50 spooktacular Halloween games for the classroom

Whether you're a teacher, a parent, or someone who just loves the spooky season, Halloween offers a great opportunity to bring some chills and thrills into the classroom. Here are 50 games to keep the spookiness educational and entertaining. Let's dig in!

1. Candy corn count

Fill a jar with candy corn and have students guess the number inside. It’s an exciting way to practice estimation skills. Make it more or less challenging by using different sizes of jars.

2. Pin the wart on the witch

Think of it as the Halloween version of "Pin the Tail on the Donkey," where students try to stick a wart onto a witch's nose. The game gets everyone engaged and sets a light-hearted atmosphere. Reusable stickers can make it more eco-friendly.

3. Ghostly Math bingo

Math problems serve as bingo clues, with answers corresponding to numbers on the bingo cards. It’s a fun and effective way to drill math while keeping the Halloween spirit high. Consider customizing the bingo cards to fit the math level of your students.

4. Spooky spelling bee

Students are challenged to spell Halloween-themed words in this seasonal spelling bee. It’s engaging, educational, and brings the Halloween vibes into spelling. Make sure to have a list of words that suit different grade levels.

5. Pumpkin drawing contest

Provide each student with a piece of paper and colored pencils, and let their imagination run wild drawing pumpkins. It’s both festive and creative. Use orange paper to make the pumpkins pop even more.

6. Mummy wrap

Students get into teams and race against the clock to wrap a teammate in toilet paper like a mummy. It’s quick, funny, and a great team-building activity. Opt for recycled toilet paper to keep it green.

7. Apple bobbing

This Halloween classic involves students trying to grab floating apples from a large tub using only their mouths. It’s entertaining and competitive. Remember to sanitize the apples and water for hygiene.

8. Trick-or-Treat trivia

Students answer trivia questions related to Halloween. Correct answers earn them candy or small prizes. It’s a fun way to combine Halloween facts with sweet rewards. Vary the difficulty level to suit your audience.

9. Halloween bingo

A timeless game of bingo that's easy and engaging for all ages. Keep it educational by using our pre-made Halloween adjectives bingo card.

If you want to freshen up the game, consider printing different bingo cards for each round.

Why not try some more of our pre-made spooky-themed bingo cards?

10. Haunted house scavenger hunt

Scatter Halloween-themed items around the classroom for students to find. It’s like a traditional scavenger hunt but with a ghostly twist. Use flashlights in darkened areas for added drama.

11. Eyeball pong

Get your hands on some ping pong balls and markers to turn them into 'eyeballs.' The aim is to toss them into cups for points. Use different point values for varying distances to make the game more competitive.

12. Ghost tag

One student plays the 'ghost,' chasing after classmates to tag them. Once tagged, students freeze until another classmate 'revives' them by tagging them back.

13. Monster mash dance-off

Put on the Monster Mash song and let the students dance away. Have judges to score their spooky dance moves, with small prizes for the winners.

14. Witches' brew

Create a witches' brew by filling a cauldron with water and adding plastic insects and toys. Students take turns 'casting spells' by scooping items with a ladle.

15. Costume parade

Have students parade around the classroom showcasing their Halloween costumes. Offer categories like 'scariest,' 'funniest,' and 'most creative' to give out awards.

16. Graveyard memory game

Place Halloween-themed items under cups and arrange them like gravestones. Students take turns lifting the cups to find matching items.

17. Spooky story time

One student starts a spooky story with a sentence, and each student adds on. It’s a creepy way to inspire creativity and practice storytelling skills.

18. Bone relay

Use plastic bones or bone-shaped toys for a relay race. Students pass the 'bones' to each other and race to the finish line.

19. Batty Math

Use bat cutouts for a math-based scavenger hunt. Hide them around the room with math problems for students to solve.

20. Potion making

Provide students with colored liquids (use food coloring in water), and they create 'potions.' Use the exercise to discuss color mixing and reactions.

21. Haunted vocabulary

Use Halloween words in a crossword puzzle. It combines vocabulary practice with seasonal fun.

22. Cobweb maze

Create a maze using yarn as cobwebs. Students must navigate through without touching the yarn.

23. Candy sort

Sort a variety of Halloween candy by type, color, or size. It’s a tasty way to explore categorization.

24. Vowel hunt

Hide Halloween words missing vowels around the room. Students hunt for them and complete the words.

25. Zombie freeze dance

Play Halloween tunes, and when the music stops, everyone freezes like a zombie. Last one frozen is out.

26. Gourd painting

Offer mini pumpkins or gourds for students to paint. It’s an artful way to celebrate the season.

27. Werewolf, werewolf, vampire

It's like Duck, Duck, Goose, but spookier. Students sit in a circle and one walks around tapping heads saying, "Werewolf, Werewolf, Vampire!"

28. Candy corn tower

Use candy corn to build the tallest tower possible. It’s a lesson in engineering, with a sugary twist.

29. Mystery box

Fill a box with Halloween items like rubber spiders or slime. Students reach in and guess what they're touching.

30. Musical tombstones

Like musical chairs but with cardboard tombstones. When the music stops, find a tombstone to stand behind.

31. Witch's hat ring toss

Make or buy witch hats and use rings to toss onto the pointed tips. It's a magical way to practice hand-eye coordination.

32. Spellbinding charades

Play charades with a Halloween twist. Think ‘mummy’ or ‘vampire’ for students to act out.

33. Slime time

Make slime with the class and add Halloween items like googly eyes or plastic spiders. It’s icky fun and a bit educational.

34. Halloween bingo with emojis

Switch up traditional bingo with Halloween emojis instead. Create cards featuring various Halloween emojis for a modern twist.

35. Candy cane skeleton

Think of this as a bony twist on the classic "Pin the Tail on the Donkey." Cut out skeleton pieces from cardboard or heavy paper, and use candy canes as the "bones." Blindfold the students one by one, spin them gently, and then have them try to place a candy cane where they think it belongs on Mr. Skeleton. You'll tickle their funny bones while giving them a mini anatomy lesson!

36. Floating ghosts

Students use balloons and lightweight fabric to create floating ghosts. Race them using a fan for a ghoulishly delightful time!

37. Frankenstein bowling

Turn your classroom into a mini-bowling alley with a spooky twist. Paint ten pins to resemble Frankenstein's monster and use a soft rubber ball as the bowling ball. Students take turns rolling the ball to knock down these monstrous pins. It's fun and promotes hand-eye coordination!

38. Jack-o'-Lantern geoboard

Let the students create geometrical Jack-o'-Lanterns using pegboards and rubber bands. This activity combines fine motor skills with basic geometry concepts, as students stretch bands into shapes that create a pumpkin face. A great way to make math festive!

39. Creepy crawly obstacle course

This is an indoor obstacle course featuring Halloween classics—cobwebs made of string, foam tombstones, and witches' hats. Students must navigate through this spooky setup, honing their motor skills and perhaps facing their (pretend) fears along the way!

40. Phantom phrases

Write creepy phrases or Halloween-related words on flashcards. Students draw a card and have to construct a sentence using that phrase. Great for vocabulary building, and it adds a spooky element to sentence construction!

41. Dracula's coin count

Set up coin jars with pictures of Dracula, and have different coin denominations in each. Give students a set time to count the coins and jot down their totals. It’s financial literacy with a vampire twist!

42. Ghost bowling

Transform a bowling set into an apparition army. Use white fabric or paper to cover your bowling pins and draw ghostly faces on them. Roll a pumpkin-shaped ball— or a regular one with a spooky twist—to knock down these adorable phantoms. This activity will haunt your students in the most endearing way, while also teaching them a thing or two about aim and strategy!

43. Halloween pictionary

In this ghoulish version of the classic game, students draw Halloween-themed words or phrases while their teammates try to guess what they are. The catch? Use orange markers or chalk to keep it on-brand for Halloween.

44. Shadow puppet theater

Have students make Halloween-themed shadow puppets out of black cardboard. Then, using a flashlight and a blank wall, they can put on a chilling performance that mixes storytelling with artistic creativity.

45. Candy catapult

Build mini catapults to launch small candy pieces. It's a sugary lesson in physics.

46. Skull and crossbones hopscotch

Revamp the classic hopscotch game by using chalk or tape to create skull and crossbones shapes for the squares. Students hop from skull to skull, avoiding the crossbones, making for an exciting twist on a playground favorite!

47. Mystery smell jars

Fill jars with various Halloween-related scents—think pumpkin spice, decaying leaves, or even garlic for warding off vampires. Students take turns sniffing and guessing what each jar contains. A sensory experience that's both educational and eerie!

48. Witchy spelling words

Set out alphabet cards on the floor. Students use a “broomstick” (a long stick) to hop from letter to letter, spelling out Halloween-themed words. It's like the spelling bee met Quidditch!

49. Fang-tastic scavenger hunt

Create a list of Halloween items or clues for students to find around the classroom or school. The first one to find all items or solve all clues wins a "fang-tastic" prize, like a mini pumpkin or Halloween stickers. A bloodcurdling search for everyone!

50. Halloween Charade Bingo

Merge charades and bingo into one. Act out the charade clues, and if students have it on their bingo card, they can mark it off.

Use our bingo card generator create your own totally custom bingo cards with charade clues of your choice!

Conclusion

The classroom shouldn't be a place where fun goes to die. Especially not during Halloween! Whether you're wrapping your kids up like mummies or brushing up on some spooky spelling, these games are sure to make your Halloween classroom a hit. Happy Haunting!