17 Epic Halloween Games for Senior Citizens for Spooktacular Fun

Halloween isn’t only a festival for the young but a celebration for the ages! While I haven’t hit the golden years myself, I’m passionate about making sure everyone gets a piece of the Halloween pie.

That’s why I’m bringing you 17 brilliant Halloween party games specifically designed for the over-50 crowd.

We’re talking games that engage the mind, tickle the funny bone, and maybe even get the heart rate up—minus the sugar rush. 

Ready to see how to make this Halloween one for the books? Of course you are. Let’s get to it!

Why Seniors Deserve a Shot at Halloween Hijinks

Let’s cut to the chase: Halloween isn’t just for hyperactive kids hopped up on sugar. Nope, it’s also for the young at heart, those of us who’ve seen a few more Halloweens come and go. Here’s why diving into the Halloween spirit is more than just child’s play for seniors:

1. Social Butterfly Mode: Activate! – Halloween parties are the perfect excuse for seniors to mingle and show off that they’ve still got social game. It’s like high school, minus the awkwardness and with way better stories.
2. Brain Gymnastics: Between strategizing the best costume and outsmarting youngsters in trivia, Halloween keeps the noggin nimble. And that’s something that we want for everyone – especially the elderly.

So, let’s toss aside the notion that Halloween is just for kids and trick-or-treating. Last time I checked, having fun didn’t have an age limit. 

And honestly, who doesn’t love an excuse to play dress-up and eat treats without anyone judging?

17 Creative and Accessible Halloween Games for Seniors

1. Halloween A to Z: A Word Game for the Mind

Objective: Flex those brain muscles by coming up with Halloween-related words for each letter of the alphabet. The catch? You can’t repeat a word someone else has used.

Materials: Just your brain and a sense of competition.

Setup: Gather around the living room, decked out in your Halloween best. No running required, so your knees can thank me later.

How to Play: Take turns shouting out a Halloween-themed word that corresponds with the current letter of the alphabet. No repeats, or you’re out. Last one standing, or rather, sitting, wins.

2. Spooky Charades: Acting Out Halloween Classics

Objective: Get your team to guess the spooky movie, character, or item you’re acting out, without making a sound. Yes, it’s as hilarious as it sounds.

Materials: Slips of paper with Halloween themes written on them, a bowl, and your best mime skills.

Setup: Split into teams, draw a spooky prompt from the bowl, and get ready to perform in the most dramatic way possible.

How to Play: Act out your prompt without words or sounds. The first team to guess correctly gets a point. Most points at the end of the game wins bragging rights and maybe a candy corn or two.

3. Candy Corn Guessing Game

Objective: Guess how many candies are in the jar. Closest guess gets the loot (or at least a generous portion of it).

Materials: A clear jar filled with candy, paper, and pens.

Setup: Place the candy-filled jar on a table where everyone can see it but no touching allowed. Cheeky attempts to shake the jar will be met with playful scorn.

How to Play: Everyone writes down their guess and their name on a piece of paper. The host compares the guesses to the actual number of candies in the jar. Closest guess wins.

What’s Up	Cool Stuff	Not So Cool Stuff	Just a Heads Up	Who’s Gonna Love It?
Halloween A to Z	Brain workout without leaving your seat.	Brain freeze is a real risk.	Arguments over whether “zombie” was already said.	Word nerds and trivia buffs.
Spooky Charades	Laughs guaranteed.	You might pull a muscle acting out Frankenstein.	Someone always takes it way too seriously.	Drama club alumni and silent film stars.
Candy Corn Guessing Game	Winning candy without the trick-or-treating.	Sugar rush or crash potential.	Accusations of the host eating candies, thus changing the count.	Sweet tooths and statisticians.

4. Pumpkin Decorating: Art Without the Carve

Objective: Unleash your inner artist by decorating pumpkins without the hassle (and danger) of sharp objects. It’s all about creativity with a side of safety.

Materials: Pumpkins (as many as you like), markers, paint, glitter, stickers, and any other craft supplies that catch your fancy.

Setup: Spread out a tablecloth on a large table (to catch any creative spills), set up your pumpkins, and lay out all your decorating tools.

Make sure there’s enough space for everyone to work without bumping elbows—unless you’re into that sort of thing.

How to Play: There’s no “winning” here, just expressions of creativity. Each player picks a pumpkin and decorates it using the materials provided. Anything goes really. And if you’re feeling competitive, you can always have a friendly “best pumpkin” vote at the end.

5. Halloween Costume Contest with a Twist

Objective: Show off your creative or hilarious Halloween costumes. And have fun.

Materials: Costumes, a makeshift runway (hello, living room carpet), and a camera because you’ll want to remember these gems.

Setup: Clear a space for players to strut their stuff. Arrange seating so everyone has a good view of the runway. Decide on categories for judging, like “Scariest,” “Most Creative,” and “Funniest.”

How to Play: Players take turns walking the “runway” in their costumes. You can have prepicked judges or let everyone vote for their favorites in each category. Winners get bragging rights, a homemade crown, or maybe the first pick of the dessert table.

Here’s a few other “punny” costume ideas that’ll be sure to get some laughs:

1. Smarty Pants: Tape packs of Smarties candies to your pants.
2. French Kiss: Dress up as a stereotypical French person with a beret and striped shirt, and paint your face like a member of the band KISS.
3. Cereal Killer: Attach mini cereal boxes to your clothes and make small knives out of cardboard to stick into the boxes.
4. Fantasy Football: Dress in medieval armor and carry a football.
5. Pig in a Blanket: Wear a pig nose and ears, and wrap yourself in a blanket.
6. Holy Guacamole: Wear all green and attach angel wings and a halo, while holding a bowl of guacamole.
7. Copycat: Attach a bunch of printed paper cats to your clothes, and carry around a toy copier or make a cardboard one.
8. Chicken Cord-on-Bleu: Dress up as a chicken and wear a blue sash (like Miss America).
9. Spice Girls: Dress up in a costume representing different spices (like cinnamon, paprika, etc.) and go as a group.
10. Deviled Egg: Wear all white with a yellow circle on your stomach, and add devil horns and a tail.

And they’re so easy to put together, too.

6. Halloween Karaoke: Singing Spooky Hits

Objective: Belt out your favorite Halloween tunes or any song that gets you in the spooky spirit.

Materials: Karaoke machine or a smartphone with a karaoke app, microphones, and a playlist of Halloween classics.

Setup: Set up your karaoke station where everyone can gather around. Make sure your tech is charged and ready to go—nothing kills the vibe like a “technical difficulties” break.

How to Play: Let everyone pick their favorite songs from the playlist. Sing solo, duet, or as a group. The key here is to have fun and not take it too seriously—off-key singing is more than welcome.

What’s Up	Cool Stuff	Not So Cool Stuff	Just a Heads Up	Who’s Gonna Love It?
Pumpkin Decorating	Express your artsy side without sharp tools.	Glitter. Everywhere.	Someone always goes overboard with the glitter.	Crafty creatives and Pinterest enthusiasts.
Costume Contest	A chance to be someone else for a night.	Last-minute costume panic.	Arguments over who deserved to win.	Anyone who ever dreamed of being on stage.
Halloween Karaoke	Unleash your inner rock star.	Discovering your limits as a vocalist.	That one person who thinks it’s a real concert.	Shower singers and pop star wannabes.

With these activities, Halloween becomes more than just a day for candy and costumes—it’s a full-blown festival of fun, creativity, and community. 

7. Candy Corn Spoon Relay

Objective: Race against other players to transfer candy corn from one bowl to another using only a spoon. The first team to move all their candy corn wins!

Materials: A stash of candy corn, ,spoons (one per racer), two bowls (start and turnaround points for each team), a large clear area for the race

Setup: Have a full bowl of candy corn and an empty bowl for each team. Place them 10 to 15 feet away from each other. Give each player a spoon

How to Play: On go, players load up their spoon with candy corn and race to the turnaround point without spilling any candy corn. If there’s a spill, the players had to snag the candy corn and go back to start.

After putting the candy corn into the bowl, dash back and tag the next player. First team to transfer all their candy corn wins!

8. Pass the Pumpkin (a.k.a Hot Pumpkin)

Objective: Pass the pumpkin around without being the one holding it when the music stops. Think Hot Potato, but with a gourd.

Materials: A small stuffed pumpkin, music player, and a circle of eager players

Setup: Form a circle with the players. Hand the pumpkin to one person to start.

How to Play: Start the music and pass the pumpkin around. When the music stops, the person holding the pumpkin is out. Keep going until only one person remains.

9. Halloween Scavenger Hunt

Objective: Find all the items on the list before anyone else. It’s like trick-or-treating, but with more running around and less candy.

Materials: A list of Halloween-themed items to find, bags for collecting items, and a timer.

Setup: Hide the items around the designated area. Hand out the lists and bags to the participants.

How to Play: Set the timer and let the chaos begin. The first person or team to find all the items wins.

What’s Up	Cool Stuff	Not So Cool Stuff	Just a Heads Up	Who’s Gonna Love It?
Candy Corn Guessing Game	Easy to set up, everyone can play, and it’s a classic!	If you can’t count past ten without using your fingers, it might be tricky.	Someone might eat the candy before the game ends.	Kids and adults who love guessing games and have a sweet tooth.
Pass the Pumpkin	Super fun, keeps everyone on their toes, and it’s a twist on Hot Potato.	Getting out can be a bummer, and the pumpkin might get tossed too hard.	The music controller might get a pumpkin to the face if they’re too sneaky.	Anyone who loves fast-paced games and doesn’t mind a bit of suspense.
Halloween Scavenger Hunt	Great for getting everyone moving, and it’s like trick-or-treating with a twist.	Can be chaotic, and some items might be hard to find.	Wear comfy shoes to avoid blisters.	Competitive folks who love a good challenge and enjoy running around.

10. Halloween Pictionary

Objective: Draw Halloween-themed words and have your team guess what they are. No, you can’t just write the word. That’s cheating.

Materials: A whiteboard or large paper, markers, and a list of Halloween words.

Setup: Divide into teams. Each team takes turns sending a member up to draw.

How to Play: The drawer picks a word and has two minutes to draw it while their team guesses. If the team guesses correctly, they get a point. The team with the most points wins.

11. Halloween Trivia

Objective: Answer Halloween-themed trivia questions. The person with the most correct answers wins.

Materials: A list of trivia questions, answer sheets, and pens.

Setup: Hand out the answer sheets and pens. Read out the questions one by one.

How to Play: Participants write down their answers. The person with the most correct answers at the end wins.

12. Halloween Bingo

Objective: Be the first to get five in a row on your bingo card.

Materials: Halloween-themed bingo cards, markers, and a list of icons to call out.

Setup: Hand out the bingo cards and markers. Have your list of icons ready to call out.

How to Play: Call out the icons one by one. Players mark their cards if they have the icon. First to shout “Bingo!” with five in a row wins.

What’s Up	Cool Stuff	Not So Cool Stuff	Just a Heads Up	Who’s Gonna Love It?
Halloween Pictionary	Great for laughs and creativity, easy to set up.	If you can’t draw, it might be a bit frustrating.	Stick figures can be your best friend.	Anyone who loves drawing and guessing games, and doesn’t mind a bit of artistic chaos.
Halloween Trivia	Perfect for showing off your Halloween knowledge, and it’s competitive.	Some questions might be too tough for casual fans.	Brush up on your Halloween history and pop culture.	Trivia buffs and Halloween enthusiasts who love a good challenge.
Halloween Bingo	Simple, fun, and everyone knows how to play.	Can get repetitive if played too often.	Keep a spare card handy for quick replacements.	All ages, especially those who enjoy a bit of friendly competition and quick wins.

13. Pumpkin Bowling

Objective: Knock down as many pins as possible using a small pumpkin.

Materials: Small pumpkins, 10 to 12 plastic cups or bottles for pins, and a clear playing area.

Setup: Set up the pins in a triangle formation. Give each player a small pumpkin.

How to Play: Players take turns rolling the pumpkin to knock down the pins. The player with the most pins knocked down wins.

14. Halloween Charades

Objective: Act out Halloween-themed words without speaking while your team guesses what they are.

Materials: A list of Halloween words, a timer, and a lot of enthusiasm.

Setup: Divide into teams. Each team takes turns sending a member up to act out a word.

How to Play: The actor picks a word and has two minutes to act it out while their team guesses. If the team guesses correctly, they get a point. The team with the most points wins.

15. Candy Corn Drop

Objective: Drop candy corn into a target from a height. Sounds easy, right? Well, gravity might have other plans.  

Materials: Candy corn, a target (like a bowl, bottle, or a cup), optional: a chair or step stool (for height)

Setup: Place the target on the ground. If the seniors are spry, they can stand on the chair or step stool with a handful of candy corn.  If not, they can sit down and 

Gameplay: Each player takes turns dropping candy corn into the target. The player who gets the most candy corn into the target wins.

If you’re ready for the step-by-step deets, for the Candy Corn Drop, give this article a whirl.

16. Candy Corn Toss

Objective: Toss candy corn into a target from a distance. It’s like cornhole, but with candy!

Materials: Candy corn (lots!), multiple targets (like a bucket or a bowl), a designated throwing line, post-its or labels to write down different point values for each cup

Setup: Place the target a few feet away from the throwing line. Mark the throwing line with tape or chalk.

Gameplay: Each player takes turns tossing candy corn into the target. The player who gets the most candy corn into the target wins.

17. Ghost Cup Stack Attack

Objective: Stack cups to build the tallest ghost tower. It’s a spooky twist on a classic stacking game.

Materials: White plastic cups (at least 10 per player or team), a black markers (to draw ghost faces), a flat surface

Setup: Draw ghost faces on the cups.Place the cups on a flat surface.

Gameplay:  Each player takes turns stacking the cups to build the tallest tower. The player with the tallest tower that doesn’t fall wins.

Helpful Tip: Start with a wide base and work your way up. Trust me, a wobbly tower is a recipe for disaster.

What’s Up	Cool Stuff	Not So Cool Stuff	Just a Heads Up	Who’s Gonna Love It?
Pumpkin Bowling	Fun and easy to set up. Great for all ages.	Pumpkins can get messy if they break.	Make sure the playing area is clear to avoid tripping.	Kids, families, and anyone who loves a bit of friendly competition.
Halloween Charades	Hilarious and engaging. Perfect for team bonding.	Some people might feel shy acting out.	Ensure everyone is comfortable participating.	Outgoing folks, drama enthusiasts, and anyone who loves a good laugh.
Candy Corn Drop	Simple yet challenging. Great for hand-eye coordination.	Candy corn can be sticky and messy.	Watch out for slipping hazards if candy corn falls on the floor.	Kids, seniors, and anyone who enjoys a light-hearted challenge.
Candy Corn Toss	Competitive and fun. Easy to set up and play.	Candy corn can scatter everywhere.	Make sure to clean up thoroughly to avoid attracting pests.	Families, kids, and anyone who loves carnival-style games.
Ghost Cup Stack Attack	Creative and spooky. Encourages fine motor skills and patience.	Cups can fall easily, causing frustration.	Ensure a flat, stable surface to stack the cups.	Kids, crafty individuals, and anyone who enjoys building and stacking challenges.

Dressing Up the Golden Years: Costume Ideas That Spark Joy

Who says Halloween is just for the kiddos? Seniors, it’s your time to shine—or spook! 

Here’s some costume ideas that are as comfortable as they are fun, because nobody wants to wrestle with a costume that feels like a straightjacket, right?

1. Classic Movie Stars: Channel your inner Audrey Hepburn or Humphrey Bogart. A little black dress, pearls, and sunglasses can transform you into Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Or don a trench coat and a fedora to become the mysterious and suave Rick Blaine from Casablanca. These outfits are not only iconic but also super comfy.
   
2. Literary Legends: For the bookworms among us, why not dress as your favorite literary character? A shawl, a bonnet, and a vintage dress, and you’re suddenly Jane Eyre. Or grab a white beard and a staff, and you can be Gandalf, roaming Middle Earth—or at least the neighborhood.
   
3. Decade Themes: Pick a decade, any decade. The roaring ’20s flapper dress with its sequins and tassels is always a hit and easy to wear. Or if you’re feeling groovy, a tie-dye shirt and bell-bottoms can bring back the ’60s. These costumes are not only a nod to your style but also a comfy throwback to the good old days.
4. Superheroes and Villains: Who doesn’t want to feel powerful? A cape, a mask, and you’re a superhero (or villain). Opt for a Superman tee or a simple black cape for Darth Vader. It’s all about fun, and let’s be honest, capes are basically blankets.
   
5. Animal Costumes: Soft, plush, and downright cozy, dressing up as an animal is not only adorable but also super comfortable. Be a cat, a bear, or even a majestic eagle. Animal costumes often come as one-piece suits that feel like wearing a hug.

Table of Senior-Friendly Costumes

What’s Up	Cool Stuff	Not So Cool Stuff	Just a Heads Up	Who’s Gonna Love It?
Classic Movie Star	Elegant and easy to wear.	Might need a few props.	Watch out for long dresses or capes.	Film buffs and nostalgia lovers.
Literary Legends	Be your favorite character.	Books not included.	Some outfits may be warm.	Book club members and story lovers.
Decade Themes	Fun, thematic choices.	May involve wigs.	Bell-bottoms might be a trip hazard.	Anyone who loves a good theme party.
Superheroes	Feel powerful and comfy.	Capes can snag.	Masks might limit visibility.	Comic fans and dreamers of all ages.
Animal Costumes	Soft and super comfortable.	Can be warm.	Full suits might be too insulating.	Animal lovers and those who value comfort.

Remember, the best costume is one that makes you smile!

Making Halloween a Blast, Not a Bust: Safety Tips for Seniors

Let’s face it, Halloween isn’t just for the kiddos in their superhero capes or princess dresses.

It’s also for people, the young at heart, who might just prefer a good pair of comfy slippers over a cape.

But keeping it fun and safe for seniors? That’s where the real magic happens.

1. Light It Up: Make sure all walkways and party areas are well-lit to prevent any trips or falls. Last year, I nearly turned into a real-life mummy after tripping over a poorly placed Jack-o’-lantern.
   
2. Comfort Over Couture: Choose costumes that are easy to move in and don’t require a team of helpers to get into. Remember, comfort is king, especially when you’re trying to out-dance the grandkids.
   
3. Keep It Chill: For those with heart conditions or anxiety, skip the haunted house. Opt for a classic horror movie marathon where the scariest thing is how much popcorn you can eat.
   
4. Mobility-Friendly Fun: Ensure all activities are accessible. If grandma uses a walker, make sure she can navigate easily through your spooky setup. A clear path means everyone can join in the fun without a hitch.

Wrapping Up: Why We Heart Halloween

As we cap off another spooky season, let’s remember why we throw on these outrageous outfits and eat more candy than we probably should.

Halloween is about joy, creativity, and community—and yes, that totally includes us seasoned folks.

Whether you’re turning your walker into a chariot or your wheelchair into a racecar, it’s all about making memories. 

So, adapt these ideas to fit your needs, and don’t forget to share your epic costume wins and party hits. 

Want More?

Of course you do. And variety is the spice of life – especially when it comes to party games. Take a look at these fun Halloween game options:

• 15 Halloween Games That Need Zero Supplies (Instant Fun)
• 23 Insanely Fun Halloween Games for Big Groups of All Ages
• 23 Must-Try Halloween Minute to Win It Games for Epic Fall Fun