20 Trunk or Treat Games That Keep Kids Coming Back

The problem with most trunk or treats is that they are over in 20 minutes. Kids run the row, fill the bucket and head for the car while the volunteers are still handing out candy. Games fix that. A pumpkin bowling lane at the end of the row, a Candy Corn Ring Toss between two trunks, a Jumpin Pumpkin in the corner of the lot: each one gives families a reason to stop, and stopping is what turns a candy line into an event.

Here are 20 trunk or treat games, grouped by where they belong: quick booth games beside the trunks, the games that anchor the middle of the lot, the ones for the big kids, the bounces that burn off the sugar and one game for the last hour. Every one of them is rentable from the Halloween Rentals collection at Perfect Parties USA, and every one comes with a planning tip on space, volunteers or prizes, whether your lot is in Worcester, Manchester or Providence.

Quick Games Beside the Trunks

Small booth games that set up on a folding table or a strip of pavement between two trunks. Each takes one volunteer and a bag of candy for prizes, and each is a rental, so nothing has to be built the night before.

1. Baggo Bean Bag Toss

Baggo: The classic bean bag toss in a compact two-board set: three bags, three throws, a candy for any bag that lands in the hole. It rents for about the price of a bag of candy and sets up in a minute beside a trunk. Planning Tip: Chalk two throwing lines so the little kids stand close and the big kids stand back. Rent the Baggo bean bag toss.

2. Corn Hole

Corn Hole: Full-size boards for the older kids and the parents who followed them over. Planning Tip: Run it as a quick best-of-three between families rather than an open game, or the boards become a parking spot. Rent the Corn Hole set.

3. Witch Hat Hoopla

Halloween Carnival Stall- Witch Hat Hoopla: Ring the point of a witch hat with a hoop, and watch the brim knock away the throws that were almost good enough. Planning Tip: Three hoops per turn and a candy for one ring keeps the line moving. Rent the Witch Hat Hoopla booth.

4. Ring A Corn

Fall Carnival Stall- Ring A Corn: A ring toss over ears of corn, gentle enough for the youngest players and quick enough that nobody waits long. Planning Tip: Put it first in the loop so the smallest kids get an early win. Rent the Ring A Corn booth.

5. Apple Toss

Fall Carnival Stall- Apple Toss: A striped fall booth with apple themed targets, the harvest side of a Halloween lot. Planning Tip: Pair it with Ring A Corn as a two-booth fall corner run by one volunteer. Rent the Apple Toss booth.

6. Witch’s Brew Toss

Witch’s Brew Frame Game: A tabletop toss into a bubbling cauldron frame that fits on a folding table beside a trunk. Planning Tip: This is the game to hand to a teenager to run; it needs no reset beyond picking up the throws. Rent the Witch’s Brew Frame Game.

Games That Anchor the Middle of the Lot

Put the rentable games in the center of the loop so every family passes them twice. These come with the booth, the props and an attendant where one is needed.

7. Halloween Pumpkin Bowling

Halloween Pumpkin Bowling: A full bowling lane where players roll a real or foam pumpkin at spooky pins, the game every age understands on sight. Planning Tip: Give it the end of the row, where the crowd it draws will not block the trunks. Rent Halloween Pumpkin Bowling.

8. Pumpkin Toss

Pumpkin Toss: Toss bean bags into the pumpkin targets, with the small openings worth the bigger prizes. Rounds take under a minute. Planning Tip: Three bags per turn, and post the prize tiers on the booth so nobody has to ask. Rent the Pumpkin Toss.

9. Candy Corn Ring Toss

Halloween Carnival Stall- Candy Corn Ring Toss: A striped Halloween booth where kids toss rings over oversized candy corn cones. It looks like a real midway stall, which is why families photograph it. Planning Tip: Rent it with the other Halloween stalls as a set and you have a five-booth midway in the lot. Rent the Candy Corn Ring Toss booth.

10. Monster Mash

Halloween Carnival Stall- Monster Mash: Knock the monster targets down with a throw, and clear the whole row for the top prize. It gets the most repeat players of any booth. Planning Tip: Post the prize tiers on the booth, one for a single monster and one for the full row, so the line moves without questions. Rent the Monster Mash booth.

11. Halloween Knock Down

Halloween Carnival Stall- Knock Down: The milk bottle knockdown in Halloween colors: three balls to clear the stack. Set an easy stack for little kids and a tight pyramid for the teenagers. Planning Tip: Put it across from Monster Mash so the two loudest booths face each other. Rent the Knock Down booth.

12. The Inflatable Game Station

Haunted Games Inflatable: Several Halloween carnival games built into one inflatable, so one attendant and one power cord run a whole game corner. Planning Tip: Position it near an outlet or a generator and away from the trunks, since it needs its own footprint. Rent the Haunted Games Inflatable.

Games for the Big Kids

Middle schoolers show up to trunk or treats too. Give them something they cannot win on the first try.

13. Skull Hoopla

Halloween Carnival Stall- Skull Hoopla: Land a hoop cleanly over a skull to win, a steady-hand toss that is harder than it looks. Planning Tip: Set a three-hoop limit and a bragging-rights leaderboard instead of candy. Rent the Skull Hoopla booth.

14. Pumpkin Darts

Fall Carnival Stall- Pumpkin Darts: Throw darts at a pumpkin target board for points. It needs a lane with a little room and an attendant. Planning Tip: Rope a lane behind the booth and keep it for ages 8 and up. Rent the Pumpkin Darts booth.

15. Bobbing for Apples

Bobbing for Apples: Two contestants in bungee harnesses race to fill their buckets with foam apples before the cord pulls them back, about 60 players an hour. Planning Tip: It needs a 40 by 10 foot lane and draws spectators, so give it a corner where a crowd of 20 does not block the walking loop. Rent Bobbing for Apples.

16. High Striker

High Striker: Swing the mallet, ring the bell, and let the middle schoolers try to out-hit their parents. Planning Tip: Post the day’s best hits by age group on a whiteboard next to it; the leaderboard is the prize. Rent the High Striker.

Bounces That Burn Off the Sugar

A bounce or two at the far end of the lot keeps families for another half hour after the candy is gone.

17. Jumpin Pumpkin

Jumpin Pumpkin: A 40 by 60 foot pumpkin jumping pillow that becomes the landmark of the lot. Planning Tip: Post a stroller parking area beside it and an age rule at the door. Rent the Jumpin Pumpkin.

18. Pumpkin Bounce

Pumpkin Bounce: A smaller pumpkin bounce sized for the youngest guests. Planning Tip: Run it next to the Jumpin Pumpkin with an age split so the little ones have a bounce of their own. Rent the Pumpkin Bounce.

19. Monster Dash Obstacle Course

Monster Dash Obstacle Course: A Halloween obstacle course to crawl, climb and slide through. Planning Tip: Time the runs and post the best time for each grade; the rematches keep it busy until the lights go out. Rent the Monster Dash Obstacle Course.

One Game for the Last Hour

20. Giant Plinko Candy Drop

Giant Plinko: Kids drop a puck from the top and the slot it lands in decides the candy prize. Run it as the finale, when the trunks are running low, and it clears the last of the candy in a way that feels like a game show. Planning Tip: Load the big prizes into the outside slots and the crowd will stay to watch every drop. Rent the Giant Plinko.

How to Choose Trunk or Treat Games for Your Event

Start with your crowd and your lot. A church trunk or treat with 100 kids needs three or four of the quick booth games, one anchor such as Halloween Pumpkin Bowling and one bounce, and it runs on the volunteers you already have. A school PTA event with 300 kids needs the rentable midway in the center of the lot, two bounces at the far end and the big-kid games near the school entrance, and the carnival game ideas for school fairs guide covers the ticket and prize plan. As a rule of thumb, plan for one game per 25 to 50 kids, and one staffed anchor for every 100.

Layout matters as much as the list. Trunks on the outside in a one-way loop, games in the middle, bounces at the end and the Plinko finale by the exit, and read the trunk or treat ideas guide for the trunk themes and the planning checklist. Lots across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island fill the last two weekends of October fast, so book the rentable games first. If you are on the North Shore, the carnival game rentals in Peabody, MA page shows what is available nearby, and the top 20 carnival games list has the non-Halloween booths that fill out a bigger lot.

Rent Trunk or Treat Games From Perfect Parties USA

Perfect Parties USA is based in Peabody, Massachusetts and owns hundreds of attractions, including every rentable item on this list, so the games you book are the games that arrive, maintained and ready to play. Every rental includes delivery, professional setup, trained attendants and prizes for staffed games, and complete teardown. We are fully insured, with a certificate of insurance available for venues and schools, and we have produced events of every size across New England and the Northeast for decades, from Massachusetts, Boston, Connecticut and Rhode Island to New Hampshire and New York.

Ready to get this party started? Contact Perfect Parties USA to talk to one of our Party Pros. Request a Quote.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best trunk or treat games for kids?

The best trunk or treat games for kids are quick, easy to win and playable in a parking lot: Pumpkin Toss, Halloween Pumpkin Bowling, the Candy Corn Ring Toss booth, a Baggo bean bag toss and the Witch’s Brew Frame Game. Mix a few quick booth games with one anchor and one bounce and every child leaves with a prize and a bucket of candy.

What trunk or treat games work for toddlers?

Toddlers do best with Pumpkin Toss, Ring A Corn, the Witch’s Brew Frame Game, pumpkin bowling from a short distance and the small Pumpkin Bounce. Keep those near the entrance of the loop, away from the dart booth and the obstacle course, and let the youngest players win on every turn.

How many games do you need for a trunk or treat?

Plan for one game per 25 to 50 kids and one staffed anchor for every 100. A church trunk or treat of 100 kids runs well on four quick booth games, a pumpkin bowling lane and one bounce, while a school event of 300 needs a rentable midway in the middle of the lot. Perfect Parties USA sizes the lineup to your headcount for events across New England.

Can you rent trunk or treat games?

Yes, the pumpkin bowling lane, the Halloween carnival stalls, the Haunted Games Inflatable, the pumpkin bounces and the Monster Dash Obstacle Course are all available to rent from Perfect Parties USA. Rentals include delivery, professional setup, trained attendants and prizes for staffed games, and complete teardown.

Does Perfect Parties USA deliver trunk or treat rentals in Massachusetts and New England?

Yes, Perfect Parties USA delivers trunk or treat rentals across Massachusetts, including Boston and the North Shore, and throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New York. The company is based in Peabody, Massachusetts and staffs the games that need an attendant, so your volunteers can run the trunks.

Are trunk or treat games a good idea for a school fundraiser?

Trunk or treat games make a school fundraiser easier because families stay longer and spend more when there is something to play. Sell a game pass or tickets for the anchor booths, charge per drop on the Giant Plinko finale and keep the quick booth games free, and the games pay for themselves in ticket sales.

How far in advance should you book trunk or treat rentals?

Book trunk or treat rentals at least six weeks before your date, and earlier for the last two weekends of October, which fill first. Pumpkin bowling and the pumpkin bounces are the first pieces to go, so reserve those with Perfect Parties USA before you finalize the trunk sign-ups.