Halloween Party Tips - Kids to Adults

For the Kids:

General rule of thumb is to keep it simple. Kids just get excited about dressing up and hauling in the candy. Don’t stress over decorating until two in the morning or plan a bazillon games.

Set the mood with some fun music, dangle some doughnuts from a string on the back porch, set up a bobbing for apples bucket out on the lawn or in the garage, have the kids decorate their own treat bag, plus have a costume judging contest. It really can be that simple.

If you choose to have snacks at the Halloween Party avoid anything with sugar – unless you want the little ones to turn into real monsters! Get creative with veggies and fruit, have plenty of chips with tasty dips, toss in some nuts – peanuts in the shell are fun, just place them in containers out on the porch, pop up some corn as the kids arrive and put bowls full on the kitchen table.

As a group, you might opt to head out to trick or treat in your neighborhood or you can provide each child with some treasures to put in their decorated bags as they head off home.

Doughnut on a String Game:

What you need: doughnuts, scissors, string, tacks or a clothesline, a fun prize

• Buy a bunch of confectioner powdered doughnuts from your local grocer.
• Cut string into different lengths; long enough to hang from the ceiling or clothesline. Vary the lengths to the children playing the game.
• Tie one end around the doughnut, secure the other end with a tack on the ceiling or tie around on a clothesline, making sure to leave enough space for the children to stand and move around.
• Have each child stand underneath a doughnut that is high enough that they have to step on their tippy-toes.
• Have them hold their hands behind their back and at the word GO they must try to take a bite out of the doughnut – no hands allowed!
• The child that takes the first bite from the dangling doughnut is the winner.

Bobbing For Apples:

What you need: tub or basin, water, apples, timer, pen and paper, fun prize

• Fill a tub or basin with water and toss in several apples; they will float in the water.
• Have the kid participating hold their hands behind their back and at the word GO (hit the timer) they must try to take a bite out of one of the apples – no hands allowed!
• Write down name and time of the apple bite for each participant.
• The first one to get the bite out of the apple...in the best time is the winner!
• Fun Fact: On 19 February, 2008 Ashrita Furman from New York, bobbed 33 apples in one minute to establish a world record.

Carrot Curls:

• Use a vegetable peeler to cut a long strip of peeled carrot.
• Roll, secure with a toothpick, and place in a bowl of cold water in the refrigerator.
• In 2 – 3 hours remove from cold water, pull out the toothpick, stretch out the carrot curls and place on a plate.

Celery Boats:

• Cut celery stalks into three pieces.
• Fill each piece with 2 – 3 teaspoons of cream cheese.
• Mix pineapple or finely chopped apple into the cream cheese before filling the boats for added flavor and goodness.
• You might like to top the celery boats with raisins or sunflower seeds.

For the Adults:

It’s easy to have a blast-of-a-party for the big people too, especially if they still enjoy dressing up. And if you think of it as a potluck with people wearing costumes, it takes the pressure down a notch or three.

Going with a theme? Make sure to include that in the invite so people know what type of food to bring to the Halloween Party Potluck. Include your pick of their best recipe to each guest or give them a challenge to try something new.

Just like candy turns our little ones into monsters, so can alcohol at an adult-only Halloween Party. If you are hosting it’s more than okay to say NO to alcohol, divvy it out in a punchbowl – once it’s gone that’s it, or take names and keys of the DD (designated driver)!

With that said, let’s get to the plan for your perfect Halloween Bash! If you are choosing a theme decorate simply to give the feel when everyone arrives. Include the Doughnut on a String or Bobbing for Apples games as a blast-from-the-past, have a guest vote costume judging contest, play a game like Apples to Apples, or just sit comfortably around the television - with all the snacks - to watch a camp or scary Halloween movie.

Guest Vote Costume Contest:

• Announce the costume contest once all guests have arrived
• Provide slips of paper and a pen
• Decorate a box with your Halloween Party Theme or simply have guests toss their votes into a bowl
• As the evening begins to wind down pull the guest votes out to announce the winner
• Options: Set a time for all votes to be in
• Give 1st to 3rd awards - depending on the number in the crowd
• Offer winning prizes from simple to elaborate, dependent on your Halloween party budget.
• Have a printed certificate ready to hand to the winner - easy to make in any word processor
• Give the top winner a bottle of local wine: second and third gifts can be gag gifts or a printed certificate

Top Ten Adult Halloween Party Theme Ideas:

• In the Woods
• Medievally
• My Favorite Animal
• Movie Fanatic
• Day of the Dead
• Going Green
• Freak Out!
• Masquerade Ball
• Vampire Fest
• Walking Commercial