10 Halloween team-building ideas for work

Halloween is a perfect opportunity to inject fun into your workplace. It’s a chance to boost team spirit, encourage creativity and give everyone a break from their day-to-day routines.

Here are ten Halloween team-building ideas that will get your employees into the spooky spirit:

1. Costume contest

Encourage employees to dress up in costumes and host a contest with different categories, such as "most creative," "funniest," or "best DIY." Make it inclusive by offering both individual and group categories. Employees can vote on their favorites, and small prizes add excitement.

2. Virtual haunted house tour

A virtual haunted house tour is an online experience where participants explore a haunted house or spooky environment together via a virtual platform. This can be a fun way for remote teams to get everyone involved.

3. Pumpkin decorating competition

A pumpkin-decorating competition can unleash creativity and friendly competition. Provide pumpkins and decorating supplies. For remote teams, allow digital entries where employees design virtual pumpkins or share pictures of real pumpkins they’ve decorated. Then vote on the best designs.

4. Halloween trivia

Host a Halloween-themed trivia game where employees test their knowledge of spooky facts, horror movies and classic Halloween traditions. Break teams into small groups to encourage collaboration, or keep it individual for quicker competition. Offer prizes for top scores to add a competitive edge.

5. Spooky storytelling session

Host a spooky storytelling session to create an eerie atmosphere. Each team member can share a short, fun ghost story — a personal, fictional or classic tale. Spooky storytelling is great for remote teams and can build connections as people open up and share something creative.

6. Escape room challenge

Set up a Halloween-themed escape room in your office or virtually for remote teams. Teams must solve puzzles and work together to escape a "haunted" scenario. This is a fantastic way to encourage collaboration, problem-solving and communication in a fun setting.

7. Trick-or-treat scavenger hunt

Organize a scavenger hunt where employees search for hidden Halloween-themed items around the office. Give clues or riddles that lead them to the secret "treats," including small prizes, candy or even team-building vouchers. Remote or hybrid workforce? Hide some “treats” throughout your intranet!

8. Halloween potluck

A Halloween potluck allows your team to showcase their culinary creativity. Have employees bring Halloween-themed treats like spooky cookies, pumpkin-flavored snacks or monster cupcakes. Hold a virtual "show-and-tell" for remote teams, where people can share their Halloween dishes from home.

9. Murder mystery party

Turn your office or virtual space into the scene of a spooky crime with a murder mystery party. Assign roles to employees and have them work together to figure out "whodunnit." This is a fun way to improve team interaction and can be tailored for in-person or virtual setups.

10. Haunted office/desk decorating

Give employees the chance to decorate their workspaces with Halloween decorations. Prizes can be awarded for "spookiest," "most creative" and other fun categories.

These ten Halloween team-building activities will create a memorable experience for your team while building connections, encouraging creativity and creating a little bit of friendly competition.

What’s even better than team building on Halloween?

Creating opportunities for your team to bond and grow all year long.

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Build lasting bonds while developing skills that matter. Ready to make it happen? Discover how Electives can transform your team’s growth.