The Memory Game
What you will need: Halloween and Fall-related objects and a tray. Orange construction paper and Halloween stickers are optional
How to set up: Place the objects on the tray
How to play: (1) Pass the tray around the party area, (2) When told to go, have the players write down the objects they saw. The player who remembers the most objects wins.
Tip: Use some obvious objects like a miniature real or plastic pumpkin, a plastic spider ring, a small rubber bat, monster or ghost toys, small witch's broom (found in craft stores), a silk fall leaf. To make the game a little harder, add some small items like a pumpkin seed, a candy corn, a Halloween pin, etc.
Tip: A simple extra step is to hand out paper decorated for Halloween: Cut orange construction paper to just the right size to write down all the objects, and place a Halloween sticker at the top of each slip of paper.
Halloween Charades
What you will need: Plastic Halloween pail, orange construction paper, a pumpkin cookie cutter, and a black magic marker
How to set up: Trace around the cookie cutter onto the construction paper to create the game prompts and cut out. Write a Halloween topic for the players to act out onto each piece of paper, and place them in the pumpkin bucket.
How to play: This is played like a traditional game of charades. Have the person who is it, reach into the pumpkin and pull out a piece of paper. Have them give clues (without talking) to the other players about the topic. The person who is first to guess the topic correctly gives the clues in the next game.
Note: For a fun twist on this game, divide the players into two teams and give each team its own pumpkin filled with topics. Have the teams race to guess all the topics in their buckets. Start with the first person in each line. The team who has guessed the most clues when time is up wins.
Tip: Some obvious ideas for clues are the Mummy, Dracula, a ghost, a witch, but also try to include some unusual prompts like a person turning into a warewolf, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a zombie coming out of a grave etc. (these types of prompts are best for home parties).
Pictionary
What you will need: Chalk and a blackboard or portable chalkboard, orange construction paper, a pumpkin cookie cutter, and a black magic marker
How to set up: Trace around the cookie cutter onto the construction paper to create the game prompts and cut out. Write a Halloween topic for the players to draw on each piece of paper, and place them in the pumpkin bucket.
How to play: This is played like a traditional game of pictionary. Have the person who is it, reach into the pumpkin and pull out a piece of paper. Have them draw clues (without talking) about the topic. The person who is first to guess the topic correctly gives the clues in the next game.
Note: For a fun twist on this game, divide the players into two teams and alternate turns between each team. Have the teams take turns beginning with the first person in line. The team who has guessed the most clues/and or who has the best time wins.
Decorate Your Own Cupcake
What you will need:
1 pkg. of yellow cake mix
1 container of vanilla frosting
red and yellow icing colors
several tubes of black decorating gel
How to prepare:
Cook cupcakes according to package directions. Create orange frosting by adding the yellow icing coloring to the red a little at a time until it turns orange. Add the orange icing color mixture to the white frosting a little at a time with a toothpick until it reaches the desired shade. Let cupcakes cool then frost with orange frosting.
What to do:
Give each participant a cupcake and provide several tubes of black decorating gel for them to pipe on their own pumpkin face (eyes, nose and mouth) with the gel.
Variation: Instead of or in addition to the black gel, you can provide fun toppings for everyone to decorate their own Halloween treat. You can provide spoons and containers of sprinkles, cookie crumbs (oreos, chocolate wafers), toffee bits, edible Halloween cake decorating figures, small Halloween candy (candy corn, candy pumpkins), etc.
Hangman
What you will need: Chalk and a blackboard or portable chalkboard
How to set up: Draw the hangman's noose on the board and a space for each letter in a topic or phrase. Divide the players into two teams
How to play: Alternating between the teams and starting with the first person in line, have the players take turns guessing a letter in the topic until someone guesses it. A team wins a round when a player guesses the clue or the last letter in the clue.