10 Halloween Party Games for Tweens They’ll Actually Play (Free Printable Rules)
Tweens are the hardest party crowd on earth. Too old for pin-the-tail, too young for the teen stuff, and brutally honest about what’s boring. I’ve thrown Halloween parties for this age group three years running, and the difference between a dead party and a legendary one is the game lineup.
So here’s my tested 10-game lineup for ages 9–13. Every game below has full rules written out — print this page and you’re the host with the plan. No vague “play some games” energy here.
High-Energy Games (Burn Off the Candy Sugar)
1. Mummy Wrap Relay
Split into teams of 3–4. Each team gets two rolls of toilet paper. One player is the mummy; teammates race to wrap them head to toe. First fully-wrapped mummy wins — then the mummies race (carefully!) across the room. Judging criteria: coverage AND speed. My tweens request this one every year.
2. Ghost in the Graveyard
One player is the ghost, standing at one end of the yard or room with eyes covered. Everyone else creeps forward while the ghost counts down from midnight (“12 o’clock… 11 o’clock…”). When the ghost shouts “MIDNIGHT!” and turns around, everyone freezes. Anyone caught moving becomes a ghost too. Last free player wins.
3. Pumpkin Bowling
Line up 10 empty plastic bottles (decorated like ghosts with a marker) and roll a small round pumpkin at them from 10 feet away. Two rolls per player, score like bowling. The pumpkin wobble makes it hilariously unpredictable — gutter balls are half the fun.
4. Monster Freeze Dance
Play Halloween music. Everyone dances like a monster — zombies, vampires, witches. When the music stops, freeze in your scariest pose. The host picks the best freeze each round; that player becomes a judge for the next round. Last dancer standing wins.
5. Witch Hat Ring Toss
Stick 3–5 witch hats (the cheap party-store kind) on the floor, points up. Players toss glow bracelets or rings from 6 feet away. Closest hat = 10 points, middle = 20, farthest = 30. Three tosses each. Do it after dark with the glow bracelets and it looks fantastic.
Tabletop & Team Games (Catch Their Breath)
6. Halloween Pictionary Relay
Teams of 3–4. The host holds the word list: haunted house, vampire, candy corn, black cat, witch’s brew, zombie, spiderweb, jack-o’-lantern. One player draws for 60 seconds while their team guesses; then rotate artists. No letters or numbers in drawings — that’s the rule that causes all the arguing, and arguing is fun.
7. Candy Corn Relay
Each team gets a bowl of candy corn and a spoon. Players take turns carrying ONE candy corn on the spoon across the room and dropping it in the team’s jar — no hands allowed to steady it. First team to 20 pieces wins. Sounds easy. It is not easy. The concentration faces are priceless.
8. Wrap the Mystery Box
Put a small prize in a box, wrap it in 5+ layers of newspaper. Players sit in a circle passing the box while music plays. When the music stops, whoever holds it unwraps ONE layer. Repeat until someone unwraps the last layer and keeps the prize. Put silly dares (“do your best zombie walk”) on some layers.
9. Halloween Trivia Showdown
Read questions aloud; teams write answers on mini whiteboards or paper. My go-to set: What vegetable were jack-o’-lanterns originally carved from? (Turnips.) What are the two colors most associated with Halloween? (Orange and black.) Which candy was originally called “chicken feed”? (Candy corn.) What do you call a group of witches? (A coven.) How many: 10 questions, one point each.
10. Costume Awards Ceremony
End the night here. Everyone votes (no voting for yourself) in categories: Scariest, Funniest, Most Creative, Best Duo/Group, and “I Can’t Believe You Made That.” Hand out printed certificates or candy trophies. Tweens act like they don’t care about awards. They care enormously.
Party Timeline: Running All 10 in About 2 Hours
You don’t have to play everything — but if you want to, here’s the order that works:
- 0:00–0:20 — Guests arrive → Pumpkin Bowling (easy to join mid-game)
- 0:20–0:45 — Mummy Wrap Relay + Ghost in the Graveyard (peak energy)
- 0:45–1:00 — Snack break + Candy Corn Relay
- 1:00–1:25 — Pictionary Relay + Trivia Showdown (seated, competitive)
- 1:25–1:45 — Witch Hat Ring Toss + Mystery Box
- 1:45–2:00 — Monster Freeze Dance finale → Costume Awards
Start loud, go calm in the middle, end loud. That’s the whole secret of tween party pacing, and it works every time.
Prizes Without Spending a Fortune
Tweens don’t need expensive prizes — they need prizes with bragging rights. My winners get: first pick from the candy bowl, the “golden pumpkin” (a spray-painted mini pumpkin I reuse every year), and the honor of choosing the music for the next game. Total cost: basically zero. Total motivation: extremely high.
Want Everything Pre-Designed?
🎃 Get the Complete Tween Party Bundle 🎃
This free lineup covers the games. Our premium printable bundle adds designed score sheets, trivia question cards, printable award certificates, and bonus games — everything matching and ready to print.
Print this page, buy some toilet paper and candy corn, and you’re set. The tweens won’t admit they had fun — but they’ll ask when the next party is.
🐶Free Pet Guides
🐶 Love Dogs Too?
🎁Gift Ideas
🎉 Occasion Hunters — Gifts for Every Occasion
