Party Planning Home > Kids' Birthday Party Planning Tips

Kids' Halloween Party Tips

Witches, monsters, and ghosts, oh my! It's time for Halloween. And your kids are psyched to get new costumes, parade around at school, and have parties with friends.

It's said that the average American consumes approximately 25 pounds of candy per year, the majority of it around Halloween. So get your candy bowls ready, it's time to party.

Here's how to get going on the coolest kids' parties and do your best to beat out those candy consumption averages.

The Invite

"BOO"

If you're looking for an invite no one would expect, you've just got to "BOO" your neighbors. If your child's party will consist of kids from your neighborhood, you can get the entire family in the Halloween spirit before the party even begins.

Here's how:Make a basket of Halloween goodies and drop it secretly, under the cover of night, on a neighbor's porch. Be sure to include the party details and a sign that says "BOO". Ask the recipients of the basket to create a basket of their own with similiar elements and pass it on to the next neighbor/invitee. Make sure the party details are included in each new basket. And make sure that those who have already been "BOO"ed hang their sign on their door to make it known that they've already received a basket.

This is a fun, interactive and outright hilarious way to get the word out. Have the kids help you create the basket and make the secret delivery with you. In no time, the neighborhood will be buzzing with news of your party, and with invitations this much fun, you can be sure to get a good turnout of little ghosts and goblins.

Skeletons

Looking for something simple? Skeletons are a great idea for your haunting. Stop by your local Party America store and pick up some small jointed skeletons, either 3D or cardboard. These old bones are perfect for writing party details on. Put all of the basics on the limbs and use those ribs to convey a spooky message to your guests. The kids can even hang them up as a decoration in their rooms to get in the Halloween spirit.

Teen Party Invites

We all know that teens are too cool. So when you're hosting a teen party, it's hard to find a "not so uncool" way of handling the details. But here's an interesting solution. Send your invitees $5 gift cards to the local movie rental place (Blockbuster, Hollywood, etc), and include the party details. Tell the teens that the price of admission is their favorite scary movie. They can take the gift card and rent the scary movie of their choice and bring it along to the party. It's bound to get the word out and create some excitement. And the bonus is it give you entertainment that they can't complain about. Hey, they picked it!

Custom & Pre-packaged Invitations

And if you're just not feeling all that creative, no worries, we've done the work for you. We have everything from custom invitations to great pre-packaged invitations to help convey the tone and mood of your party to your invitees.

Remember, an invitation is like a movie preview. It should get everyone sufficiently excited about your party, that they'll just have to attend!

Halloween Decorations

Okay, so the word has spread and you've got a bunch of excited party goers ready for the big day, your Halloween party! And after an invitation that good, let's not let them down.

Props

Your party decorations should play right into the theme you implied from your invitation. So, if you "BOO"ed your neighbors with baskets of monster stuff, welcome them with an enormous inflatable monster. If you went with pumpkins, use the Pumpkin Greeter to say hello. A prop is a great way to welcome guests and get them in the mood.

Scene Setters

Once they get inside, create a scene! The coolest thing for Halloween is our Scene Setters. Totally transform your party space into a haunted house, dungeon, graveyard or haunted forest. Or just fill the walls with bats, ooze and creepy crawlers. Make sure you don't miss the windows and doors. No harm here; these vinyl rolls are hung with double-sided tape and they're easy to put up.

Party Music

No Halloween party is complete without music, everything from fun and retro, to creepy sound effects. Try Drew's Famous Halloween Party Music to help you create the right mood.

Very young children and families might appreciate more of a Kooky Halloween theme rather than a scary one. (We want everyone to have fun here, and not hide out in the kitchen.) So try using pumpkins, spiders and friendly ghosts for this crowd.

Save the really creepy, scary stuff for the kids who are old enough to scare and be scared. Here's where realistic bats, skulls, and other sinister creatures might be the biggest hit.

Electronics

You can bet the Scary Movie crowd is just waiting to be freaked out. Don't forget the fog machine, strobe lights and tombstones to get this group going.

Halloween Paper Plates, Cups, Napkins

No matter what your theme, you can be sure there is great tableware to match. Check out our party plates, cups and napkins and more!

Games

Games are a great way to get the party going. They help kids make new friends and have a few laughs along the way. Games also keep your partygoers interested and attentive. Just keep in mind who your audience is. While little ones may want to play games the entire time, teens are not going to want to be nearly as involved. Here is some inspiration for each age group.

Little tykes always enjoy a fun round of Pin The Tail on the Pumpkin and other traditional party games with a Halloween twist. Play musical hay bales or create a treasure hunt for spooky things you've hidden around the house and have your adult helpers take teams on a search.

Children who know their numbers and letters can try their luck at GHOST Bingo. Just don't tell them they're learning anything. A few rounds of Pumpkin Ring Toss can start some great competition. It's a simple game to plan IN the house. Line up 3 pumpkins and have children stand back a few feet and toss rings onto the pumpkin stems. Award points for each ringer. (Disclaimer: Please be advised that we are not encouraging you to actually toss the pumpkins, just the rings!)

Teens are big fans of reality TV, so try to create an episode of your own. Let's call it "Creating A Monster". Divide your partiers into teams and give them a basket of supplies. Allow teams ten minutes to create the scariest monster possible from the items you give them. And make it funny too. Be sure to add all sorts of things that aren't scary and make them use everything! Just keep in mind that at a teen party, you're going to have to do better than candy and toys for prizes. Gift cards are always a hit with this age group.

Trivia can be a good game for the older kids as well. There is a ton of Halloween related trivia out there. So do your research, and then ask the kids:

• Do you know where the Halloween capital of the world is? (Anoka Minnesota)
• If people didn't originally carve pumpkins like we do today, what was originally carved? Hint, it's a vegetable. (Turnip)

Make it a question and answer game, or give them a handout and let them mark each other's papers. You can bet you'll get some pretty funny answers to share with the crowd. Seriously, who would have guessed turnip?!

Or host a costume contest. Hold a secret ballot for partygoers to vote for their favorite costume at the party. Then award a really funny prize, like a new broom for the scariest witch, etc.

And no matter what age your partygoers are, pinatas are always a hit. Check out our selection. It's candy falling from the sky! Does it get any better than that?

FOOD

These days we watch people eat worms and spiders and all sorts of creepy crawlers on TV. So create some scary snacks of your own. Just don't use real bugs, ick! There are plenty of dishes you can make with gummy worms and other buggin' candies.

If you're trying to stay in control of the candy consumption, and will be serving a meal or some side dishes at your party, just make sure it's creepy cuisine. Kids will think that Spaghetti and Eyeballs is a special treat just for Halloween. No one needs to tell them that it's actually a healthy dinner.

Now that you're on your way to a great Halloween Party, why don't celebrate like you're in Anoka, MN, and make your party the Halloween capital of your neighborhood. And your kids just might think you rock! Now how often does that happen?

Party Checklist

Print out our Party Checklist.