Zombie Attack – Unique Kid’s Halloween Game
Supplies: Plenty of space, string to outline the game board, zombie cut-outs or zombie targets, bean bags or ball to throw at objects, ping pong balls and shoe box.
Nothing is worse than zombies, because no matter what you do they keep coming after you.
Well Zombie Attack is a game that includes a little bit of skill, strategy and luck. This Halloween game can be played by individuals or by teams. We have added a video as a way to explain the Zombie Attack game too.
Zombie Attack Game Prep
– You will need a space of about 20 feet by ten feet to play.
– You need to create a Zombie Attack board on outlined on the grass. This is best made using string to outline the board. You need and area 6 feet wide by 10 feet long. In that space you will need to create 1 foot by 1 foot squares. So 6 long columns and 10 rows. This equals 136 feet of string so if you have 150 feet you should be fine.
** Note if you do not have the space for the game. You can create a game board on cardboard and move game pieces that represent zombies. You would also set the zombies at the same distance each time. Not as much fun, but a way to adapt the game to smaller spaces.
Creating Zombies – You need six zombies for this game. You can create zombies for this game very easily, but there are some basic requirements. 1. They should be 12 to 15 inches tall. 2 They should be able to be knocked over by a bean bag but not blown over by the wind.
If you find zombies at a store great, but in most cases it is simple enough to use a soda bottle and glue a picture or hand drawn zombie on the front for the game. Just add a little water to the bottom so it stands up even if windy.
Determine zombie movement – Basically you will need to determine how fast the zombies move after each child takes a turn. A fun and fast way to do this is to take 6 ping pong balls and using a sharpie place a number 1 on 3 balls, a 2 on 2 balls and a 3 on 1 ball. Then take a shoe box, which can be decorated in Halloween orange, and create little slots for the ping pong balls to rest. (You could also pull numbers out of a hat, but not as much fun.)
Last where to place the Throw line. The throw line is where the kids stand to throw the bean bags or balls to knock over the zombies. For young children set the line 5 feet from the game board for older kids 8 or 10 feet away will make it more challenging.
Divide up guests into teams or have children compete one on one. Now to play Zombie attack place the 6 zombies in the first row of the game board (farthest away from the throw line).
A member of Team 1 is given 3 bean bags and the goal is to knock down their teams zombies to stop them from approaching. Team 1 zombies would be in rows 1, 2 and 3 and Team 2 zombies would be in rows 4, 5 and 6. You can color code the zombies if that makes thing easier.
If the player knocks over a zombie from their rows that zombie cannot move forward and attack. In fact, as the zombies being hit during the game causes them to stumble back spaces. However, they cannot stumble beyond the starting point.
If a player does not knock over a zombie, that zombie will move forward in Zombie Attack.
And if a player of your Team knocks over one of the “Other Teams Zombies” then that zombie will move forward.
The goal is to keep your team’s zombies as far from the finish line as possible because once a zombie crosses the finish line the game is over and that team losses.
How Zombies move.
Once a child has thrown their bean bags, the kids need to shake the shoe box with the balls in it. As the balls settle each ball will fall into a slot which corresponds to a Zombie. The number on the ball corresponds to how fast the zombie moves during the turn. Note: If the balls are not perfectly aligned move shift the ball to the closest open slot. Best to have an adult to help with this, another option is to pull numbers out of a hat.
Once you open the lid the ping pong balls will be lined up and have a value; either 1, 2 or 3.
Example: If Team 1 threw their bean bags and Zombie 1 and 2 were knocked down but 3 was not, you would look at columns 1, 2 and 3.
In this example: Column 1 had a 1, Column 2 had a 3, Column 3 a 2 and the remaining columns were 1, 2 and 1.
Therefore the Column 1 zombie would move back 1 space. (Exception would be if the zombie was on the starting line)
Column 2 zombie would move back 3 spaces, as long as this is an option.
Column 3 Zombie would move ahead 2 spaces.
Second Example: Knocking over an opposing teams Zombie
team 2 now takes a turn and throws at the zombies and hits zombie number 3 of team 1 and zombie number 5 of their zombies and misses with the last throw.
If the child shakes the shoe box and the ping pong ball numbers fell in this order 2, 1, 2, 1, 3, and 1. Then the following would occur.
Nothing would happen to Zombies 1 and 2
But Zombie number 3 would move forward 2 spaces
Zombie 4 would move up 1 space
Zombie 5 back 3
And Zombie 6 would move up 1 space.
The fun comes as the kids try to stop their zombies but yet move their opponent’s zombies towards the finish line.
A team wins with a Zombie from the other team crosses the finish line.
Happy Halloween – An original Party Game Ideas game by Sarah & Russ
Zombie Attack Feedback
I enjoy Party Game Ideas and everything you offer, but Zombie Attack was to complicated.
Here is how we simplified it.
1. Each team was made up of 3 players
2. Instead of bean bags we used rings for a ring toss.
3. We kept 3 rows across but reduced the length to 6 rows for the board for each team.
4. We gave Teams 2 ways to win. a. Eliminate all your teams zombies b. Zombies cross over your opponents end line.
Play
5. First Player from each team steps up and they are given 1 ring and try to ring one of their zombies.
a. If they land a ring on a Zombie, that zombie is removed from the game and the other zombies are frozen.
b. If they miss with their toss, then all the zombies moved one space forward.
This resulted in a much faster game and when we had two teams with Zombies on the last row we kept them there until one of the teams ringed a zombie.
Gina – Waco, TX
Check out these printable kid’s games for Halloween.