With schools offering a mix of in-person and distance learning across the globe this school year (and beyond), Halloween is going to look a lot different than it usually does. Traditional classroom parties, school costume parades, and trick-or-treating may not be possible, but as we adjust to our new normal of social distancing and virtual celebrations, there are tons of ways we can make Halloween special for the little ones in our lives. Whether you’re a teacher trying to organize a virtual classroom party, or a parent trying to make Halloween extra special for your children and their friends, this collection of virtual Halloween games and activities is just what you need!
10 Virtual Halloween Games and Activities for Kids
1. ORGANIZE A VIRTUAL COSTUME CONTEST
While you may not be able to host an in-person costume party (and trick-or-treating may be cancelled), you can still show off your costumes during a group call! Dressing up is one of the best parts of Halloween, and it’s sure to get the little ones in your life excited. It also allows them an opportunity to get creative and express their individuality. Challenge your kids/students to create their own costumes using items they have at home, and organize a contest for specific categories, like scariest, funniest, most colorful, most unique, etc.
2. THROW A WALL DECORATING CONTEST
If you’re hosting a virtual Halloween celebration, challenge everyone to decorate the space that appears behind them in their Zoom calls. Again, you can create different categories (silliest, most outrageous, scariest, etc.) and organize a contest to encourage everyone to go all out!
3. GHOST STORIES
A list of virtual Halloween games and activities wouldn’t be complete without scary stories, am I right? There are lots of great age-appropriate books teachers can read to younger students to get them into the Halloween spirit, but don’t be afraid to challenge older kids to write and share their own stories. You can tie this into your language arts lesson plans, and dedicate a certain amount of time each day for students to share their stories throughout the week leading up to Halloween . It’s a great way to get kids in the Halloween spirit, and to put their creative writing skills to work!
If you’re looking for kids’ Halloween books, here are 5 of our favourites!
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer O’Connell
The Spooky Wheels on the Bus by j. Elizabeth Mills
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda D. Williams
4. HALLOWEEN SCAVENGER HUNT
If you’re looking for virtual Halloween games and activities for kids, one of the easiest things you can do is create a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt. Parents can collaborate together and hide specific items around their respective homes to make it extra special, but if that’s not possible, you can keep it simple and write out a list of generic items for kids to find during your virtual Halloween party. Send the list ahead of time (or share it via the screen sharing option on Zoom) and challenge the group to see who can find all of the items the fastest!
5. PUMPKIN CARVING/DECORATING
If everyone’s parents are game, pumpkin carving is another great idea to add to your list of virtual Halloween games and activities. You can do everything from start to finish as a group, or ask everyone to prep their pumpkins ahead of time so they are just carving funny faces during your time online. Another option that’s easier and less messy is to decorate pumpkins using sharpies and other materials (yarn, ribbon, etc.) everyone has lying around the house. You can even add a little bit of fun competition by orchestrating a pumpkin carving/decorating contest to see who comes up with the most unique, scariest, and funniest pumpkins.
6. HALLOWEEN BINGO
Thanks to the wonderful world of Pinterest, there are TONS of free printable BINGO templates you can download, and you can make it extra fun by using Halloween candy as markers each time a number is called. You can either send these to everyone ahead of time so they can print them off, or you can deliver a copy along with a little treat bag so they have something to munch on during your virtual celebration!
7. WATCH A SCARY MOVIE
Movies are another great Halloween activity that can be enjoyed virtually, and there are tons of Halloween-themed options to choose from. This will obviously work best with a smaller group of children, and if their parents are game, you can make it feel like a virtual sleepover. Get the kids into their jammies, pop some popcorn and lay out your child’s favorite Halloween treats, and allow everyone to watch the movie and discuss it together online. Zoom only allows 40-minute meetings on their free plan, so you may want to use a different platform like FaceTime. Or, you can schedule regular 40-minute breaks during the movie for the kids to use the bathroom and get more snacks, and then set-up a new Zoom meeting.
8. HALLOWEEN CHARADES
Charades is always a great way to get kids laughing, and it’s an easy option if you’re looking for last minute virtual Halloween games. Write down a bunch of Halloween-themed prompts and send them to the kids ahead of time so they have time to practice, and enjoy a little fun!
9. MUSICAL STATUES
If you’re looking for easy (and mess-free) virtual Halloween games for younger kids that require no setup, musical statues is aways a good option. Pump some Halloween tunes (Michael Jackson’s Thrilled comes to mind!), let the kids dance off some energy, and periodically stop the music and yell ‘FREEZE!’ and see who follows directions. This is a great way for everyone to blow off some steam – parents included!!!
10. ZOOM IN
My final idea for those who are looking for virtual Halloween games for kids is one I only just learned about, and it’s super fun and can easily be customized for Halloween. Find a few Halloween-theme photos (i.e. witch, bat, cauldron, spider, etc.) and zoom in on a certain item of each photo and take a screen shot. The idea is to share the zoomed-in photos via screen sharing during your virtual Halloween party and see if anyone can guess what it is. You can shake this up a bit by challenging everyone to find and share a Halloween-themed zoomed-in photo, and you can see which child gets the most correct answers!
While we may not be able to celebrate Halloween the way we usually do this year, I hope this collection of virtual Halloween games and activities helps make the day extra special for the little ones in your life!