Get your little munchkins into the spirit of the holiday with some fun online Halloween games for kids. All the games are free, and all can be played right away without registration or downloads (unless you need to update your Flash player for some reason). I played each one to check out its overall coolness factor and make sure that nothing nasty was going to pop up (as a few of the games I found while searching were scams to get you to click and slam you with random pop-up messages).
Ben & Jerry’s Vermont’s Finest Virtual Pumpkin Patch– Yes, it’s basically an advertisement for the ice-cream company, but it’s also a lot of fun. I love that all the pieces come from a compost heap, so it teaches kids about the benefits of recycling and reusing left-over stuff. I made the pumpkin in the screen shot, Jake would have been much more creative. Ben & Jerry’s has a few other really cute Halloween games for kids on their site.
Halloween Match Game- This simple take on Memory features Halloween-themed icons. As you find matches, a scene is revealed in the background. It’s simple, yes, but fun!
Back at the Barnyard: Creepy Candy Craze – From NickToons, help Otis the cow (dressed up as a vampire) collect as much candy as possible before time runs out. I love that the directions are right below the game in case your child forgets what they’re supposed to do. While there is no registration required, NickToons does present a 30-second ad before the game starts. Check out my screenshot, I managed to get one as I was swiping the boxes. It may not seem all that exciting to you, but that required hand/eye coordination, of which I usually sorely lack! NickToons has a bunch of other fun Halloween games, including several with SpongeBob.
Disney’s Halloween Hide and Seek– Kind of like a Memory match game, but the tiles fill the screen quickly, so you have to find matches to clear them. It is on the Disney.go.com site, and there were no ads before gameplay.
PBS Kids: Maya & Miguel: Maya’s Card Creator – Your kids can design their own Halloween card using different backgrounds, props, and text phrases. When they’re finished, you can either print the card out or email it to friends and family. No ads, no pop-ups. PBS Kids has other Halloween games available, including one featuring the SuperWHY kids.
