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Game: Crossing the Spider’s Web
Minimum number of participants: 6
Resources needed: Clear space
Instructions: The children stand in a circle and the leader gives everyone a number from 1 to 3. Then the leader tells all the 1s to exchange places by crossing the circle; and then all the 2s to cross the circle and so on. When the children understand what to do, the leader calls out different ways for them to walk across the circle: Like a vampire Like a bat Like a pumpkin Like a zombie Like a ghost Like a black cat Like a witch Like a goblin Like a skeleton Like a were Ghost Like a mummy.
Game: What’s the time Mr. Ghost?
Minimum number of participants: 4
Resources needed: Clear space.
Other Benefits: This is a popular traditional children’s game that can also be used very effectively in a drama session as a warm-up game. This game also helps children with their listening and co-ordination skills.
Instructions: One child is chosen or volunteers to be Mr. or Ms. Ghost and stands at one side of the clear space. His/her back is to the other children, who are standing at the opposite end of the space. The rest of the children shout out: “What’s the time Mr. /Ms. Ghost?” The ghost does not turn around. He/she replies in a spooky, Ghost-like voice: “four o’clock.” The children walk forward the number of steps the Ghost calls out (in this case, four). The children ask again: “What time is it Mr./Ms. Ghost. The Ghost replies: “five o’clock.” The children take five steps forward. The children continue to ask the question and to walk the appropriate number of steps forward. Eventually, when the Ghost thinks that the children are near enough, he/she will say: “Midnight!” Then the Ghost turns around and chases the children. They have to try to rush back to their starting place. If Mr./Ms. Ghost catches one of them before they reach home, that child is the Ghost in the next game.
Game: Monster Freeze
Minimum number of participants: 4
Resources needed: Clear space.
Other Benefits: This game helps children with their listening and co-ordination skills.
Instructions: Play music such as the ‘Monster Mash’ or ‘Thriller’. The children dance to the music. When the music stops, they freeze. The last one to freeze is out. The game is complete when there is only one child left.
Game: Haunted House
Minimum number of participants: 7
Resources needed: Clear space and a chair for each child– if you do not have chairs you can use sheets of paper or cushions.
Other Benefits: This is a well-known game which can also be used very effectively as a listening game or an observation game.
Instructions: All the children sit in circle on a chair or a cushion. The teacher goes around the circle giving each child a Halloween character, in a particular order, for example, Ghost, Vampire, Witch. A child is then chosen, or volunteers, to go into the centre of the circle. His/her chair is taken away. The child in the centre calls out the name of one of the characters. If the child in the centre says vampire then all the vampire change place, if s/he says ghost, all the ghosts change place and if s/he says witch, all the witches change places. If s/he says haunted house, then everyone changes places. The child who is left without a chair goes into the centre for the next round.
Game: The Big, Black Cat
Minimum number of participants: 3+
Resources needed: Clear space.
Other Benefits: The game also helps with the children’s expressive movement.
Instructions: The teacher chooses one child to be the big black cat. They must sleep in the corner of the clear space. The rest of the children imagine they are mice. They state to move and squeak around the room as mice. The teacher says: “The big black cat is sleeping, sleeping, sleeping; the big black cat is sleeping in the house.” Then as children dance around the space, the teacher says: “The little mice are dancing, dancing, dancing; the little mice are dancing in the house!’’ Next, as the children pretend to nibble, the teacher says: “The little mice are nibbling, nibbling, nibbling; the little mice are nibbling in the house! Then as the children get into a resting position, the teacher says: “The little mice are resting, resting; resting; the little mice are resting in the house!” The Teacher then continues the story as the children act it out: “The big, black cat comes creeping, creeping, creeping; the big, black cat comes creeping, creeping, creeping; and the big, black cat comes creeping in the house! The little mice go scampering, scampering, scampering, the little mice go scampering in the house! The big, black cat comes creeping in the house! The little mice go scampering, scampering, scampering; the little mice go scampering in the house! The cat chases the mice and when it catches a mouse it becomes the big, black cat.
Halloween Drama Workshop The Mystery of the Marie Celeste.
Explore more activities in the Drama Games for Children hub, including warm-ups, movement, mime, improvisation and seasonal drama games.
More Halloween Drama Ideas
Keep exploring with Halloween Drama Activities for Children, where you can find more games, plays and workshops in one place.
For a larger ready-to-use collection, explore Drama Start: Halloween on Amazon →
