Halloween Team Building Activities for Remote and In-Office Teams

Halloween is the perfect time of year to bring some spooky fun into the workplace. Whether your employees are together in an office or spread across the country as remote teams, celebrating the season with Halloween team building activities boosts morale, fosters collaboration, and builds lasting memories. From classic Halloween movies to pumpkin carving contests, there are countless ways to get everyone into the Halloween spirit.

This year, companies can also tie their Halloween celebrations to giving back. This year, our annual Socktober initiative ships thousands of socks to kids in foster care across America! Hosting a Halloween activity that doubles as a Socktober drive adds meaning to your celebration and creates opportunities for employees to volunteer, pack socks, or even host their own local drives.

Planning a Halloween Event

When planning a Halloween event, consider the interests of your team. Halloween team building works best when activities feel inclusive and engaging. Think about whether your employees would enjoy workplace Halloween games or more classic office activities and plan ahead.

Choosing a theme is a great way to set the tone. Themes inspired by murder mystery games, haunted houses, or classic horror movies give the event structure and invite creativity. A well-chosen theme fosters team spirit and ensures maximum participation.

Some classic Halloween team building ideas include:

• A pumpkin carving contest with pumpkin carving kits and carving tools. (Pro tip look for carve-able craft pumpkins for less mess and artwork that lasts forever!)
• Halloween trivia covering classic Halloween movies, Halloween history, candy names, and spooky fun facts.
• A Halloween costume contest with small prizes for scariest, funniest, or most creative Halloween costume.
• A Halloween potluck where employees share Halloween themed food like monster mash dips, black sanding sugar desserts, and pumpkin pie.

Send out the invites early so employees have time to prepare costumes, spooky Zoom backgrounds, or themed snacks.

In-Person Halloween Games and Activities

In-person Halloween celebrations allow for immersive and interactive experiences that bring employees together. A well-planned Halloween office event fosters teamwork, builds excitement, and strengthens workplace bonds. Here are some favorite Halloween team building activities for the office:

Costume Contest

Host a Halloween costume contest with multiple rounds of judging. Categories could include best group costume, funniest costume, or best scary movies-inspired look. Friendly competition creates more fun and fosters team spirit.

Encourage employees to wear their costumes all day to boost morale and allow everyone to have a fun Halloween celebration all day long.

 

Halloween Potluck

Encourage employees to make and bring dishes inspired by Halloween themes. Have a sign up list ready, where everyone can write down what they’re bringing ahead of time. This can be a competition or just a plain ‘ol sharing of delicious treats. From candy corn cupcakes to zombie green guacamole dip, Halloween food makes the office party festive and fun.

Spooky Cubicle Decorations

Decorate your desk, cubicle, or department and compete to see who’s got the spookiest decor! Use paper, lights, fog machines, or any extra decor you have lying around the attic to create a spooky atmosphere. Have a team of judges come around and crown the winners!

Pumpkin Carving Contest

Nothing sparks creativity like a pumpkin carving contest. Provide pumpkin carving kits, decorating tools, and plenty of pumpkins. Look for craft pumpkins at stores like Walmart, Amazon, or Michaels that are made of soft foam that allow you to carve like you would a real pumpkin, but without the mess.

Add Halloween themes to the rules to switch things up and let the creativity flow. Tell teams they should follow a theme like “haunted houses,” “witches,” or classic horror movie monsters for an added challenge.

Haunted Labyrinth Challenge

Turn your office into a haunted labyrinth using black lights, toilet paper “spider webs,” and peeled grapes for creepy props. Employees work in teams to navigate the maze, solve clues, and escape within a time limit. The first team to finish earns bonus points. This interactive game strengthens problem solving skills while creating a spooky atmosphere.

Workplace Halloween Game Ideas

Pumpkin Bowling

• Place 6–10 empty plastic water bottles (or paint them like ghosts) in a triangle shape (like bowling pins).

• Use a small orange ball with a jack-o-lantern face drawn on as the “bowling ball.” (Swap pumpkins for orange stress balls or mini pumpkins that won’t smash.)

• Teams take turns rolling the pumpkin to knock down the “pins.”

• Score just like regular bowling.

  

Mummy Wrap

• Divide into teams of 2–4.

• One person stands still while teammates wrap them in toilet paper or white crepe streamers.

• First team to fully wrap their “mummy” (head to toe, leaving eyes/mouth) wins.

• Bonus round: race to unwrap afterward!

  

 Witch Hat Ring Toss

• Make a tall “witch hat” (cone + brim) out of black paper. Or use store-bought witch hat accessories from a costume store.

• Use glow stick necklaces, rope rings, or hoops as “rings.”

• Players stand back and try to toss rings onto the hat point.

• Can play one-on-one or in teams.

  

Halloween Trivia Challenge

Prepare questions on Halloween history, horror movies, or fun office-themed “guess who wore this costume last year.” Use Kahoot, Google Forms, or printouts for easy scoring. Offer small prizes (candy, coffee gift cards) make it extra motivating.

Halloween Trivia Question ideas:

1. What vegetables were carved for Halloween before pumpkins? (Answer: Turnips, potatoes, and beets)
2. In what country did Halloween traditions originate? (Answer: Ireland)
3. What color is Frankenstein’s monster in the original book? (Answer: Yellow)
4. Who directed the classic 1978 horror film “Halloween?” (Answer: John Carpenter)
5. In the Harry Potter series, what ghost haunts the bathroom? (Answer: Moaning Myrtle)
6. What ghost is said to haunt the White House? (Answer: The ghost of Abraham Lincoln)
7. Who’s theme music is this? (Play the theme music from movies with well-known horror icons like Jason Vorhees, Michael Myers, or Freddy Kruger and have teams guess!)
8. Which candy was named after the inventor’s daughter? (Answer: Tootsie Rolls, named after Leo Hirschfield’s daughter.)
9. What famous California city bans Silly String on Halloween? (Answer: Hollywood)
10. Are pumpkins a vegetable? (Answer: Technically, they’re a fruit!)

Haunted Scavenger Hunt

• Hide Halloween-themed items (plastic spiders, pumpkins, candy) around the office.
• Give teams clues or riddles tied to office inside jokes or Halloween facts.
• First team to collect them all wins.

Virtual Halloween Activities

Remote employees can still join in the Halloween fun. Virtual Halloween activities keep remote teams engaged while fostering collaboration.

Virtual activities are a great way to get the employees involved in workplace Halloween games. Online sites, apps, and Zoom-hosted activities make it a breeze to kick start the competition.

Virtual Halloween Scavenger Hunt

A spooky scavenger hunt is one of the best workplace Halloween games for remote employees. Teams solve clues and find household items that fit Halloween themes. Add a bingo card of items to collect, and award small prizes to the first team with correct answers wins.

Virtual Costume Contest

Celebrate Halloween with a virtual costume contest where employees showcase costumes during a Zoom meeting. Encourage Halloween themed music, spooky Zoom backgrounds, and even pets in costumes for more fun.

Halloween Trivia

Just like the in-person trivia above, host a virtual event with multiple rounds of Halloween trivia. Use Kahoot or Google Slides to present the questions.

Trivia can cover everything from classic horror movies to Halloween candy. Check out our sample trivia questions above!

Virtual Murder Mystery Party

For a more interactive game, host a murder mystery event online. Employees take on character roles, solve clues, and work together to identify the killer. This Halloween activity fosters teamwork, communication skills, and problem solving skills.

Socktober: Adding Meaning to the Fun

At Foster Love, Halloween isn’t just about fun—it’s also about making a difference. Our Socktober initiative ships thousands of socks to children in foster care across America. We invite your workplace to start a Socktober fundraising campaign on our site, or get involved with your own Socktober activities!

Here are some ways to combine Socktober with Halloween events:

• Sock Drive Costume Contest: Entry into the costume contest requires donating socks.
• Spooky Sock Drive: Have a drop-off bin throughout the month and encourage employees to donate new, fun socks for kids and communities in need.
• Virtual Socktober Challenge: Remote employees order socks online and send them to shelters in need.
• Halloween Happy Hour with a Purpose: Combine a Halloween happy hour with a Socktober donation bin or fundraiser.

By tying Socktober to workplace Halloween games, companies boost creativity, foster teamwork, and make Halloween celebrations more meaningful.

Team Collaboration Beyond Halloween

Halloween team building activities give employees a chance to celebrate Halloween, enjoy spooky fun, and strengthen team spirit. From pumpkin carving contests to spooky scavenger hunts, Halloween celebrations offer endless ways to boost morale and foster teamwork.

This spooky season, celebrate Halloween with activities that combine fun, creativity, and giving back. With the right workplace Halloween games, you’ll build stronger teams, create a memorable experience, and foster a culture of community both inside and outside the office.