10 Forgotten Halloween Games to Bring Back This Year

Before Halloween became all about costumes, sweets, and jump scares, it was a night filled with simple games, folklore, and a bit of harmless mischief. Growing up in Ireland in the 1980s, Halloween meant neighbours gathered together, kids ran wild, and households echoed with laughter from silly games. Many of those traditions have quietly faded, but they’re worth reviving — especially if you want a screen-free, budget-friendly way to celebrate with family, friends, or teens.

Here are ten forgotten Halloween games that deserve a comeback this year.

1. Apple Bobbing

A tub of water, floating apples, and lots of splashing. Hands behind your back, dunk your face in, and try to grab an apple with your teeth. Messy, silly, and timeless.

2. Snap Apple on a String

Hang apples (or sometimes donuts!) from strings on a clothesline. With hands tied behind backs, players try to bite them while they swing and bob about. Guaranteed giggles.

two kids wearing a mummy costume — Photo by Daisy Anderson on Pexels.com

3. The Flour and Coin Game

Pile flour into a mound on a plate, balance a coin on top, and take turns slicing away sections with a knife. Whoever makes the coin fall has to retrieve it — with their teeth. Cue lots of flour-covered faces.

4. Plates (The Fortune-Telling Game)

An old Irish superstition game: lay out different items on separate plates — like water, clay, a ring, coins, or rosary beads. Blindfolded players pick one. Each item supposedly foretells the future (marriage, wealth, travel, death). It’s light-hearted fun, and you can modernise it with quirky symbols for teens.

5. The Mummy Challenge

Teams wrap one person up completely in toilet paper as quickly as possible. The first team to finish wins. It’s chaotic, hilarious, and photo-worthy.

person wearing a ghost costume with a lantern — Photo by Monstera Production on Pexels.com

6. Coin in the Basin

Drop coins into a bowl of water from eye level, aiming to land them in a small glass or cup at the bottom. Trickier than it sounds, and perfect for groups to cheer each other on.

7. Treacle Bread

A slice of bread is spread with treacle (or golden syrup) and hung from a string. With hands behind their backs, players must try to eat it without licking their lips. A guaranteed sticky mess and lots of laughs.

8. Ghostly Storytelling

Back before Netflix, Halloween evenings ended with stories told by firelight. Take turns making up spooky (or silly) ghost stories. Dim the lights, light a candle, and let imaginations run wild.

9. Mystery Feel Boxes

Fill boxes or bags with everyday items (peeled grapes for “eyeballs,” spaghetti for “worms,” cold jelly for “brains”). Blindfolded players must guess what they’re touching. A creepy classic that teens love.

10. Pass the Parcel with a Twist

Wrap little Halloween treats or dares (sing a ghostly song, howl like a werewolf) in layers of newspaper. Play music and pass the parcel around. Each unwrapped layer brings a giggle or a surprise.

Halloween doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. These games — a mix of Irish traditions, old-fashioned fun, and a few messy challenges — bring everyone together in the best way. They’re screen-free, laughter-filled, and perfect for families with teens, neighbours gathering, or just a cosy Halloween night at home.

This year, why not swap the endless sweets for flour-covered faces, dunking apples, and old-school fun? You’ll make memories every bit as magical as the ones we had in the 80s.

Throughout the autumn season I will be sharing lots of autumnal and Halloween inspiration over on Instagram and Pinterest if either of those platforms are your thing. If not there is lots of further autumn content here on the blog if you take a look under the “Seasonal Inspiration” category in the main menu!

Chat soon

Ciara x