At Total Children's Therapy, we love getting children moving, especially when it’s fun for the whole family. We can even sneak in some motor skills practice at the same time!
With Half Term approaching and Halloween just around the corner, we’ve conjured up some spooky games and activities to keep your little ones active, laughing, and making memories. From ghoulish obstacle courses to eerie relay races, these ideas are sure to bring Halloween magic to your home – no broomstick required!
1. Pin the Nose on the Witch
Give the classic “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” a Halloween twist! Draw a friendly witch on a large cardboard and cut out funny noses. Blindfold the children, spin them around, and watch them attempt to pin the nose on her head. Expect plenty of giggles when the hat lands on her broom instead! This is a great way to practice the sense of Proprioception which is the body’s ability to sense its location, movements, and actions.
You’ll need: Witch drawing, funny noses, tape, and a blindfold.
2. Pumpkin Ring Toss
Gather pumpkins of different sizes and challenge the kids to toss rings (or bean bags or hula hoops) around them. Add a point system based on the size of the pumpkins to add some competition or switch it up by using witch hats for the toss! A fun way to work on hand eye-coordination, which is great for developing ball skills and writing ability.
You’ll need: Pumpkins or witch hats, hula hoops, mini bean bags or rings.
3. What’s in the Potion?
A memory game with a spooky twist! Have children sit in a circle and take turns saying, “I made a magical potion, and in it I put…”. Each child has to repeat the previous ingredients and add their own. Keep going until someone forgets! We love a game that works on ‘sequencing’ this is so useful for children’s development and helpful for both learning and functional skills.
You’ll need: Just your imagination!
4. What Time Is It, Mr. Werewolf?
In this Halloween version of “What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf?” One child is the werewolf. The other children or family members (villagers) ask "What time is it, Mr. Werewolf?" and take steps towards him based on the time he calls out (e.g., three steps for 3 o'clock). When Mr. Werewolf howls, everyone must run back to base before being caught. The ability to creep, be quiet and grade movement, is a skill to be learnt. Games like this are a great way to practice, without it feeling like an ‘exercise’.
You’ll need: Space to run and your best werewolf howl!
5. Mummy Wrap Race
Pair everyone up – one person will be the mummy, the other the wrapper! Give each team two rolls of toilet paper to wrap their mummy from head to toe (avoiding the face). Once wrapped, the mummy must race to the finish line without falling apart. There is no better way to work on body awareness, not only that but it is fun too!!
You’ll need: Toilet rolls and willing mummies!
6. Ghost Sack Race
Turn your old pillowcases into ghost sacks by drawing spooky faces on them. Children climb inside and jump their way to the finish line. For added fun, encourage them to make their best ghostly “Boooo” as they jump. Jumping is a motor skill often forgotten about. It comes before hopping and the set of skills required for an effective and mature jump carry over into other movement skills such as running. Another bonus is it is also a great game for working on stamina and endurance!
You’ll need: Pillowcases, markers, and space to hop.
7. Monster Freeze Dance
Put on some classic Halloween tunes like "Monster Mash" or "Ghostbusters". Get everyone to dance like their favourite spooky characters, but when the music stops, they must freeze like statues. Anyone who moves is out until the next round.
Most people don’t realise it is a skill to be able to stand still and requires good stability and static balance skills!
You’ll need: Music and plenty of dance moves!
8. Spider Web Crawl
Transform a hallway or garden into a spider’s lair by creating a web of strings or tape. Challenge the kids to crawl through it without touching the “web,” testing their agility and coordination. This is a super way to work on a number of motor skills especially motor planning – this is the ability to think of, plan and the carry out a movement in the correct sequence.
You’ll need: String, tape, and small plastic spiders for extra spookiness!
9. Character Hunt
Hide small plastic Halloween characters like pumpkins, bats, and skeletons around the house or garden. Make sure you hide them high and low. Give the children a basket and send them off on a spooky treasure hunt. To add a challenge, turn off the lights and let them use torches to find the hidden objects. Not only a good little physical work out, but this game also works on visual perception skills (making sense of what you see) and eye tracking (moving the eyes independently of the head) both key skills for a successful learning in school!
You’ll need: Small Halloween decorations and baskets for collecting.
10. Ghost in the Graveyard
A night-time favourite! Choose one child to be the ghost while the others hide and seek with torches. When someone spots the ghost, they shout "Ghost in the Graveyard!" and everyone runs to safety. The ghost’s mission is to catch someone before they make it back to base. Lots of laughter and running around will probably result in some rosy cheeked and warm youngsters – what a great way to increase heart rates and have a little work out!
You’ll need: Torches and a spooky dark garden or room.
11. Mummy Bowling
Wrap some empty bottles or skittles with toilet paper to create mummies, then let everyone take turns bowling them over with a soft, lightweight ball. It’s a simple but fun way to get them moving. Any aiming game like this is a fab way to work on ball skills.
You’ll need: Bottles or skittles, toilet paper, and a ball.
12. Monster Says
Like Simon Says but with a spooky twist! The leader (the Monster) gives Halloween-themed commands such as “Crawl like a spider”, “Cackle like a witch”, or “Fly like a bat.” But if the Monster doesn’t say “Monster says” before the command, anyone who follows is out! The list of foundation motor skills practiced in this game are endless – it’s a brilliant way to pack in the practice without any small people noticing they are working hard!
You’ll need: Just some imagination!
These fun, active games are a great way to enjoy Halloween and Half Term without resorting to too much screen time or sugary treats. Whether you’re hosting a Halloween party or just looking for ways to keep children entertained, these activities will get the whole family involved. At Total Children’s Therapy, we know that movement is key to a child’s development – and when it’s paired with some spooky fun, it’s even better!
Happy Halloween from all of us at Total Children's Therapy! 🎃👻
Get ready for spooktacular fun! Download our spooky Halloween games list below.
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