Planning a Hauntingly Fun Halloween Party

A Halloween party is a fun fall tradition in the classroom, at work and at home. From creepy creature and haunted house themes to bright harvest festivals, Halloween parties are fun for every age.

Party Themes
Halloween parties can be as creative and clever as any other, so take some time to explore themes that stand out, yet still deliver the thrills and chills that the holiday has to offer. Here are a few fresh theme ideas:

Pumpkin Harvest. Plan your party around the symbol of the season. Decorate with orange and green, and serve pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies and other orange food. Invite guests to participate in a pumpkin-decorating contest (carved or painted), play pumpkin-themed games and share the harvest by delivering the carved jack-o-lanterns to a nursing home or assisted-care facility.

Creature Feature. Showcase the famous monsters of Hollywood. Transform your home into a movie sound stage and invite guests to dress as movie monsters. Let several teams each create a three-minute home monster movie and record it. After the screening (or screaming) takes place, award a ghastly prize to the best one. After the games and food, settle down to watch a true Halloween movie classic.

Wizard's Ball. Throw the most magical of party using a wizard or enchantress theme. Twinkle lights and cutouts of the sun, moon and stars can turn a home into an enchanted castle. Invite a mystical crystal ball reader to tell fortunes or a magician to wow the crowd. After wizard-themed games, treat guests to delicious food, such as star cookies and star-tipped fruit kabobs that represent magic wands.

Invite the Neighborhood
Halloween parties can thrill just about anyone, so they are perfect for bringing the diverse people who make up a school, a church or a neighborhood together. Try some of these ideas to ensure a successful gathering.

Neighborhood Potluck. Hold a block party where everyone is invited. Guests can move from house to house for a progressive dinner-style meal, or they can bring items to one location. A homemade haunted house can be set up in someone's garage, and the neighborhood kids can make crafts and play games. Play creepy music in the background, but turn it down low when it's time to tell scary stories.

Halloween Carnival. Many communities combine the creepiness of Halloween with the fun of a carnival. Games take on a spooky twist, such as pin-the-tail on the goblin, pumpkin bowling and the Cake Walk of the Living Dead. Of course, no carnival would be complete without a costume contest and plenty of treats.

Trunk or Treat. In this new tradition, families gather their vehicles together in a blocked-off parking lot to distribute candy to costumed kids. Plan for a tailgate meal of chili, hot dogs or potluck items and, when it's dark, its time to trick-or-treat. Hold a contest for the best decorated trunk, and serve plenty of hot cider and hot chocolate.

10 Tips for a Scary Soiree
There's no wrong way to host Halloween parties, but you should simplify things as much as possible when party planning. By following this advice, everyone on the guest list will agree that your parties are the best around.

1. Invitations. Send out invitations at least three weeks before the party date. That way, guests have time to plan for your party and any other parties they might attend. Make sure to include RSVP information so you'll know how many people to expect.
2. Decorations. Given the cost of Halloween decorations, turning your house into a haunted one can get pricey in a hurry. As long as you have a few Halloween lights, mood lighting, ghostly sounds, sweet treats and some terrifying sights, everything else is just extra.
3. Fire safety. Don't use lit candles as decoration. When your house is crowded with people and kids are running around in flowing costumes, candles should never be lit. Electric candles are on the market that cast the same eerie glow within a jack-o-lantern, minus the danger.
4. Play a Halloween CD. Whether you choose to play a soundtrack of a famous Halloween movie, a specially compiled mix CD or a sound effects CD, there's no better way to set the mood than with the right sound. You can also find Halloween CDs just for kids.
5. Food. You'll have candy, of course, but you'll still need some menu items that are wholesome and filling, yet still fun. Non-sweet options could include pizza bites, veggies with dip or bread sticks.
6. Activities for kids. Turn any regular game into a ghost-friendly one. Duck Duck Goose becomes Witch Witch Ghost, and relay races can incorporate fiendishly clever items such as a broomstick relay or a black cauldron beanbag toss. Plan for more than you need in case you have extra time or need to start something new.
7. Activities for adults. Whether it's adults only or a family affair, adults want to be entertained, too. Friendly competitions are always fun, such as pumpkin-carving contests and toilet-paper mummy-wrap races.
8. Tell a scary story. Hundreds of haunted tales are waiting to be told, so pick one and share it with the group. A good storyteller can enthrall adults just as easily as kids. Create an atmosphere of suspense by dimming all the lights except the one nearest you.
9. Take pictures. No holiday is better suited for the camera than Halloween. From creative costumes to funny antics during games, try to capture each moment on film or tape.
10. Plan for the weather. Outdoor Halloween parties are vulnerable to bad weather. Make sure you have a backup plan in place in case the October skies have other ideas. Move the party into the house, a large garage, gymnasium or rec center.