A Halloween birthday just adds more fun to an already festive time — and you’ll find that decorations and spooky food items are plentiful and easy to find. Even if your child’s birthday is on October 31, it is a good idea to have your party before or after Halloween as attendance may be affected by trick-or-treating. So what are some easy tips for hosting a Halloween party? Check it out!
Choose a Theme
“Halloween” in itself suggests a theme, but there are many variations to choose from. Hosting a Halloween birthday bash for a preschooler? Consider friendly pumpkins, cheerful scarecrows and other non-scary images. Your tween may prefer a party with a little more edge — or one themed after a favorite Halloween book or movie. Need birthday supplies for older kids or teens? Then bring on the scares. Adding gory looking treats, decorations and oddities into the mix will take the party to the next level. Once you’ve selected a theme you will be able to plan the rest of the party like the menu and entertainment easily.
Select Food
A Halloween birthday party is one of the easiest gatherings to plan food for, simply because there are so many Halloween-themed treats and food decorations available. Plan your food in advance so you can buy everything you need (and also snag the decorations you want before they are gone from the store). Some of the following Halloween treats are easy to make and will accent your party:
- Red fruit punch complete with plastic cauldron as the “punch bowl” and an ice cubes in the shapes of creepy crawly creatures or hands.
- Halloween themed birthday cake, cupcakes, or cake pops.
- A candy bar — use clear jars or glass containers filled with Halloween treats in seasonal colors. Try black, orange, and white M&Ms, little candy pumpkins, candy corns and other Halloween themed treats. These make great table decorations and are all the rage.
- Hollow out pumpkins to use as serving bowls for food items or to hold flowers and other decorations.
Paper Goods
Simple black and orange paper goods go with any theme, but you can usually find a nice selection of patterns and colors beginning in late September. Scoop these up when you see them because they may not last for long. Buy more than you need for your party — you can always store them for next year or use them to add a festive touch to your dinner table after the big day has passed.
Hang a Piñata
Choose a Halloween themed piñata and fill it with Halloween treats. Using a piñata allows you to offer both a game and a treat at the same time; having an item do double duty will save you both time and money as you plan your party.
Games
Turn regular party games into a spooky Halloween game:
- Pin the stem on the pumpkin or the skull on the skeleton.
- Pumpkin lollipop pull: Drill holes into a pumpkin and insert lollipops. Make sure one of them has a dot on the bottom of the stick. The one who pulls that lollipop wins a prize!
- Scarecrow building or decorating station.
- Pumpkin painting or decorating with glitter, tape, stickers and more. This could double as a party favor as well.
Plan for Next Year
You’ve just finished the party, the piñata is cracked, cake consumed and your guests are leaving — it should be time to take a break, right? If you’ve got a child with a Halloween birthday, you’ll be hosting parties every year at this time. After Halloween sales are the best time to get decorations and party supplies for next year. You can pick up decorations of all types, Halloween fabrics and paper goods at a very substantial savings: 75-90 percent off of the pre-Halloween price. Scoop these goodies up for pennies, and store them until next year – your party prep will be even easier the next time around! (You know I love a good deal!)
What are your tips for party planning?
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