Whether you’re throwing a big bash for all the kids in the area, or a small gathering in your house, here are a few ideas to ensure your party will be memorable for all the right reasons.
Choose a great playlist – there are so many playlists out there on various streaming apps, and many you can find for free. Just select one that is child friendly and keep it on repeat for background music, or to use in your party games.
Name your foods – you don’t have to make a huge effort with the party food (though you certainly can if you have the time!) Just by giving each item a creepy name will give everyone the giggles. Breadsticks can become witches’ fingers, use a marker pen to draw pumpkin faces on tangerines, chocolate chip cookies become bug biscuits, drawer ghost faces on wrapped cheese sticks, let your imagination run wild and the possibilities are endless. You can also make them as cute and creepy or outright ghoulish and gross depending on the age range of your party.
Tweak the party games – there are so many classic party games that will go down well with any child, but why not give them an update for Halloween. Instead of just freezing at musical statues why not play zombie statues where everyone has to adopt classic zombie moves and poses throughout. Pin the broom on the witch is another one, and if you have the numbers then teams who need to wrap someone in toilet roll the fastest always brings a lot of laughter. If you can bare the mess (or perhaps one for outside), fill some cardboard boxes with different foods (the slimier, the better) and get the kids to identify the food blindfolded (ideas: cooked spaghetti, baked beans, scrambled egg!)
Decorations – it’s easier than ever to buy some fantastic Halloween decorations, and none have to be massively expensive. But an alternative to buying a load of new decorations are to make your own. Get the kids involved in cutting and colouring their own bats, ghosts and pumpkins, make paper chains together or have a contest for the best paper pumpkin, with the added bonus of being less messy than carving real pumpkins!
