School Halloween Party Activities

Use candy corn as game pieces.

A school Halloween party isn't complete without a few activities and games that celebrate the season. Combine non-competitive activities with a more competitive game to ensure there is something for each child to enjoy. Use Halloween items as inspiration to alter more common activities so they fit the theme of the season.

Halloween Murals

Give the students artistic license to create their own monsters or scarecrows. Cover a wall with butcher paper. Have children stand with their back against the paper and trace their outline onto it. Allow the kids to decorate their outline with markers, paint, crayons, and other embellishments. If you don't have a large enough space for all the students to make their own monster, divide the class into teams, with each team working together to make its creation.

Pumpkin Painting

Traditional pumpkin carving is too messy for most classrooms and younger children can't handle the carving tools. Instead, supply each child with a miniature pumpkin and plenty of paint. Allow the kids to decorate their pumpkins however they wish, or assign a theme to the class or to each student. Alternatively, read a Halloween story aloud, then instruct the students to make their pumpkin into one of the characters from the story. Display their creations afterward in the classroom.

Candy Corn Toss

Use candy corns as the basis for an active game that helps the students burn off some of their excitement and energy. Divide the class into pairs, giving each pair a plastic pumpkin bucket and a small cup filled with candy corn. One student tosses the candy corn pieces while the other tries to catch them in her bucket. Have the thrower and catcher stand apart at a distance that coincides with their age and ability. Once the thrower is done tossing, she switches with the catcher and tries to catch the candy corn. The team that catches the most candy wins.

Halloween Hot Potato

Use a miniature pumpkin or small gourd instead of a potato in this traditional game. Have the students sit in a circle on the floor and pass the pumpkin around as you play Halloween music. Stop the music at random intervals. The student who is caught holding the pumpkin when the music stops is out. Make the game more challenging by giving the students a chance to stay in once they are caught with the pumpkin. Ask them a quiz or trivia question; if the student gets the answer correctly he gets to remain in the game, and if he answers wrong he is out.

References

• Celebrations: Halloween Party Games
• Scholastic: A Frightfully Fun Party