Back in the day, we hosted a toddler Halloween party complete with games and activities for 2-year-olds and their parents. This post remains popular so I’ve updated it with better photos and links to the inexpensive products we used to create each of the toddler Halloween games and activities below.
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Plan a Ghost Hunt
Wrap a round object with tissue and tie it with a black ribbon to make it look like a ghost. Hide the ghosts safely around the house or in the backyard. Then, have the kids go on a hunt for them.
Small items that can be wrapped up in tissue include:
- lollipops (we used Dum Dums because they are small)
- mini yo-yos
- mini Play Dohs
- bouncy eyeballs
- plastic spiders
Really, for this toddler Halloween game, anything you can make look like a ghost will work.
Decorate-Your-Own Trick-Or-Treat Bags
If the kids are going on a ghost hunt, they’ll need something to carry their loot in. Why not have them make their own little trick-or-treat bags? Supplies you’ll need include:
- small colored (you can choose orange or black) kraft paper bags
- Halloween crayons (the kids can also take these home as a Halloween party favor)
- self-adhesive Halloween foam stickers including foam eyeballs
Decorate-Your-Own Ghosts
At the same craft table where kids are making trick-or-treat bags, set out some cut-out ghost shapes, and let them glue stick on cotton balls to make a fluffy ghost. It’s so easy. Supplies you’ll need:
- foam ghost cut-outs (or simply cut your own using white paper at home)
- black washable marker
- washable glue sticks
Pull the cotton balls apart a little to fill in any empty spaces on the ghost. You can also buy foam pumpkins for kids to decorate along with the bags. Punch a hole in the top and hang them from the ceiling using command hooks for cute decor.
Hot Potato “Pumpkin” or Pass the Parcel
I had a mini pumpkin on hand in case there was enough calm to play this toddler Halloween game. It functions much like the game of hot potato, where the kids sit in a circle and pass a pumpkin around to each other while music plays. The person holding the mini pumpkin when the music stops is out.
Instead of a hot potato pumpkin, you can play pass the parcel. It works similarly where kids sit in a circle and pass a package around. Ideally, the package is wrapped in as many layers as you have children playing. When the music stops, the child holding the package unwraps one layer. If you can wrap something slim in each layer (stickers, etc.) this works even better. The game goes until the final layer is unwrapped with something ever-so-slightly cooler. You can intentionally stop the music at each kid so that everyone has a chance to unwrap a layer.
Ball Toss
A carved pumpkin with a large hole on one side opens up opportunities for several other toddler Halloween games. If your child happens to have a toy golf set and nerf or foam ball, you can have kids try to hit the ball into the pumpkin. You will likely need a few weights in the pumpkin’s base to keep it upright on impact.
Or, simply grab some ping pong balls and let the kids toss them in for a prize. Make sure they’re standing far enough back to make it every so slightly challenging.
For fun, we decorated orange ping pong balls like jack-o-lanterns. If you don’t feel like carving a pumpkin for this purpose, Michael’s sells 13″ diorama craft pumpkins. Or, you could have kids toss ping pong balls into a standard jack-o-lantern trick-or-treat pail.
Glow-In-The-Dark Bracelets
These, by far, were the biggest hit at our toddler Halloween party and continue to be popular with my daughter as she gets older. Glow-in-the-dark sticks connect with each other to make bracelets or necklaces. This is assuming that you have an evening party or a room dark enough for them to light up. I recommend buying more than you think you’ll need.
Other than these toddler Halloween games and activities, I think you can just let them run around and play while the adults relax!
See also: Easy Halloween Spider Cracker Snacks for Kids
What is your favorite toddler Halloween party game?
Katie Dillon
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