Halloween is one of our favourite times of year — the costumes, the countdown to trick-or-treating, and of course, the party games. If you’re hosting tweens this year, you’ll know they’ve outgrown the toddler stuff but still love a good scare (and an even better giggle). Bobbing for apples is fine, but tweens want games that are a bit gross, a bit competitive, and a lot of fun.
Here’s our roundup of spooky and gross Halloween party games for tweens that are guaranteed to get the whole gang shrieking, laughing and racing for the prize.
You may also enjoy: 15 Wickedly Good Ways to Amuse Your Tween This Halloween
Halloween Party Games for Tweens
Frankenstein Bowling
Image: Party Delights
Strike! DIY Halloween bowling, like this idea from Party Delights, is something your tween can help prepare and decorate too. These cans look a little more cute than scary, but they’ll still be a huge hit with all the guests.
Pumpkin Golf
Image: A Girl and a Glue Gun
Ready for a Halloween challenge? Create your own mini golf course with some pumpkin golf from A Girl and a Glue Gun — let’s see who can get a hole in one!
You may also enjoy: 50 Fun Halloween Activities for Kids
Pass It On Ghost Story
A Halloween version of Chinese Whispers. Get the kids to form a circle and share a ghost story around the group. To spook it up, try it with the lights off and some safely placed candles or torches for atmosphere.
Halloween “Who Am I?” Game
All you need for this one is a pack of Post-its. Everyone writes a Halloween character or item on a Post-it and, without showing it, sticks it to someone else’s forehead.
Without knowing what’s on your own head, you have to ask a series of yes/no questions to try and figure it out!
You may also enjoy: 20+ Frighteningly Easy Ideas for Halloween Nails
Spider Obstacle Course
Image: Childhood 101
The trick with this spider obstacle course from Childhood 101 is to travel through the spider web-inspired series of obstacles without jiggling the spiders — and each spider is attached to a jingle bell to make it extra tricky!
Halloween Bingo
Image: One Creative Mommy
You’re never too old (or young) for a game of bingo! Get this fun Halloween bingo game from One Creative Mommy and use bite-sized sweets to cover the sheet as each number is called.
You may also enjoy: 12 Ghoulishly Great Halloween Drinks for Kids
Gross Guessing Game
Image: The Idea Room
This great idea for a gross guessing game from The Idea Room is a firm favourite with tweens and older kids. Hang an old sheet and cut some slits into it that allow a hand to be stuck through. On the other side, place a bowl filled with something gross, gloopy or sticky behind each slit.
Hang a “menu” of delights for the kids to enjoy — vampire vomit (salsa), eerie goblin ears (dried apricots), bloody bat guts (spaghetti and sauce), and so on. You could also use noodles, beans, slime, pumpkin guts, mashed banana, or even leftover bones from Sunday dinner!
Worm Bobbing
Move over apple bobbing — worm bobbing is all the rage nowadays. You’ll need some whipped cream, a paper plate and some gummy worms (sour ones are even better).
Place three to five gummy worms on a plate and cover them with whipped cream. Tie each player’s hands behind their back with a scarf and let them dig in face first! Whoever gets the most worms in the shortest time wins.
You may also enjoy: 11 Easy Halloween Cookies for Kids
Truth or Scare
Image: Play Party Plan
Truth or Scare is a great game for tweens and teens, and these questions and ideas from Play Party Plan are the perfect place to start.
Truths include questions like:
- What three items would you take with you if you had to spend the night in a haunted house?
- What is the spookiest ghost story you’ve ever heard?
- If you had a superpower for just Halloween night, what would you choose?
Scares include challenges like:
- Pretend you’re a witch, make a potion, and cast a spell on someone.
- Go outside and howl at the moon (or sun) like a werewolf.
- Try to scare someone in the room without them knowing until your next turn.
You may also enjoy: 30 Spookily Easy Halloween Cake Ideas to Make at Home
Halloween Night Treasure Hunt
Set up a treasure hunt in the back garden before dark, hiding lots of different sweets. When night falls, give the kids some torches and let them loose outside. A spooktacular Halloween game they’ll love.
Guess the Food
Image: Play Party Plan
This Halloween Guess the Food game from Play Party Plan is a lighthearted version of the “eat something gross” challenge — without anything actually being gross!
For example, a “human heart” is really just a tomato, and “werewolf vomit” could be chunky guacamole.
Pumpkin Patch Stomp
Image: Delia Creates
When you’re picking up your golf clubs, streamers and spiders for the games above, don’t forget some orange balloons. This pumpkin stomp game from Delia Creates leads to lots of giggles.
When blowing up the balloons, pop a plastic spider inside some of them. Let the kids hop, jump and stomp until they find all the spiders. Whoever finds the most wins.
You may also enjoy: 12 Halloween Hairstyles for Kids to Spook, Scare and Delight!
Glow-in-the-Dark Ring Toss
Image: A Pumpkin and a Princess
This idea for glow-in-the-dark bottle toss from A Pumpkin and a Princess is a great Halloween party game for tweens. You’ll need some glow-in-the-dark masking tape, old bottles and a pack of glow sticks. Wrap the tape around the bottles and loop the glow sticks into bracelets.
When night falls (or you turn off the lights if indoors), see how many glow stick bracelets the kids can get around the bottle necks. Whoever gets the most wins.
Watch Spooky Movies
No Halloween party is complete without a spooky movie. Turn the lights off and close the curtains to create atmosphere. Some of our favourite Halloween classics for tweens: Hocus Pocus, The Corpse Bride, Gremlins, Beetlejuice, and The Goonies.
You may also enjoy: 5 Fun Halloween Science Experiments for Kids
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good Halloween games for tweens who think they’re “too old” for party games?
Tweens still love a good game — they just want it to feel less babyish and a bit more competitive or gross. Games like Truth or Scare, the Gross Guessing Game, and Worm Bobbing hit that sweet spot between silly and cool.
What household items can I use for gross Halloween games?
You can make a convincing “gross” bowl of guts and gunk with things you likely already have: cooked spaghetti and sauce, dried apricots, salsa, cold noodles, tinned beans, mashed banana, or peeled grapes. No special shopping required.
How many kids do these games work for?
Most of these games work well for small groups of 4–6 and scale up easily for a bigger party — obstacle courses, bingo and treasure hunts in particular are easy to adapt to larger numbers.
Do I need to spend a lot on Halloween party games?
Not at all. Most of these ideas use everyday items — balloons, whipped cream, Post-its, an old sheet, some torches — so you can put together a brilliant tween Halloween party on a small budget.
Related Articles
- 15 Wickedly Good Ways to Amuse Your Tween This Halloween
- 50 Fun Halloween Activities for Kids
- 12 Ghoulishly Great Halloween Drinks for Kids
- 30 Spookily Easy Halloween Cake Ideas to Make at Home
Save These Ideas for Later
Love these games? Bookmark this page or share it with the group chat so it’s easy to find again when the party planning starts. Browse our other Halloween activity ideas for more inspiration too.
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