Aside from Christmas, October 31 is one of the most thrilling holidays for many families to celebrate. Halloween is the day for trick or treats, scary witches, pumpkins, and candy. After a while, some families lose ideas to keep the holiday special, so we compiled a list of Halloween party ideas and how to make Halloween great every year!
Halloween Party Ideas for Kids
Hosting Halloween parties for children can be daunting but so much fun. There are a lot of great ideas out there to make the party as thrilling for guests as possible. Below can be an essential step-by-step for ensuring the children have the best time.
Pick a theme
There are so many incredible themes possible for Halloween parties. Kids tend to be on the lighter side with friendly Halloween traditions, costume parties, or celebrating Star Wars characters. It's vital to pick out a theme before completing any other task for a Halloween party. Otherwise, the other Halloween party ideas won't flow with the desired atmosphere.
Guest Lists and Invitations
It is wise to figure out a guest list for parties at any age. Be sure to invite the number of guests your party space can manage and leave a little wiggle room for guests that may not come or may be invited at the last minute. Inviting children from school is a lot of fun but if the entire class isn't included, be prepared for some backlash.
Invitations are so much fun and can be bought or handmade! It's easy to find DIY Halloween invitation ideas on Pinterest or order them on Etsy, but be sure to order before October 1! Be sure the invitation reflects the Halloween-themed party and includes contact information and a date for people to RSVP.
Halloween decorations
Whether the decorations are themed for Halloween's origins, spooky haunted houses, monsters, or cute Halloween fun without the scare, decorations can be a lot of fun. Many scary decorations can be store-bought, but DIY ideas are the most unique. They can cater to the desired Halloween twist.
If arts and crafts are not a favorite, people can always resort to printing Halloween scenes from Getty Images. If someone is artistically talented, Halloween scenes could be painted on canvas with acrylic paint. If using another person's artwork, be sure they are paid commissions for the artistic work they created.
Halloween Treats for Parties
Treat bags to send guests off with are great for any occasion. Consider small, age-appropriate treats, and be sure they encompass the Halloween spirit. Halloween candy is a must, and throwing in things like spider rings, candy corn, or spooky pencils and erasers is ideal. Baking some spooky treats for guests is also a good idea.
Creating Halloween-themed treats can be an easy task. There are great recipes for food, such as Halloween bark made with white chocolate or Halloween Monster Cupcakes. Halloween Sugar Cookies, preferably with Halloween-themed cookie cutters, are also fun to make. However, for the historic Halloween buff, Soul Cakes celebrates All Hallows Eve or All Saints Day on October 31. It's also never a wrong time for pumpkin pie.
Choose DIY Halloween Party Games & Activities
Halloween party games can be so much fun. There are many traditional games, such as bobbing for apples, but throwing in some curve balls may make the next Halloween party a hit! Each child could tell ghost stories, or they all can watch scary movies or something a little lighter like "Hocus Pocus."
An excellent game for little ones is "Wrap the Mummy." The kids will be broken into two teams, with one child as "The Mummy." The first team to wrap up the Mummy using a toilet paper roll wins.
Children can carve or decorate pumpkins to take home to decorate their houses. A great way to make pumpkins look great without cutting them is by painting them or gluing googly eyes and colorful yarn for hair to make a pumpkin look silly.
So many Halloween party ideas won't break the bank, and the children will thoroughly enjoy them. If all else fails, Googling Halloween games for kids can always help with brainstorming. Don't forget, if the children wear Halloween costumes, the adults can judge in a costume contest. Also, to add a little bit of fun for the chaperones, they can wear costumes too!
If the party is thrown on Halloween night, the end of the party can be the beginning of trick or treating in the neighborhood!
Hosting a Halloween Party for Teens
While many of the above can be used for teen Halloween party ideas, teen parties are not created equally. Halloween party ideas for teenagers are a lot different than for children. There are a lot of ways teen shindigs can be a treat.
Best Halloween Party Ideas for Teens
Unless teens feel nostalgic, they aren't going to go bobbing for apples, but there are a lot of great ideas to throw a teen party. For starters, every attendee should wear Halloween costumes. Allow the teens to dress in their most ridiculous attire, including the young man wearing a tuxedo as a future husband. Horror movies like "Halloween" or "Friday the 13th" can be played in the background for those interested in watching. Otherwise, it creates a spooky atmosphere for teens to enjoy.
Teenagers will probably enjoy a scary Halloween theme like the dead returned to the living world or tales of the Salem witches. Either way, teens will have to think of a scarier way to decorate, such as using dry ice to resemble fog or black and strobe lights in a dark room to make the atmosphere scary. Pumpkins carved into a frightening scene can put a spooky spin on a party. Intricate designs like Jason Voorhees for a Friday the 13th theme might be a good idea.
Halloween Party Ground Rules for Teens
With a Halloween party for teens come an extra set of rules. While teens want to hang out with their friends, they must be responsible enough to keep it clean and not allow drugs or alcohol into the party. This should always be overseen by an adult, but be sure the hosting teen is aware of the rules, as well.
Suppose the group of teens is interested in the real history of Halloween. In that case, the host could play a friendly version of historic Halloween days like "Hocus Pocus." Teens could also talk about Halloween's factual origins, including how Halloween came to America, starting in the southern colonies and growing Halloween festivities as the nation grew.
Celebrating Halloween With Family
Scary movie night
Host a scary movie night with family and friends. If October 31 falls on a Friday, you're in luck! Movie night can last all night long! Don't forget to serve popcorn and candy before the movies start!
Halloween Costumes
Don't forget to pick out a superb costume! Kiddos usually prefer to wear costumes resembling someone they admire during the holiday, but that doesn't always mean finding the right costume is easy. If children are trick or treating, they want to look their best, so getting costumes early or having a list of backup costumes may be a wise choice. If you have an infant or toddler, dressing them in a pumpkin costume could be adorable. They will stay warm and cozy.
Some young women tend to wear more revealing costumes but group costumes or dressing up as a dead bride would be better for a scary evening in the dark. Many groups dress up as the cast from "Hocus Pocus" for their scary night out. Remember, just because a person is a teenager doesn't mean they can't still go trick or treating.
Check on the Candy Selection
When a person is picking out candy for Halloween, it is essential to get candy often sought after by children. Make sure to have the best candy, so your house is the most anticipated stop during the holiday. Also, remember that some children may have allergies, so a wide selection may be best.
Trick or Treat With the Children
When it comes time to trick or treat, ensure the kids have bags for their candy, the house looks scary and filled with carved pumpkins, and the kids have the energy to walk door to door. Not only is it fun to trick or treat, but it's also fun to leave and come home to a decorated house.
Families can watch a movie after trick or treating to add a little extra flare to the holiday if it's a Friday night. Movies might be even better with a dark house, a pumpkin spice treat, and popcorn.
Get Into the Halloween Spirit at Liv Multifamily
Liv Multifamily has a lot of Halloween-themed activities for their residents to get into the Halloween spirit! The community holds Halloween kids club craft events for children to create their best Halloween décor and themed "Yappy Hours" for all of the four-legged friends to enjoy their fair share of Halloween festivities. Residents can participate in Halloween patio decorating contests or attend themed happy hours.
There is a way for everyone to enjoy the Halloween season at Liv Multifamily communities! Check out the community calendar available on the resident portal page to learn more!
Celebrating the Occasion to the Fullest
Halloween is a magical time with many different ways to celebrate with family and friends. A family's world revolves around Halloween in October. Not only does the weather get a little chillier and the days shorter, but people tend to become enthusiastic once October comes around. Be sure to start the festivities when the calendar reaches October 1.
