The space you have decides which of these games fits your party: a hallway is enough for Eyeball Pong, a hard floor or low-pile carpet clears a lane for Pumpkin Bowling, and a backyard is what the Haunted Maze needs.
The range is wide, from a Candy Corn Guess that asks almost nothing of the host to a Pumpkin Carving Contest that takes real setup.
Most of the others are board or cup setups you build from black fabric, paper and plastic cups, so pick by where the party will stand and how much you want to set up.
1. Pumpkin Carving Contest
Frankenstein’s monster is a smart pick for a carving contest, because a flat green face and square head give a first-time carver an easy target. Hand out one pumpkin per guest and let teens choose their own character.
A trophy like the one here costs little and gets people competing harder than any prize of candy would. Have guests vote by secret ballot so the winner doesn’t just go to the loudest friend.
Lay down a tablecloth first. Carving is messy, and orange cloth hides the stains.
2. Pumpkin Bowling
Toilet paper rolls dressed as ghosts make the cheapest bowling pins I know of, and a small pumpkin is enough to knock them down. Draw faces on the rolls with a black marker and stand them in a tight cluster.
Keep the pumpkins small so they roll rather than thud.
A hard floor or low-pile carpet gives pumpkins the truest roll, so clear a lane in the garage, hallway, or basement and skip thick rugs, which slow them down and send them veering.
Set a throw line a few steps back and let each teen take 2 turns.
3. Candy Corn Guess
A jar of candy corn costs next to nothing and runs itself. Set it by the snack table with a sign, a pencil and a holder of guess cards, and guests play while they wander.
Pick a clear glass jar so everyone can judge the size.
Count the candy yourself before filling it, since the answer matters once 2 teens tie. Closest guess takes the jar home, which is prize enough.
4. Haunted Maze
A maze built from black fabric and white faux spiderwebs turns an ordinary backyard into a place teens will actually want to walk through.
Hang the fabric on a frame, and add a sign at the entrance to set the mood.
Backyard space is all it takes; a play set standing nearby doesn’t spoil the effect. For more scares, add a second path with a dead end and have a helper wait there.
5. Eyeball Pong
Beer pong gets a teen-safe makeover here: orange cups on a hanging black board, with eyeball stickers for decoration. Players toss ping pong balls into the cups, and the wall setup saves you a table.
Tape or hang the board on a door and mark a throw line a few feet back.
Because nothing sits on a surface, a small hallway works. Give each player 3 tosses and keep score on paper.
6. Witch Ring Toss
Small black hats make the targets in a witch’s hat ring toss, and five of them is a good number for a board.
Set them in a loose pattern, and make the rings from craft foam or cut-out paper plates so they’re easy to toss.
Prop the board against a fence or lean it on a chair at a slight backward tilt, and set it on level grass so the hats stay put and the rings land instead of bouncing off.
If you build a few games together, this one fits well beside a ghost board and a spider web board as a mini carnival.
7. Halloween Cookie Decorating
White icing on a ghost-shaped cookie is forgiving, which makes this a good fit for teens who claim they can’t decorate.
Bake and cool the cookies ahead, then set out bowls of white icing and candy mouths so guests can decorate their own.
Cover the table with newspaper or paper so icing wipes away fast. Plan on 2 or 3 cookies per guest, since they get eaten as they’re made.
8. Cup Pyramid Balloon Game
Black and purple plastic cups stacked into pyramids make targets that look spooky from across the room and cost very little. Balloons are the ammunition, so nothing flies hard enough to break anything.
Build the pyramids on a table with the widest row at the bottom, and keep them well apart so one collapse doesn’t take down the next.
I like timing 2 players against each other as they rebuild or knock down their stacks. Cups can be reused for the next round, so buy a spare pack.
9. Halloween Table Bottle Toss
Bottles filled with orange liquid land with a satisfying thud and don’t roll away, which is why this toss works on a plain table.
Mark target squares on the surface with tape or paper, and a black tablecloth makes the orange stand out.
Fill the bottles the same amount so every throw feels fair.
Use plastic ones, and screw the caps on tight before the first toss. Give each player 3 bottles per turn and award points by square.
10. Mummy Cutout Photo Booth
A painted cardboard stand with mummy figures and open face holes gets teens posing without anyone asking them to. Paint the mummies on large cardboard, cut the faces out, and brace the back so it stands on its own.
Keep the cutouts about head height for your guests, and make the holes a little bigger than you think you need so faces fit.
A "Trick or Treat" sign above the figures gives every photo a caption. Put it near a wall where the cardboard can lean.
11. Spider Toss Board Game
Plastic spiders thrown from a bowl onto a numbered web board give you a scoring game that needs no explanation.
Spread the webs across a black board and mark each one with a different number so the harder webs pay more.
Carpet keeps spiders from bouncing away. Give each player a handful of spiders and add up the total.
12. Zombie Eyeball Toss Board
Paper eyeballs make cheap, lightweight ammunition, and cups fixed to a black board give them somewhere to land.
Tape the cups to the board at different heights, then decorate around them with ghost and spiderweb cutouts and add the game’s name across the top.
Because paper eyeballs flutter, stand close.
13. Halloween Tabletop Cup Race
Rows of orange and black plastic cups lined up across a table turn into a head-to-head race with nothing more than a white box and 2 players.
Cups cost very little, and the game fits any table, so no extra floor space is needed.
Set the 2 rows side by side with the same number of cups in each, so neither player starts ahead.
Alternate the colors so players can tell their own row from across the table. A dining table like this one is plenty, and a tablecloth keeps cups from sliding.
Run it as a bracket and the winners keep playing, which gives a crowd something to cheer for.
Tips for Hosting a Teen Party
Set the safety rules before the night starts, and keep them short enough to say in one breath. Decide what "healthy and safe" means in your house, tell your teen, and then step back.
Let the teens do the decorating. Fake spiderwebs, dangling skeletons and a fog machine are all fair game, and a party they built themselves holds their attention longer than one you staged for them.
Pick a quiet corner of the house and settle in there.
Check in now and then, but leave the mood, the effort and the fun to them. Teens notice the difference, and I think it earns you more goodwill than any rule you could enforce.
Put out snacks and creepy-looking treats, then hand the teens a role in making or arranging them. A group with a job to do stays involved.
Halloween Party Themes
Choose one theme before you buy anything. A haunted house, a horror movie night and a costume party each call for different decorations, so the choice sets your shopping list.
Matching decor does most of the work. Black fabric, one color scheme, plus props that repeat will look more planned than a pile of mixed items.
If you want an interactive party, let the theme tell guests what to do.
A haunted house sends them walking through rooms, a movie night sends them to the couch, and a costume party gives them something to talk about at the door.
Classic decor is fine if you’re short on time. Check your local craft store for matching pieces so you aren’t hunting across 5 aisles.
From scream-worthy party games and eerie trivia to pumpkin carving contests and Halloween-themed drinking games, these Halloween activities will keep the good times rolling all month long.
Planning for Dietary Restrictions
Ask about food allergies and dietary needs when you send the invitation, not on the night. A short line in the invite or text asking guests to flag anything works fine, and parents of teens will usually answer quickly.
Keep every ingredient label for the snacks and treats. If a guest has an allergy, being able to read the label on the spot beats guessing.
Plan at least a few options that suit common restrictions, so no one is stuck watching others eat. Set out food in separate dishes with small cards listing the main ingredients.
Keep serving utensils separate for each dish, since sharing a spoon can spread an allergen between foods.
Frequently Asked Questions
What games can you play for Halloween?
Pumpkin bowling is a cheap pick: ghost-faced toilet paper rolls stand in as pins, and a small pumpkin knocks them down.
A pumpkin carving contest and ghost cookie decorating also work, since guests stay busy and have something to show at the end. Scavenger hunts, trivia and murder mysteries are other options that need no special gear.
What are some funny games for a teenage party?
Eyeball pong is a good one: teens toss ping pong balls into orange cups on a hanging black board, which keeps the beer pong feel without a table.
Pumpkin bowling with ghost pins gets laughs too, because pumpkins veer off course. Fear Factor style challenges are another option for teens who want something a little gross.
