Halloween Party Ideas

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year - a perfect opportunity to have a Halloween Party. Whether you are having a child's party or adult party there are many themes and ideas that will keep your guests talking for years. Here are a few fun and easy suggestions:

Costume Party. This is nothing new, but you can put a twist on it. You can make it a Pirates and Princess party for kids or a male/female pirates party for adults. Famous people party works best for adults, with costumes available for celebrities, sports personalities, politicians, etc. If your crowd isn't the type to put on elaborate costumes, simply ask everyone to dress in black and orange.

Non-Spooky party. Kids, especially young ones, can be scared by the darker side of Halloween. If you want a non-spooky party for kids, try a different theme like a sports party (where guests have to dress up like dancers, hockey players, football players, sumo wrestlers, etc.) Super heroes is also a fun theme. A girls' party could be princesses and fairies. Animal costumes is another easy crowd favorite - especially if you decorate the room like a Halloween barn.

Invitations. Home made invitations are always fun and impressive. You can print photos, clip art or pictures from the internet to glue on paper. You can also cut the invitation card into silhouettes - like ghosts, pumpkins, witch hats, etc. The invitation could have something that springs out when the viewer opens it. Stickers and confetti are easy ways to decorate cards. Keep the card stock in Halloween colors like black, orange, purple or green.

Decorations. My favourite party look for Halloween is to replace all of the lights in the party room with black lights. Put black tablecloths on the tables, cover the walls with black paper or black posters. Cotton batting, spread thin to look like cobwebs, can decorate your black table cloth. Get white plastic plates so they will glow in the dark and appear to be floating on the table. For kids, Mountain Dew is a great beverage to put in clear plastic glasses, since it glows in the dark. Strings of orange lights are available at many party and dollar stores. Use these to line doorways and walls, or put them inside pumpkins instead of candles.

Food: Black and orange foods are always appropriate (such as as orange cheese, Cheetos, black licorice, chocolate, pumpkin cupcakes) as is spooky baked goods and candy. Carve out pumpkins and line them with clear plastic bags to use as chip bowls or flower centerpieces. A glowing fruit punch bowl or colored ice cubes make for fun drinks.

Music. Burn a cd ahead of time with fun Halloween and Thriller type songs. Sound effects are fun to mix in. You can often rent or buy dry ice machines or disco balls if you want to make the dance floor really "spooktacular".