[For Seniors] Fun Halloween Games: Ideas to Enjoy with Ghosts, Mummies, and Spiderwebs
Are you looking for games you can enjoy with older adults during the Halloween season? There are plenty of fun activities that make the most of Halloween motifs like ghosts, mummies, and jack-o’-lanterns.
We’ve gathered a wide variety—from team relays that involve passing items to the next person and games that help build hand strength, to matching games that are great for brain training.
It’s sure to be a recreation that brings lots of smiles to the faces of participating seniors.
Enjoy creating wonderful memories together on long autumn evenings, with lively, cheerful fun for everyone.
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[For Seniors] Exciting Halloween Games: Fun Ideas with Ghosts, Mummies, and Spiderwebs (41–50)
Plastic Bottle Bowling
How about “Plastic Bottle Bowling,” a fun, cost-free game anyone can enjoy, for a Halloween event at a care facility? All you need are empty plastic bottles and a vinyl ball! You can give it a Halloween vibe by decorating the bottles with ghost or pumpkin illustrations.
It’s also fine to tweak the rules to adjust the difficulty, such as bouncing the ball or adding water to the bottles to make them harder to knock down.
It’s great exercise for seniors’ hands and fingers, so please feel free to use this as a reference!
[For Seniors] Exciting Halloween Games: Fun Ideas with Ghosts, Mummies, and Spiderwebs (51–60)
Shooting game
This is the classic festival game, target shooting.
To add a Halloween vibe, prepare toys and candies decorated with pumpkins, mummies, and the like as prizes.
Since toy guns can be dangerous, please make sure to prioritize safety—consider alternatives like throwing soft balls instead.
Fukuwarai (a traditional Japanese “lucky laugh” face-making game)
When you think of fukuwarai, many people probably associate it with New Year’s, but it seems there are also Halloween versions with jack-o’-lanterns and mummies.
Making your own handmade, original fukuwarai sounds fun too.
You play by putting on a blindfold and arranging the facial parts neatly; the person who does it best wins.
It’s surprisingly tricky, so it’s a game that people of all ages, from children to older adults, can enjoy.
Brain Training: Halloween Aha Moment
The moment when something you didn’t understand suddenly becomes clear is called an “aha moment.” When you can’t figure something out and feel frustrated, doesn’t finally finding the answer make you feel refreshed? It’s said that the brain becomes more active when you feel that sense of clarity.
It’s also recommended as brain training for older adults.
Let’s try a spot-the-difference activity that leverages this aha experience.
In this puzzle, only one part of the illustration changes slowly.
Choosing Halloween-themed illustrations is the key point.
Of course, comparing two images side by side to find differences can also lead to an aha moment.
It sounds fun to do a lively, large-group spot-the-difference game as a Halloween recreation, too.
Spot the differences
When it comes to Halloween-themed recreation that also trains the brain, spot-the-difference is a perfect choice.
Place two illustrations side by side and find the differences within a set time limit.
Prepare Halloween-specific images like pumpkins, ghosts, and witches.
Since it can be played while seated and without any materials, it’s easy on older adults—another plus.
Incorporate buzzer rounds or quiz formats to liven up the program.
How about creating an original spot-the-difference game using photos or illustrations unique to your care facility and giving it a try?
Air hockey
Air hockey is a game that’s fun both to play and to watch! It’s also a recreational activity that can stimulate cognitive function and improve motor skills.
After laying a sheet on the table, prepare two pushers.
It’s important that the pushers are easy to grip.
Sit on opposite sides in chairs and roll the ball to start.
The player who scores the most goals wins.
It’s a game you can enjoy while communicating with each other.
For Halloween events, we recommend decorating the pushers with Halloween motifs or drawing Halloween designs on the ball for extra fun.
Halloween Ring Toss
Pumpkin ring toss is a fun activity everyone can enjoy together.
Holding a ring and tossing it toward a pumpkin moves your shoulder joints, stimulates balance, and helps improve concentration and attention.
It’s a simple game: make rings out of newspaper, aim at small pumpkin decorations, toss the rings, and compete for points.
Gathering around the ring toss also encourages communication, making the game even more exciting! Adjust the distance to the target—farther or closer—to suit the group and have fun.