The best Halloween party games are the ones kids can do in costume, in a group, without anybody sitting out. These eight all work that way, and all but two are free to print.
They're in order of age, youngest first, and each says who it works for.
1. A Halloween scavenger hunt (ages 4 and up)
A list of things to find around the party: something orange, a spider, a costume with a cape. Teams of two or three, fifteen minutes, and the costumes count. The full how-to is in Halloween Scavenger Hunt for Kids.
2. A trick-or-treat hunt (ages 4 and up)
If the party heads out trick-or-treating, give each kid a list of things to spot on the way: a skeleton, a blow-up decoration, two people dressed as the same thing. See Trick-or-Treat Scavenger Hunt.
3. Boo! A Halloween treasure hunt (ages 5 to 8)
A little ghost called Pip got such a fright that ten of her Halloween things flew all over the house. The kids find them, spot the three that are secretly ghosts, and Pip's map leads to the candy. Nothing to read, so it works for the youngest guests.
4. A Halloween clue trail (ages 6 and up)
Riddles that lead from one hiding place to the next, ending at the treats. Twelve ready-made Halloween riddles are in Halloween Treasure Hunt Clues, or make your own for your house.
5. The ghost's secret message (ages 7 and up)
Leave a note in code on the party table: where the prize is hidden, written in pigpen, which looks like spooky symbols and comes with its own key. Whoever cracks it first finds the prize.
6. A haunted treasure map (ages 5 and up)
Draw the party a map with the stops named after the rooms of your house, and the X where the candy is. The aged-paper look makes it feel old and spooky.
7. A haunted house escape room (ages 7 and up)
A whole escape room for the party, in the haunted theme: a story, a maze, a coded message, puzzles that each hide one letter of the password, and hint cards. Pick the password yourself.
8. The Haunted House Escape (ages 13 and up)
For teenagers who've outgrown hunts: a front door that won't open, six people who lived in the house, and four rooms that each prove one thing. Only one person fits all four. About an hour of arguing around a table, and it plays best with the lights down.
