I am sure it’s no surprise to my regular readers that when the new school year started, I signed up to be the Room Mom for my 5th grader’s class, even though I had no idea what that would look like as we have been learning remotely since March 2020.
But what did surprise me was the fact that even though my mind turned off right before St. Patrick’s Day, time actually continued on and now Halloween is right around the corner! In fact, now that I can no longer ignore the Halloween candy and decorations in the stores, it’s time for me to face facts and start planning a Virtual Class Halloween Party! Whether it’s a party with classmates during the day on Google Meet or with friends afterschool on Zoom, I’ve got you covered with over 30 virtual Halloween games and activity ideas.
**In an effort to get this out as soon as possible, I have listed all of the ideas I have had so far. Some have links to specific products already. But some links will be coming soon and some I hope to make myself if I have time! So use this list to get inspired, but continue to check back as I plan to add more product links and freebies!
Virtual Halloween Party Ideas for Kids
JUST FOR FUN
HALLOWEEN COSTUME “PARADE” Have everyone come to your Virtual Halloween Party for kids in costume! While you might not be able to literally parade around, you could still play Halloween music and let the kids take turns showing off their costumes. Want to make it extra fun? Use digital Halloween costume award certificates (link coming soon!) to acknowledge costume creativity and effort!
PET PARADE I am not sure how common it is, but if you had enough families that dress up their pets in Halloween costumes, you could have the kids share those pets. It would be good for some silly fun, if nothing else!
Monster Mash DANCE PARTY: Either play a version of freeze dance with popular Halloween themed music (like Monster Mash!) or simply play Halloween music in the background of your Virtual Halloween Party to give it ambiance. If you choose Freeze Dance, it might be fun to make it “Glow-in-the-Dark Freeze Dance” where kids have to turn off the lights and wear glow in the dark bracelets, necklaces, use flashlights etc.
VIRTUAL HALLOWEEN KARAOKE Take the music up a notch in your Virtual Halloween Party with karaoke! Several students can do it together as well. I learned you can find Youtube versions of Karaoke songs with lyrics to use for Zoom calls, too. Just make sure to share the computer audio when you do it.
HALLOWEEN BACKGROUNDS: To make your Virtual Halloween Party for kids more festive, consider having everyone decorate the background of the space where they have their call. If you want to keep it simple, kids can “decorate” their virtual rooms with these Zoom Halloween backgrounds or these virtual Halloween backgrounds.
Or even better, incorporate art and have the kids each decorate a poster board or banner paper to hang on the wall behind them. I think it’s a fun way for the kids to get creative and contribute to the party theme!
HALLOWEEN JOKES: You can never go wrong with some cheesy jokes for elementary schoolers. It always seems to be that the cheesier they are, the harder the kids laugh! I think Halloween Jokes like these are perfect for when you have just a few minutes to fill while you are waiting to send them off to the next activity.
GUESS THE SPOOKY SOUND: I don’t know what it is about this game, but even I love listening and trying to identify unknown sounds! Granted, I haven’t done it with scary sounds, but Halloween seems like the perfect occasion to listen to chains and rustling leaves and ghosts, whatever the case may be. 😉
SCAVENGER HUNT: Use this Virtual Scavenger Hunt for Halloween (or this one!) to look for Halloween themed items around the house. Or you can create your own list of something orange, something scary, something you can give to trick or treaters and other similar ideas. I also found a more traditional Halloween themed scavenger hunt with cute rhyming clues that might be fun too!
VIRTUAL CORN MAZE: Virtual field trips with a Halloween or fall theme are the perfect addition to your Virtual Class Halloween Party. Head to a corn maze or pumpkin patch with the younger elementary students or if you are having a non-school related party with tweens or teens, you can look for something scarier like a virtual cemetery tour or a virtual haunted house!
HALLOWEEN ESCAPE ROOM: While I personally have not done a virtual or in-person escape room, they seem to be a big hit! You can find some Halloween themed escape rooms here, here and here. This one and this one look great for older grades.
HALLOWEEN MYSTERIES: I found this really neat activity on TpT that has a Halloween mystery to solve! With characters, settings, motives etc., this would be a really engaging activity for upper elementary and middle school students. I am sure you can find or create other Halloween mysteries to solve too!
EMOJI HALLOWEEN PUZZLES: This is a fun one! I found this Halloween Emoji Game that uses slides and this one that uses a fillable PDF, but the concept is the same. They both show different emojis, put together to represent a Halloween word or phrase. From werewolves to candy corn, even the adults will want in on this one! (I also found some regular digital Halloween Puzzles too!)
ZOOM IN/GUESS THE PICTURE: So there are lots of different ways to hide pictures for kids to guess during a Virtual Class Halloween Party. I have seen the version where you “Zoom in” on a Halloween picture on one slide and then on the next slide, you reveal the picture.
I have also seen versions where the photograph is covered by a large black rectangle and small squares of black slowly disappear revealing the image. It is the goal for the kids to guess the image before it is completely revealed like in this Reveal! Mystery Picture Game Halloween Edition
There have also been Halloween Pictures that only reveal themselves after the kids solve a math problem or something similar. Clearly, there are lots of different ways to play a Halloween themed Guess the Picture game. You can even make your own version with your own photographs. The sky is the limit with this one!
HALLOWEEN SNAP/MEMORY: I have seen several different names for this game, but the concept is the same. Share a Halloween picture with lots of detail. Let the kids study it for 5-10 seconds. Then, take the picture down and ask the kids questions about the picture to see what they remember. You can create this game on your own or use the one I found here. You can also do a version where one item disappears after you show the class the original and the kids have to figure out what item went away.
WOULD YOU RATHER? HALLOWEEN EDITION: Not only is Would You Rather? (It’s also sometimes called This or That?) a fun game, but it’s also great for encouraging conversations and making connections. If possible, play this one in breakout rooms to really encourage discussions where people can really get a chance to share and be heard. If playing with the whole class, read the question aloud and have the kids show their answer with a 1 or #2 on their fingers (Or thumbs up or thumbs down). Then pick on one or two kids to share their reasoning aloud to help turn it into deeper discussion. These Halloween Would You Rather Questions would be perfect for elementary and middle schoolers.
HALLOWEEN MOVIE: There are so many ways to watch a movie together now. I remember back in March, I kept searching for ways to do this, but now Netflix and Hulu have this capability, as well as several other independent platforms like Gaze, Rabbit and Scener. It is also an option through Zoom, Skype and Houseparty which are the main ones for virtual calls, so that works out well. If you went this route, it might be fun to send the kids some popcorn to have while they watch!
CLASSIC GROUP PARTY GAMES
HALLOWEEN CHARADES: So the tricky thing about charades via Zoom is how to quickly communicate the concept to the child to act out without anyone else seeing. I think the easiest method would be for the teacher to private message the child with a topic or idea if they need help. Halloween charades could include trick or treating, a witch, a bat etc. Here are some Halloween charades cards from Etsy (and more here!) to get you started.
20 QUESTIONS WITH A HALLOWEEN THEME: For time sake, I would probably call this 8-10 questions, but the premise is the same as 20 questions. Have the child think of a Halloween themed item (The charade cards above can be used again with this game or you can use them to get their creative juices flowing) and the rest of the class can ask them questions. Questions must be presented in yes/no format. If you are working with younger children, you might need to model the game first or perhaps provide specific ideas via private chat.
HALLOWEEN GUESS WHO/WHO AM I? You can play this game like 20 questions, but focus only on Halloween characters. Depending on the age, the kids can think of their own Halloween characters (vampire, bat, werewolf etc.) or you could send them an idea in the private chat. Remember, this game also utilizes a yes/no question format. You could even have the student who is answering questions, simply respond with just a thumbs up/thumbs down if you wanted. (I also found a printable Halloween Movie Printable Guess Who Game that I just had to share too!)
HALLOWEEN PICTIONARY: You can use these Halloween Pictionary Cards or come up with your own Halloween items, but the kids try to get their teammates to guess the item correctly by drawing it on the white board on Zoom. Side note: Some kids are insecure about their artistic abilities, so before we start, I remind them that we are all still learning and we just try our best. I also tell them with this game it doesn’t matter if you are a professional artist, as long as your team can guess what you are drawing!
HALLOWEEN TABOO: Similar to the classic board game version of Taboo, in Halloween Taboo you need to get your partner to guess the secret word, but you may not say certain words related to it in the process. If the secret word is “pumpkin”, but you can’t say “carve”, “orange” “Jack-o-lantern” or “candle” it’s so tricky, but so fun! We always end up in fits of giggles with this one!
HALLOWEEN FAMILY FEUD: This is a fun way to play a trivia game about a subject. Kids need to guess answers based on popularity all while answering Halloween Trivia: Family Feud Style. This can be done in teams and is done in a similar format to the tv show. If you are interested in the trivia aspect of this game, I saw lots of different ways to incorporate trivia into Virtual Halloween Party Games.
HALLOWEEN BINGO: Bingo has always been a hit at our previous Halloween class parties, especially if we use candy corn for markers! You can use these virtual Halloween Bingo cards (or these) or you can email each person their own Bingo cards so they can print it out at home. Another option would be a Halloween Party Kit that the kids can pick up in advance that contains bingo cards, markers and craft supplies for a Halloween Art Project.
ARTS AND CRAFTS
HALLOWEEN ART: Speaking of art, I love to incorporate arts and crafts into any children’s party I plan and I think it can still be done during a virtual Halloween party. There are tons of Halloween craft projects out there (Check out one of my many Halloween boards on Pinterest: Halloween, Halloween Class Parties for Younger Grades, Halloween Class Parties for Older Grades).
You can pick one with supplies that the kids are likely to have on hand (like paper plates and string make a spider web!) or you can do a themed Halloween Art Kit for the kids to get ahead of time (Like a little bag of playdough, pipe cleaners and googly eyes to build a monster!).
You could also email the kids a Halloween art project that just needs to be printed, colored and cut out if you aren’t able to do a kit in advance. A craft project can definitely be on the agenda for your virtual Halloween party, you just need to get creative!
DIRECTED DRAW: A directed draw would make a great, low prep, Halloween Art Activity. It would work best if the teacher/leader had a document camera so the kids can easily see what they need to replicate. A stand-up easel or white board might work also if it was close enough to your camera and at a good angle. Halloween Directed Draws could include a Haunted House, Frankenstein or a Jack-o-Lantern depending on the age and skill level.
DRAWING GAME: While there are also lots of drawing games out there, my kids love the one where one person has to describe their drawing to another person to replicate. The Zoom call version starts with one person making a drawing on paper at their own home. Then, without sharing their artwork, the child spends the next few minutes giving the other people on the Zoom call instructions on how to replicate their drawing without showing them any part of it! We play this drawing game in person at my house and always end up in hysterics at the results! Add a Halloween theme to this game and it would be the perfect addition to a Virtual Halloween Party for Kids!
DECORATE PUMPKINS: Decorating or painting pumpkins is actually one of my favorite Halloween crafts. There are tons of no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas out there, but I would suggest using quick dry items if you want to do the craft in real time. Foam stickers, buttons, paint pens or sharpies would be a great place to start but do whatever works best for you.
Of course, depending on time and parent participation, you could actually carve pumpkins live as well. Or how about carving a virtual pumpkin online and then doing a screen share? You can carve a real pumpkin virtually or you can play an animated pumpkin carving game Both options look like fun!
EDUCATIONAL
SPOOKY STORIES Just like when you would sit around the campfire, kids take turns adding to the story as you go. Start the story for them first (Once upon a time on Halloween, there were kids camping in the woods and….) Make sure you set up appropriateness guidelines in advance! This one might be better suited for a Halloween party with friends after school depending on the age of the children.
ROLL-A-STORY: Take your Halloween Stories up a notch (and add more academics!) with this Digital Halloween Themed Roll-a-Story where kids can pick out the story elements and then write their own Halloween stories to go with it. They can even add their own artwork to go with it. It makes the perfect educational Halloween activity!
HALLOWEEN HANGMAN: To play this Halloween version of Hangman, you can copy my template of Hangman on Google Slides and then screen share while on Zoom. Next, use the annotation (drawing) feature to draw in the spaces for your mystery word(s). You can also go simple and just use the whiteboard feature on Zoom and draw everything in that you need. You can “hang a Zombie or a Mummy or even build a Jack-o-Lantern with this kid friendly version of Halloween Hangman. I created a Skeleton Hangman Game a few years back and I hope to create a virtual version soon too!
HALLOWEEN WORD GAMES: (Games like Unscramble the Halloween Words, Halloween Scramble, Build New Words How Many Words Can You Make?, Halloween Wheel of Fortune, Halloween Crossword Puzzles, Wordsearch )There are lots of Halloween Word Games to choose from all over the internet. I always start by looking on TpT and Etsy, but sometimes you can find some freebies that are listed on Pinterest. Hopefully the links above will get you started with some Halloween Word Games, however, as they make a fantastic, low prep activity for your Virtual Halloween Party for kids.
HALLOWEEN SCATTERGORIES: There are lots of versions Halloween Scattergories floating around (like this one and this one) and the concept is pretty simple. Pick a Halloween category like types of Candy and a letter of the alphabet and come up with as many items as you can for that letter. After 1 minute of writing, players share their answers and get points for any items that are unique to their lists.
HALLOWEEN A-Z: Similar to Scattergories, where you think of items relating to a certain category, this time you think of lots of Halloween items from A-Z. My kids and I do this around different subjects we know a lot about (from Marvel to Harry Potter) and not only is it lots of fun, but we give our brains a good workout too!
HALLOWEEN MAD LIBS: I have always been a huge fan of Mad Libs and I definitely try to include this activity in all my Halloween class parties for older kids. I would suggest doing this in breakout rooms if possible as some kids might lose interest while they are waiting their turn to contribute. Either way, this Halloween Fill-in-the-Blank Stories is a great addition to a virtual Halloween party and it’s educational!
Wow! That’s a lot to get us all started! I promise to come back and add more links and freebies as I make them. In the meantime, please share some of your own ideas for a Virtual Class Halloween Parties below. This definitely won’t be the Halloween the kids are used to, but it can still be lots of fun!
Thank you for all these ideas! Definitely helpful in creating a fun virtual environment for kinders this year.
You are so welcome! I am so glad you can use some of these ideas for your class! =)