Boo! You found our list of spooky virtual Halloween party ideas.
A virtual Halloween party is a Halloween celebration that takes place online, usually via platforms like Zoom, Webex or Microsoft Teams. These parties include Halloween themed games and activities, which means ghosts, ghouls, costumes and trick or treating. Halloween is always October 31, and so virtual Halloween parties usually take place on October 31 or the nearest Friday.
This page includes:
- virtual Halloween ideas
- virtual Halloween activities
- virtual Halloween games
And more spooky ideas to celebrate Halloween online too.
So, let’s get braaaaaaains, and to the list.
Virtual Halloween Activities
The following is a list of fun ways to celebrate Halloween online.
1. Virtual Trick or Treating
Trick or treating is the ultimate Halloween activity, and you can do it online too. For virtual trick or treating, give or have each person on your team create some kind of digital asset. Then, team members can call or send a message that says “trick or treat.” The person answering then either ask for a trick, and/or delivers the virtual asset to the person as a treat.
Here are some ideas for tricks:
- whistle a spooky tune
- share your favorite scary movie
- eat some candy
And here are some ideas for treats
- Halloween-themed memes
- digital gift cards
- fun team photos
Each participant can repeat until they’ve knocked on the virtual door of all the others.
2. Virtual Halloween Icebreakers
Icebreaker questions are a great way to start a party because they help provide talking points throughout. These icebreakers can quickly build friendships as well.
Here are some Halloween themed icebreaker questions you use:
- what is the best scary movie of all-time?
- where would you haunt for all of eternity?
- what is your earliest memory of Halloween?
- what was your favorite costume?
- what is your favorite type of candy?
- would you rather be a ghost or a zombie?
To lead an icebreaker, the host poses the question and then usually goes first to model a good answer. Generally, answers should be less than 30 seconds each to keep the process moving along quickly.
3. Virtual Halloween Scavenger Hunts
Virtual Halloween scavenger hunts are a fun and active way to celebrate the holiday. We prefer a “lightning scavenger hunt” format, where the host reads a list of items one by one, and the players race to find these items and bring them back to the call.
Here is a starter list of items:
- candy
- scary movie
- something with the word Halloween on it
- something spooky
- pumpkin
You can also award points for completing actions like:
- imitate a zombie
- whistle a spooky tune
- loudest boo
We recommend having about 10 items in total for your scavenger hunt.
4. Frankenstein’s Photo Mashup
Snapping spooky screenshot photos is a great way to create mementos for your virtual Halloween party. And Frankenstein’s Photo Mashup turns this exercise into a fun one too.
For this activity, bring everyone onto a Zoom call or other platform. Each person is assigned a body part based on their position on screen. For example, someone on the left might be an ear, and toward the middle a nose. Encourage the participants to get this body part very close to the camera, and then snap a photo of the mashup monster everyone created together. Mix-up the positions and take two or three screenshots to make sure you get a good one.
5. Costume Party
One of the best ways to make your virtual party feel like an authentic Halloween bash is to encourage guests to arrive in costume. If you would like, then you could set a theme for the whole party, such as:
- Villains
- Fairytale characters
- Superheroes
- Decades
- Celebrities
Or, you can leave costume choice entirely up to guests.
Consider also hosting a costume contest. Before the party, set categories such as:
- Funniest costume
- Scariest costume
- Best group costume
- Best handmade costume
- Most creative costume
Either ask a team of judges to determine the winners, or allow attendees to vote using the poll feature.
6. Pumpkin Decorating
Pumpkin decorating is a hands-on, seasonal craft and a great activity for virtual parties. Either instruct attendees to pick their own pumpkins, or ship fake mini pumpkins to decorate. If you mail faux pumpkins, then include decorating supplies such as:
- Googly eyes
- Glitter
- Stickers
- Feathers
- Sharpies
- Paint pens
These decorations are lightweight and fit into standard envelopes, ergo easy to ship. Guests can add their own embellishments with materials from around the house. At the end of the activity, show off the mastersterpieces!
7. Ghost Stories
Halloween is prime time for ghost stories, and a ghoulish tale or two is sure to liven up your virtual party. First, ask each attendee to prepare a bone chilling ghost story, or, ask guests to concoct stories on the spot.
Here are first sentences to get the ball rolling:
- It was a dark and stormy night…
- I woke up in the cemetery…
- I never believed the stories, until that fateful night…
- They say ghosts are make-believe. They’re wrong.
- The scream was deafening….
Of course, you could also draw on real-life experiences, or consult a list of ghost stories too.
8. Scary Zoom Backgrounds
Zoom allows users to customize virtual backgrounds, meaning party guests can hang out in cemeteries and haunted houses for the duration of the party.
To change your Zoom background, click the arrow adjacent to the video icon in the bottom left corner of the screen. Then, select “choose virtual background” and upload a suitable picture. Canva’s templates allow you to design your own Zoom backgrounds, but you can find a slew of great pre-existing options via Google search.
If your group feels competitive, then instigate a contest for the scariest or most scary-good background!
9. Spooky Movies
Next to Christmas, Halloween is the holiday season with the most movie options. Though guests may not be able to cram onto a couch to watch a slasher flick together, you and the crew can still stream spooky movies during the party.
To synchronize video, use a program like Watch2Gether.
Highly-suggested Halloween films:
- Poltergeist
- Halloween
- Friday the 13th
- Hocus Pocus
- Beetlejuice
- Young Frankenstein
Asking attendees to come ready to share their favorite clip from a Halloween movie turns the activity into a team building exercise. Of course, watching in silence is not social, so whatever you decide to watch, encourage group commentary!
Virtual Halloween Games
Here are some of the best virtual Halloween games to play at your party.
10. Murder Mystery
Murder mysteries are appropriate games for virtual Halloween parties. Each player receives a part to play. Participants read through a script and lookout for clues that reveal the identity of a killer. Most murder mysteries have themes such as the 1920’s, train journeys, family funerals, or ancient egypt.
Writing your own murder myster from scratch is a time-intensive process, but you can find pre-made mysteries like this collection from The Spruce. Or, perhaps hire a virtual event company or online guide to facilitate the game.
11. Halloween Charades
Charades is easy to play during video calls. First, either split the group into teams, or allow the whole party to play together. Then, privately message players prompts to act out. Participants must demonstrate the assigned phrase without speaking or using the chat.
Sample Halloween charades prompts:
- Double, double, toil and trouble
- Friday the 13th
- House on Haunted Hill
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
- Witches brew
- Bride of Frankenstein
- Trick or Treat
For more of a challenge, limit the time for each turn.
12. Cursed Words
Cursed Words is a game you can play throughout the call. At the start of the party, each guest picks a Halloween themed word such as:
- Zombie
- Ghost
- Witch
- Trick or treat
- Skeleton
- Pumpkin
- Vampire
- Mummy
- Graveyard
- Haunted
Throughout the party, the player must take a drink, do ten jumping jacks, or lose one point every time somebody says the word. Feel free to think up other consequences, too.
Playing this game while watching Halloween movies or videos is sometimes more fun than waiting for the words to arise in party conversations.
13. Virtual Halloween Never Have I Ever
Never Have I Ever is a simple webcam-friendly game that helps groups get better acquainted. To play, hold up ten fingers. Participants take turns naming Halloween-centric activities, and if the statement applies, then players lower one finger. The game ends when only one player remains, or after a set number of rounds.
Halloween Never Have I Ever prompts:
- Dressed up as a princess
- Dressed up as a superhero
- Dressed as a pun
- Dressed up as part of a group costume
- Participated in mischief night
- Finished all my Halloween candy within one week
- Raided a kid’s Halloween candy stash without asking
- Gone trick or treating as an adult
- Screamed in a haunted house
- Thrown a Halloween party
- Won a costume contest
- Gone on a hayride
- Enjoyed candy corn
- Cooked candy or caramel apples
These phrases will get you started, but feel free to think up your own situations!
14. Virtual Haunted Trivia
Playing a Halloween-themed game of trivia is a fun and competitive way to entertain guests at your party. Be sure to prepare your questions and answers ahead of time. For inspiration, check out this list from Parade.
To play, split the group into teams and present seasonally appropriate categories like:
- Costume chronicles
- Real life hauntings
- Murders and murderers
- Scary movies
- Urban legends
- Pumpkin-flavored everything
- Monsters and mythical beasts
Either take turns answering questions individually, or invite teams to submit an answer each round. Utilizing breakout rooms keeps group discussions private during the game.
15. Chocolates vs Chips
Chocolates vs Chips is a Halloween version of Pancakes vs Waffles. For this game, the host leads with the prompt “Chocolates vs Chips” and participants must debate which one will be eliminated from existence. The surviving contender in each round then goes up against another item or concept. For example, if chocolates won then the next prompt might be “Chocolates vs Scary Movies.” For your virtual Halloween party, try to keep the contenders Halloween themed as along as you can.
The End
That’s our list of fun virtual Halloween party ideas!
Be sure to bookmark this page for next year.
Happy Halloween! 🎃👻