Halloween Games for Three-Year-Olds

Spider Web

• For an easy party activity for 3-year-olds, conduct a game of spider web. Have all the little ones sit in a circle and hand one child a ball of black yarn. She will grab the end piece of yarn and toss the yarn ball to another child. He must grab a piece of the yarn and toss the ball to another player. Keep going until there is no more yarn left. This should create a large spider web in the middle of the children. Award a participation prize to each player.

Pass the Pumpkin

• Cut the top off of a pumpkin and clean it out. Fill the pumpkin with cooked spaghetti and enough wrapped lollipops for each child. Play music and have the children pass the pumpkin around the circle. When the music stops, the child holding the pumpkin must stick his hand in the pumpkin to find a treat. Keep playing until everyone earns a treat. As players earn the prize, they can leave the game to wash their hands and eat their treat.

Black Cat Hunt

• Hide one plush black cat toy per child around the play area. Tell the children they must each find a black cat. Each child can keep the cat he finds as a memento of the party or gathering. For a variation, hide several pieces of wrapped candy around the play area. Give each toddler a plastic Halloween sack and have him hunt for candy. The children can keep all the Halloween candy they find.

Spider Toss

• Place several plastic pumpkins (with open tops) on the ground and mark a standing line about 3 feet away. Have the toddlers' line up at the standing line and take turns trying to toss plastic spiders into the pumpkins. Big bags of plastic spiders are available at retail stores in the craft department and online. Award a small prize to each child who tosses a spider in the pumpkin, or award prizes to all players for participation.