“You signed up for what?” my husband asked, staring at the empty trunk of our minivan.
“A game booth,” I said. “Forty kids. Two hours. I have until six.”
That was my first trunk or treat, and I learned fast. Trunk or treat games only work when they set up quickly, cost little, and keep the line moving. Trunk or treat, if you’re new to it, is a Halloween event where families park in a lot, decorate their open trunks, and hand out candy to costumed kids who walk the row.
Below are eight games, each with a setup time, a cost, and notes on ages. Every one runs with a single volunteer, needs no power, and works with candy or trinket prizes.
The 3-minute rule
If one turn takes longer than three minutes, a line forms and the trunks behind you get blocked. Keep turns to three tosses, three rings, or one race. Chalk a throwing line for big kids and a second line closer in for toddlers.
1. Feed the Monster
Setup: 15 minutes. Cost: under $10. Ages: 2 to 12.
This is the easiest crowd-pleaser on the lot. Cut a big mouth into the front of a large cardboard box. Paint it green or purple, glue on paper eyes, and tape the flaps shut so it holds its shape.
Kids toss three bean bags, balled-up socks, or mini pumpkins into the mouth. Count the hits out loud. Kids love hearing “Three! You fed him three!”
Make it a Feed the Ghost, Feed the Witch’s Cauldron, or Feed the Pumpkin if your trunk has a theme. Weigh the box down with a few canned goods inside. It survives wind, drizzle, and a hundred turns without a reset.
2. Witch Hat Ring Toss
Setup: 5 minutes. Cost: $5 to $12. Ages: 3 and up.
Set three witch hats on a table and give each kid three rings. Dollar Tree sells hats and plastic rings. Glow-in-the-dark rings help at dusk.
Stuff the hat brims with newspaper so they stand up straight. Tape them down with a loop of painter’s tape.
3. Ghost Bowling
Setup: 5 minutes. Cost: under $5.
Draw ghost faces on white plastic cups or empty water bottles with a black marker. Stack them in a triangle and roll a small foam pumpkin. Pour an inch of water or sand in each bottle if it’s breezy.
4. Bean Bag Toss With Two Lines
Setup: 2 minutes. Cost: $8 to $15.
Set three plastic pumpkin buckets at three distances. Chalk one line for the little ones and one farther back for big kids. Done.
This is the best late-signup rescue. A bag of bean bags and three buckets read as a real booth.
5. Mummy Wrap Race
Setup: 10 minutes. Cost: $6 to $10. Ages: 5 and up.
Here’s a story from my own booth. I once handed out full toilet paper rolls to teams of two and set no limit. One pair wrapped for six minutes, and the line behind them grew to twenty kids.
Now I use a 60-second timer and one roll per team. White streamers work too, and they tear less. Pick up the scraps after each round so nobody trips.
Team play suits kids ages 8 to 12 better than solo tosses. Post the fastest time on a cardstock brag board instead of handing out extra candy.
6. Fishing Booth
Setup: 30 minutes. Cost: $15 to $25. Ages: 3 to 9.
This is a statement booth, so build it once and reuse it. You need a PVC frame or a big cardboard screen, a dowel rod, string, and a clothespin.
Here is how to build it:
- Cut a trifold cardboard screen, or build a three-sided frame from PVC pipe.
- Paint it like a pond and cut a slot along the bottom.
- Tie a 3-foot string to a dowel rod and clip a clothespin to the end.
- Hide behind the screen and clip a small prize, such as a sticker pack or glow stick, to the pin.
- Let the child cast over the top and feel a tug.
Common mistake: standing in front of the screen. You become part of the game, and the line stalls. Sit behind it with a folding chair and a thermos.
7. Pumpkin Tic-Tac-Toe
Setup: 5 minutes. Cost: under $10.
Make a grid with painter’s tape, nine squares, each a foot across. Use mini pumpkins for one player and black bean bags for the other. First to three in a row wins a prize.
Foam pumpkins work better than real ones on asphalt, since real ones crack.
8. Sensory Table for Little Ones
Setup: 15 minutes. Cost: under $10. Ages: 2 to 5, with an adult beside them.
Fill a shallow bin with cooked spaghetti “guts” and peeled grape “eyeballs.” Safety note: whole grapes are a choking hazard for children under 4. Skip the grapes for toddlers and use peeled, quartered pieces or a smooth rubber ball instead. Keep an adult hand on every child at the table.
Not a thrower? A sticker-and-stamp table or a chalk pumpkin path works for kids who skip games.
Layout and prizes
Put quick toss games at both ends of the row and statement booths like the fishing screen in the middle. That spreads the crowd. Plan two or three anchor games for a whole lot, and let each trunk run its own small game.
For prizes, “everyone gets one” keeps lines moving. Give candy for playing and a trinket for a win. Stickers, glow sticks, and bouncy balls survive a parking lot. Keep a nut-free, dye-free bucket visible, and post a teal pumpkin sign if you offer non-food prizes.
Wind kills loose paper. Use sandbags, bungee cords, and clamps. Label one bin per game so next October takes ten minutes.
My plan for next October
Next year I’m building the Feed the Monster box on a Sunday in September and keeping the bean bag toss in the trunk as a backup. I’ll chalk two lines before the first kid arrives. Then I’ll sit down, watch the line move, and enjoy the costumes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many games do I need for a trunk or treat?
Plan on one game per 8 to 10 kids you expect. A lot with 30 trunks feels full with 8 to 12 games. Make sure at least two are quick toss games that clear a line fast.
What if I signed up late and have nothing built?
Buy a bag of bean bags and three plastic buckets. Or tape a printed monster face to a cardboard box. Both read as a real booth and cost under $15.
Do kids get candy and a prize?
Most booths give candy for playing and a trinket only for a win, which keeps the candy budget steady. If you skip candy, a sticker or glow stick per turn works just as well.