” Note: For younger kids, keep this simpler, but for teens or adults you can make the quest more difficult.

Mystery Potion Mixing 

For a hauntingly entertaining experience, Minaev is a proponent of creating a witch’s potion station with various colored liquids (fruit juices work well), jars and labeled ingredients. “Participants take turns mixing and tasting their spooky concoctions,” according to Hasan who says you can encourage participants to rate each other’s potions.

Zombie Tag

For this hauntingly entertaining experience, make one person the designated zombie to start, says Johnson, further stating you should use bandanas or scarves to identify who’s a zombie and who isn’t easily. “If they tag you, you also become a zombie,” explains Johnson. “Last person standing wins.”

Pin the Spider on the Web

Riff on the classic "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" setup with this Halloween-inspired version. “Draw a spider web on a large sheet of paper or cardboard and create paper spiders with adhesive backing,” shares Hasan. “Blindfold players, spin them around, and challenge them to pin the spider closest to the center of the web.”

Monster Freeze Dance

Wickedly good Halloween fun awaits with this one: “Create a Halloween-themed playlist and play some spooky music. When the music stops, everyone must freeze in their best monster pose,” comments Hasan, adding that the last monster moving is out and you can keep playing until only one person is left as winner.

Group Ghost Stories 

Dr. Lev says that instead of one child narrating an entire story, each child at the party starts with a sentence, then the others take turns continuing the tale. “This method promotes creativity, concentration and collaboration, teaching interpersonal skills and fostering intimacy and connection,” she says. Plus, it’s a veritable laugh-fest.

Witch Hat Ring Toss

To play Witch Hat Ring Toss, buy witch hats or make them at home using cones and cardboard, says Johnson. For the game, players must toss rings around the pointy tops of the hats. To boost the fun factor, use round glow sticks as rings at nighttime, she advises.

Pumpkin Patch Hunt

This scavenger hunt promises bushels of fun without the stress. “Hide small pumpkin toys or pictures around the house or yard and have players search for them within a designated time,” says Carlson. “The one who finds the most pumpkins wins.”

Hide-N-Scare

Spookify your Halloween celebrations with this version of a childhood favorite: “Take the simple game of hide-n-seek and add a frightfully fun challenge — children stay in their spot and pop out to ‘scare’ the seeker,” says Parker, emphasizing that this is a great way to keep the children engaged with this game and you might even find they actually stay in their hiding spots.

Unconventional Pumpkin Contest

It’s time to brush up on your pumpkin decorating skills. “After a fun trip to the pumpkin patch, challenge your family and friends to participate in a pumpkin decorating contest,” says Parker. Use unconventional materials like candy, paint, etc. to decorate your pumpkin and collect votes from your neighborhood on Halloween night, she adds. “The pumpkin with the most votes wins … bragging rights for next season!” says Parker.

Doughnuts-Eating Contest

You had us at doughnuts. “Hang doughnuts from a string and have players race to eat the entire doughnut without using their hands,” says Carlson, sharing that the first participant to finish their doughnut wins.

Feed the Monster 

We love this activity from Mulla that’s as simple as throwing balls or bean bags into a decorated box or basket (feel free to keep decorations as low-key as you’d like, or get into it if you have an artistic side). This game is great for hand-eye coordination, and you can use other small objects like a pair of rolled-up socks or individual snack bags if balls aren’t available, she suggests.

Halloween Catchphrase

Lev highlights that catchphrase is an enjoyable game that also teaches kids essential skills, such as working under pressure. “In this game, reminiscent of hot potato, participants have to guess phrases,” she says, adding that for Halloween these phrases can be tailored towards the holiday.

Spider Web Toss

“Create a spider web using masking tape on a doorway, and then toss small toy spiders through the gaps,” says Carlson. “Players earn points for each spider that sticks to the web, with the highest score winning.” Which way to the candy, you ask? Award the winner of this throw-off with witch-ever candy bar their heart desires.

Trunk or Treat

Parker has us under her spell with this “Trunk or Treat” game. “Gather dress up clothes from your own fashion collection or pop over to your nearest goodwill store to build out your ‘trunk,’” she says. Then, it’s time for the “Treat” portion of the fang-tastic activity as you take turns playing dress up and creating your own characters!

To jazz this game up, you can also write down different characters on pieces of paper and play this as if you’re engaged in a heated few rounds of Charades, says Parker. Or, she says you can make this a relay race of sorts: “Players start on one end and the trunk is on the other. When it’s your turn, you have 30 seconds to create a character and have the team guess — get ready for a frightful mess,” she says.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com