Halloween can be appreciated for reasons beyond trick-or-treating and dressing up in costumes. Many people enjoy the holiday through laughter and parties with friends and family.
Photo by Spiders, sxc.hu
Hosting a Halloween party may involve a lot of details, but it can also bring a sense of fun and excitement to your fall season.
Picking the DateFor your Halloween party, you can consider having the party on a few different dates. Many people celebrate a few days before Halloween and on the night before, known as Mischief Night. If you want to plan a party before Halloween, then you can schedule the party a couple days in advance.
Picking the LocationThe Halloween party could be held anywhere. Having the party in a familiar location, like your home, can make decorating and navigating the room easier. Also, you'll probably want to have easy access to the walls and ceilings if you plan to hang decorations.
If young children are attending your event, then you may want to avoid having the party in an area with several steps. Confining your party to a certain area can help parents better monitor their children's activity and keep them safe during the party.
Photo by MiiraT, sxc.hu
If you are hosting the Halloween party, make sure to plan ahead. You may decide to have decorations, games, costumes, or food. Figuring out what you want to have at your party can help you form a budget and determine how many guests to invite.
Including the following suggestions in your hosting plans can make your Halloween party a memorable event.
Send Invitations. Notifying guests a few weeks in advance of your Halloween party will give you time to prepare. Using Halloween-themed invitations can help spread the word and excitement about your party. There are online services, like Evite.com, that can distribute electronic invitations to your guests too!
Decorations. Creating or purchasing decorations to appeal to all ages can make your party fun for both adults and children. An easy approach toward decorating is to select different, yet complimentary themes. For example, you could have a theme based on the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory paired with a theme based on sugar-free products. You could affix candy button strips and wrapped sugar-free mints to your walls.
Games. There are several Halloween games that you can play, but you probably want to play games that involve more than one person at a time. Consider the following game suggestions:
- Decorating baked goods with orange and black candy
- Bobbing for apples
- Mystery substance guessing game
- Candy necklace creation
For the mystery substance guessing game, put gooey, sticky, or slimy substances in a jar and have guests guess what's inside while keeping their eyes closed. You can put spaghetti in a jar and call it worms or brains!
Costumes. As the host, you get to set the rules for wearing costumes to your party. If you ask guests to wear costumes, then consider having a costume competition with prizes!
Food. Having food at your Halloween party will not only make you the perfect host, but give you more opportunities to be creative. Selecting foods that can include Halloween colors or be labeled with ghoulish names will give your guests a fun way to eat. You could have werewolf wraps, Frankenstein fajitas, mummy munchies, or blood-orange juice drinks.
Playing fun music while your guests eat can help you set the tone for your party and encourage guests to get into the Halloween spirit. Your Halloween party should give people an opportunity to play games and have a good time. There can be as whimsical a feel to the holiday as you want. Proper planning and lots of creativity will make your Halloween party a success!