Halloween Minute to Win It games are quick, silly, and easy to organize with supplies you may already have at home.
Each challenge lasts only 60 seconds, so you can play several games without taking over the entire party.
They work well for classroom celebrations, family game nights, Halloween parties, youth groups and adult gatherings.
Choose a few favorites or play all 18 for a complete Halloween Minute to Win It competition.
How to Play Halloween Minute to Win It Games
Set a timer for one minute and have each player attempt to complete the challenge before time runs out.
You can play individually, send one representative from each team, or invite several people to compete at the same time. Award one point for completing a challenge or give points to the first, second and third-place finishers.
For younger children, remove the timer or adjust the rules so the games remain fun rather than frustrating.
Supplies You’ll Need
The exact supplies depend on which challenges you choose, but most of these Halloween games use inexpensive household or party items:
- Plastic cups
- Balloons
- Toilet paper
- Drinking straws
- Paper plates
- Plastic spoons
- Candy corn
- Miniature pumpkins
- Plastic spiders
- Googly eyes
- Halloween cookies
- Cotton balls
- Bowls and baskets
- A one-minute timer
Set up each game before guests arrive and keep extra supplies nearby in case something breaks or rolls away.
18 Halloween Minute to Win It Games
Spider Web Toss
Create a spider web on the floor with painter’s tape. Give each player five plastic spiders and have them stand behind a starting line.
Players must toss as many spiders as possible onto the web in one minute. Award one point for every spider that lands on the tape or inside the web.
Pumpkin Stack
Give each player a pile of miniature plastic pumpkins or pumpkin-shaped candies.
Players have one minute to build the tallest freestanding pumpkin tower possible. If the tower falls, they can rebuild it until the timer ends.
The pumpkins must remain stacked for at least three seconds to count.
Candy Corn Transfer
Place a bowl of candy corn beside an empty bowl. Give each player a plastic spoon to hold in their mouth.
Without using their hands, players must transfer candy corn from one bowl to the other. The player who moves the most pieces in one minute wins.
Use larger wrapped candy for younger children if the candy corn is too difficult to balance.
Wrap the Mummy
Divide everyone into pairs and give each team a roll of toilet paper.
One person stands still while their partner wraps them from shoulders to ankles. The goal is to create the most completely wrapped mummy before the minute ends.
Keep the paper away from each player’s face and leave enough room for comfortable movement.
Eyeball Spoon Race
Place a plastic eyeball, ping-pong ball or decorated ball on a spoon.
Players must walk from one side of the room to the other and back without dropping the eyeball. If it falls, they return to the starting line.
Count how many complete trips each player makes in one minute.
Monster Cup Knockdown
Draw monster faces on plastic or paper cups, then stack them in a pyramid.
Players stand behind a line and toss soft balls, rolled-up socks or small beanbags at the cups. The challenge is to knock down the entire monster tower before time runs out.
Move the starting line closer for younger children and farther away for adults.
Pumpkin Sweep
Place a small pumpkin on the floor and give the player a broom.
The player must sweep the pumpkin through a simple course and across the finish line. Add cups or cones as obstacles if you have enough space.
The pumpkin must be guided with the broom and cannot be kicked or picked up.
Flying Ghosts
Give each player a white balloon decorated with a ghost face.
Players must keep the ghost balloon in the air for one minute using only one hand. For a harder version, use two balloons or prohibit players from touching the same balloon twice in a row.
Anyone whose ghost touches the floor is eliminated.
Skeleton Bone Toss
Use cotton swabs, white craft sticks or plastic skeleton bones for this challenge.
Place a bucket or bowl several feet away. Players have one minute to toss as many “bones” into the container as possible.
Adjust the distance based on the ages of your players.
Cookie Face Challenge
Place a Halloween cookie on each player’s forehead.
Without using their hands, players must move the cookie down their face and into their mouth. They can wiggle their eyebrows, scrunch their noses and tilt their heads, but they cannot touch the cookie.
If it falls, place it back on the forehead and start again.
Witch Hat Ring Toss
Use a witch hat or create a cone from black poster board. Make rings from glow-stick bracelets, paper plates or plastic rings.
Players toss the rings toward the hat and try to land as many as possible around its pointed top in one minute.
Give each person the same number of rings and return them quickly for additional attempts.
Spider Suck-Up
Scatter plastic spiders across a table and place an empty bowl nearby.
Using only a drinking straw, players must lift each spider with suction and move it into the bowl. Hands can be used to hold the straw but not to touch the spiders.
The player who collects the most spiders in one minute wins.
Ghostly Cotton Ball Race
Place a pile of cotton-ball “ghosts” beside an empty bowl.
Players use a spoon to carry the cotton balls across the room one at a time. If a ghost falls, they must leave it and return for another.
Count the cotton balls successfully delivered before the timer ends.
Candy Sort
Fill a bowl with several different kinds or colors of Halloween candy.
Players must sort the candy into separate containers, using only one hand. They can sort by color, shape or candy type.
The first person to sort the entire bowl wins, or count the correctly sorted pieces after one minute.
Frankenstein Cup Stack
Give each player ten green plastic cups decorated with Frankenstein faces.
Players must build a cup pyramid and then return all the cups to one stack before the timer expires. The cups must be stacked one at a time.
For an easier version, use six cups instead of ten.
Pumpkin Bowling
Arrange six plastic cups like bowling pins and use a small round pumpkin as the bowling ball.
Players roll the pumpkin toward the cups and try to knock down as many as possible. Reset the cups after every roll and count the total number knocked down during the minute.
Choose a pumpkin without a long stem so it rolls more safely.
Feed the Monster
Decorate a cardboard box with a monster face and cut a large opening for its mouth.
Players stand behind a line and toss candy, beanbags or crumpled paper balls into the monster’s mouth. The player who feeds the monster the most items in one minute wins.
Make the opening smaller or increase the throwing distance for a harder game.
Shake Your Bones
Fill an empty tissue box with ping-pong balls and secure it around the player’s waist with a belt, ribbon or string.
Players must shake, jump and dance until every “bone” falls out of the box. They cannot reach into the box or remove it from their waist.
The challenge is complete if the box is empty before the minute ends.
Halloween Minute to Win It Games for Kids
The best Halloween Minute to Win It games for younger kids have simple rules and do not require perfect coordination.
Try Monster Cup Knockdown, Feed the Monster, Flying Ghosts, Skeleton Bone Toss or Pumpkin Bowling. These games are easy to demonstrate and can be adjusted by moving children closer to the target.
If a strict 60-second limit creates frustration, let every child complete the activity and use the timer only to record their results.
Classroom Halloween Minute to Win It Games
For a classroom party, choose games with quick setup and limited mess. Candy Sort, Frankenstein Cup Stack, Spider Suck-Up and Pumpkin Stack can all be played at desks or activity stations.
Divide the class into small groups and rotate them through several challenges. This reduces waiting and gives more children an opportunity to participate.
Avoid games involving food near children with allergies, and use plastic pieces, pom-poms or other craft supplies instead.
Halloween Minute to Win It Games for Adults
Adults can play the same games with slightly harder rules.
Increase the throwing distance, require players to use their non-dominant hand or combine two actions into one challenge. You could also organize players into teams and keep a running score throughout the party.
Wrap the Mummy, Cookie Face, Shake Your Bones and Witch Hat Ring Toss are especially funny when the group is willing to be a little ridiculous.
Tips for Hosting Your Halloween Games
Choose five to eight challenges for a shorter party or use all 18 for a larger competition. Prepare one station for each game so you are not searching for supplies between rounds.
Explain and demonstrate each challenge before starting the timer. Keep the rules simple and adjust them when necessary for the ages and abilities of your guests.
A phone timer works perfectly, although spooky music can make each minute feel more exciting. Keep a simple score sheet if you plan to name an overall winner.
Small prizes such as candy, stickers, glow sticks or inexpensive Halloween favors are plenty. You can also skip prizes and play entirely for laughs.
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