How To Throw a Halloween Party

A Halloween party can be a great way to celebrate Fall with your family and friends. Never thrown one before? Here are some tips on how to throw a great Halloween party:

1. Pick a date. Remember, Halloween is a busy season and many neighborhoods have trick or treating on Halloween night. When selecting a date for your party, try to choose a date that won't interfere with your guest's other Halloween plans. The weekend before Halloween is often a good date for a Halloween party.
2. Spooky Invitations. Your invitation will set the tone for your party. If you're creative, you can make pumpkin-shaped invites using orange and black construction paper. If you'd rather buy ready-made invitations, check your favorite party supply store or party website for spooky designs. Be sure to include RSVP information on your invitation as well the party details (like the start and end time of the party and information about costumes).
3. Decorations. Decorating for your Halloween party will be one of the most fun parts of your party planning. Adorn your party room with fake cobwebs, carved pumpkins and plastic skeletons. Decorate your front yard with styrofoam cutouts to make a graveyard--cut styrofoam into the shape of tombstones and paint names of the "deceased" on them. Hang orange and black crepe paper throughout the house and dim the lights-- have your party by candlelight instead (but keep candles out of reach of children).
4. Music. Get your guest in the Halloween spirit by playing spooky music. Buy a CD of Halloween tunes or haunted house sounds (creaking doors, screams and scary cackles). Some good choices include "Andrew Gold's Halloween Howls" and "Very Scary Music: Classic Horror Themes" by Roy Shakked. For a children's Halloween party, try "Spooky Music: Music for Little People", which features kid-friendly renditions of "Dem Bones" and "If You're Scary and You Know It."
5. Costumes. One of the best parts of any Halloween party is the costumes. Consider giving out prizes for the Most Creative Costume, Scariest Costume, Funniest Costume, etc. Encourage your adult guests to get decked out for your Halloween bash--after all, Halloween's not just for kids!
6. Food. Serve up some Fall favorites like apple cider and pumpkin bread. For a children's Halloween party, the food should look "gross" but taste good. Sandwiches are always a good party food, but for your party, you can decorate regular sandwiches by using olives for eyeballs and roasted red peppers for tongues. Make a "witches brew" punch and serve it up in a plastic black cauldron, which you can buy at any party store. Chocolate pudding topped with crushed chocolate crumbs and gummy worms makes for a yummy "worms in dirt" treat. Use pumpkin- or ghost-shaped cookie cutters to cut cheese into Halloween shapes. Fry up some breaded chicken strips and serve them as "witches fingers"-- then dip them in blood (ketchup).
7. Pumpkin Carve. Stock up on some pumpkins in a variety of sizes and have a pumpkin carving contest for your guests. Supply your guests with carving tools, stencils and markers and see who can carve up the best pumpkin design. Display all of the pumpkins afterwards by putting lit candles inside and let them glow! Make sure that all children are supervised during the pumpkin carving.
8. Games. No party is complete without a few party games. Fill a tub with water and apples and have your guest bob for apples--make sure to blindfold your guests to make the apple bobbing more difficult. Children love stories, so read some ghost stories like The Headless Horseman and Other Ghoulish Tales by Maggie Pearson and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammel. Play a "Guess the Body Parts" game by having blindfolded guests put their hand in a box or a bowl and try to guess what "body parts" they feel--you can use items like pickles (for noses), grapes (for eyeballs), popcorn kernels (for teeth) and banana peels (for tongues).

By using these tips you can have a great Halloween bash that your family and friends will still be talking about long after the party has ended.