Fun Halloween Game Ideas for Preschools and Kindergartens
When it comes to Halloween, games that everyone can enjoy together are a big hit at nursery schools and kindergartens! Here, we’ll introduce fun Halloween games that will liven up your childcare setting.
We’ve gathered lots of activities that spark children’s imaginations, like ghost whack-a-mole, mummy games, and pumpkin stacking.
With a bit of creativity, there are options even infants can enjoy.
Adding handmade decorations will boost the atmosphere even more.
Have fun exploring the world of Halloween with the children and create wonderful memories together!
Fun for Preschools & Kindergartens! A Collection of Halloween Game Ideas (1–10)
Halloween Quiz That Even Babies Can Enjoy!
Let’s look for the Halloween friends peeking out and learn their names! When you think of Halloween, there are all kinds of ghosts and motifs, right? This time, here’s an idea to learn the names of those Halloween friends in a quiz format.
It’s a quiz that children from infant to preschool classes can enjoy.
They might also react to the Halloween decorations at school or at home and learn the names! It seems like a great opportunity to deepen children’s learning.
Whack-a-Ghost Game
It’s a ghost-themed version of the classic whack-a-mole that kids love! Replace the moles with ghosts and knock them down with a squeaky hammer or similar.
Build a whack-a-mole board, and when a ghost pops up, attack right away! See how many you can defeat within the time limit.
If building a whack-a-mole board is tricky, you could make it more like “Gator Panic.” You can use a cardboard box by cutting out the bottom as the board, and if you stick ghost cutouts onto plastic bottles, you can manually move them up and down.
If you have time, decorate the board with a Halloween vibe, too.
Transform into a witch! Halloween game
This is a Halloween circuit-play activity that includes games like “Spiderweb Tunnel,” “Pumpkin Carry with a Ladle,” and “Ghost & Pumpkin Fishing.” As the children clear each game, they transform into witches.
There are various types of capes, hats & ribbons, and wands, so they can become a witch that feels uniquely their own—that’s a fun highlight.
Once they’ve cleared all the games and completed their witch transformation, they get a treat.
For infants and toddlers, adults can help them aim to clear the games; from around preschool age, it also looks fun to compete for speed.
Ghost Busting Game
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDyv37nD9ET/Let’s defeat the ghosts made from paper plates! When you think of “defeating,” you might imagine a target-throwing game, but this one is a little different.
The ghosts are famous ones like the one-eyed boy (Hitotsume-kozō) and the slit-mouthed woman (Kuchisake-onna).
Use cards that represent each ghost’s weakness to beat them.
For example, sunglasses for the one-eyed boy, and pomade for the slit-mouthed woman.
Prepare several cards and ask the kids what each ghost might be bad with.
You’ll get all kinds of ideas, and it’ll be a lot of fun.
Swirling Mummy
This is a mummy game, a classic for costumes.
Prepare a doll and some yarn, and at the starting signal, begin wrapping the yarn around the doll.
Whoever finishes wrapping first wins.
It’s very simple, but wrapping a long piece of yarn is actually quite tough! If the yarn is too long, some kids might want to quit halfway, so prepare yarn of a reasonable length.
To prevent tangling while wrapping, transfer the yarn onto a spindle or similar before the game.
After the game, you can use the wrapped dolls as Halloween decorations!
Quiz! Halloween Sketchbook Theater
Don’t actually know it!? Let’s enjoy the event while having fun learning with children about the origins and meaning of Halloween! Some parents and teachers might feel a jolt when asked about the origins of Halloween.
Let’s learn the origins together with the kids using a sketchbook theater.
Knowing the meaning behind the event can spark interest in the world and deepen engagement with the celebration.
This sketchbook theater can be enjoyed by infants through preschoolers, so it’s perfect both as an introduction and as the main feature of a Halloween event!
Halloween Memory
Let’s all make original Halloween cards and play “Halloween Memory”! In a preschool setting, everyone can help create the cards.
It’s a Halloween version of the classic memory game you play with playing cards.
First, prepare 30–40 cards that are the same color and size.
Draw the same illustration on two cards—make sure it’s something related to Halloween.
With 40 cards, you’ll have 20 matching pairs.
Turn them face down and play just like the memory game.
For younger children, you can give a handicap, such as allowing them to flip three cards per turn.