Guess What’s in the Halloween Box

What’s in the Halloween Box Game

Supplies: Variety of Halloween and even non-Halloween objects, box with hole in it, paper, pens

This is a great Halloween discovery game that can be creepy yet fun, as you must use your sense of touch to identify what items are in the Halloween Box within a limited amount of time.

Guess What’s in the Halloween Box Game Prep
1. Take the box and cut 1 (more difficult) or two hand holes across from each other in the box.
2. Place cloth cover inside the box that is attached just above the hand holes. Use a glue gun or duck tape so that the cloth does not come loose during the game. Some people place this cloth on the outside too. The cloth should cover the hand hole so that guests can not see inside the box, but it should be loose at the bottom so game players can reach in the box. (We got a large plastic bag, covered the box, cut out the reach in spot and decorated it.)
3. Decorate the outdoor of the Halloween Box with seasonal wrapping paper, Halloween stickers or drawings of ghosts, pumpkins or witches.
4. Get 15 – 20 items for your Halloween Box – Most items will be small.
We found these around the house – we would add more Halloween items but it gives you ideas.

More Item Ideas:
Plastic spiders, rats, bugs, bone, frog, various animals
Small plastic pumpkin, vampire teeth, eye patch, small skull
Gummy bears, worms, any unique gummy item
Apple, tealight candle, mini-candy bar, candy necklace,
A single die from a set of dice, board game pieces – like thimble or dog from Monopoly
Bouncy ball, ping pong ball, puzzle piece, any fun Halloween item
– The older the kids the more gross things you can add to the box like a fake mouse or rat, a Halloween wig, etc…

If you are stumped, raid the toy box or go through games and look for miniature items for place in the box, just try to relate it to fall and Halloween. FYI – It is ok to have non-Halloween items.

5. Create a master list of all the items you place in the box, while placing the items inside.
6. Beside the box, have paper and pens where the players can write down what they think is in the box without the other kids seeing what they are writing. Some people play this game in a side room, off from the main party.

How to Play What’s in the Halloween Box
1. Explain the game. Guests will be given 45 seconds (adjust if needed) to feel around the Halloween Box, determine what is inside and write those items on a piece of paper. Once the 45 seconds are up, you have to turn in your list. Once you finish, you’ll go into a different room, so that don’t share what you discovered inside.
*** For Young Kids who cannot write. Have an adult or older child there to write down the items the children think they feel in the box. This way young kids can play too.
2. Then start with the first player.
3. The first thing – you need to have every player do is write their name on the sheet.
4. The Host will start the timer and the guest starts to search the box and write down the items. Once 45 seconds our up, confirm that their name is on the sheet. Have them go to the holding room and then invite the next player to come in and start their game play. Continue this process until all players have gone.
5. Once everyone has played, Score the Game Sheets
1 point for every item that is correctly identified
-1 point if you list an item that is not inside the box
6. End of What’s in the Halloween Box
Have the kids come back into the main room, show the Halloween Box and ask the kids to tell the game host one item they think is in the Halloween Box.

If they name something that is in the box, search for it and pull it out. Continue until they run out of guesses, in most cases there will be two or three mystery items still in the box.

Challenge them to come up with the last items and if there are no results, one by one pull out the items and show them to the group.

Then announce the top 3 highest scores and the winner gets a prize.

Halloween Box Variations 
1. Take a photo of each item going into the Halloween Box and print out photos and attach to card stock so you have playing cards. Place Halloween items in the Mystery Box. Each player pulls a playing card and then has a set amount of time 10 or 15 seconds to find that item in the box. If they find it and pull it out of the box, they get one point. If they pull out something else and don’t find it during the time frame then no points. Once an item is pulled out of the box, it does get put back into the box before the next turn.

In this game include a variety of items in the box that are not Halloween related to help fill it with lots of stuff. Play a set amount of rounds (3, 5 or 7) and then announce a winner. (or just have it as fun play).

2. Teen / Adult Version – In this version you create several Halloween Mystery Boxes and place gross feeling items inside. It could be a boiled head of cauliflower, a sponge, a severed head, slimy rib bones, beef jerky or some bizarre items. This is good for adults.

Guests are given plastic / latex gloves (just one) and told the are going to play a game. This also adds to the intrigue. They are given a sheet of paper and pen and asked to silently one by one investigate the mystery boxes and try to guess what is inside.

Remind them not to share their answers with anyone as it may result in them being part of next years mystery box. Upon completion, one by one reveal the boxes tally the score and announce a winner.

In this version it helps to have lots of boxes (12 – 15) and if you can pull it off include one animated prop (maybe a rat) and / or hand one box that is someones real hand (sometimes) and a fake one other times and on occasion have them grab the investigating hand. This will take some work but the results can be great as some guests don’t understand why others are freaking out. Again the winner is determined by the person with the most correct answers.

The Halloween Mystery Box Works best in dark rooms and gets really scary if something in the box moves. Have fun with this classic Halloween mind game.

Check out these printable kid’s games, perfect for Halloween fun.

Escape the Cemetery Left Right

Halloween Who Am I

Halloween Candy Dice Game