Halloween Party Planning for Kids

Halloween really is a great holiday for kids. I mean, what child doesn't love dressing up as a favorite superhero, a scary monster, or a beloved story character? Even better, it's actually acceptable to go door-to-door and beg the neighbors for candy.

But did you know it's possible to have even more Halloween fun with a party? Plus, when you host a halloween party your kids can wear that awesome costume for more than just a few hours on October 31.

We've got some tips for planning a halloween party--whether you're inviting a few close friends or the entire neighborhood.

We're skipping the obvious advice to get the good candy, because that's a given.

Plan Age-Appropriate Activities

Your middle schooler and your kindergartner aren't going to want to play the same games, but there's no rule that says you can't set up separate activities for different ages. Spoonful.com has lots of great printables and games for Halloween if you're looking for inspiration.

Hold a Costume Contest

Reward kids for their creativity and dedication to dressing up! The costume contest can be fun for everyone, and you can award as many or as few prizes as you want. To make sure more kids go home with prizes, just add additional categories. You can have winners for the scariest costume, the cutest costume, the most original costume, and on and on. Prizes don't have to be huge or break the bank. We recommend coloring or activity books for the younger children or a even king size candy bar. Yum!

Hayrides

Hayrides aren't feasible at every party, but if you've got the opportunity to run one? Jump on it! Safety is always the priority though, so check the local weather and make sure younger children have adult supervision during the trip. If you're really into Halloween and want your hayride to be over-the-top, invite others to set up haunted stations along the route.

What do your kids love best about Halloween parties?

Halloween Party Planning for Grown Ups

When it comes to Halloween, kids don't get to have all the fun. We've got some tips to help you plan a fun and memorable Halloween party, whether you intend to invite friends, family, or coworkers.

Pick a Theme

You might think that Halloween is a party theme in and of itself, but you could really be missing out. Some of the best parties we've attended have been Halloween parties with and additional costume theme. All those invited to the party must show up in a costume that's related to the theme. Here are some theme ideas:

• Famous couples
• Fictional characters
• 70s TV shows
• Monsters
• Famous villains

Plan Games

When it comes to party games, a Halloween favorite is the costume contest, but there are lots of other games you can play. You could try pumpkin decorating, Halloween themed Pictionary, or a scary movie trivia contest to keep things festive. Games are also good icebreakers if your guests aren't already acquainted.

Go Big with Halloween Decorations

If ever there were a time to go a little over the top with your party decor, Halloween is it! For some really extravagant Halloween decorations, check out the extreme decor in this article from TrendHunter.

What do you do to celebrate Halloween?

Fun Halloween Games for Kids

Preparing for a classroom Halloween party or a fun Halloween party at home? Then you're going to need some fun games to keep the little ghouls and goblins entertained. Pick your favorites or play them all.

Top Halloween Games for Kids

Halloween-themed Scavenger Hunt: Give the children clues that lead them to special Halloween tricks and treats. Children can play alone, in pairs, or in teams, depending on the number of guests at the party.

TP Mummy Wrap: Divide the children into teams, and have them select the member who will be the "mummy." The remaining teammates each take a toilet paper roll and go to work covering their "mummy" from head to toe. The first team to complete cover their teammate in TP wins.

Costume Contest: Let the guests vote for their favorite costumes or have a distinguished panel of judges pick the best costumes from a number of categories like best cartoon character, best superhero, best homemade costume, or whatever you can come up with.

Hot Pumpkin: You play this game just like hot potato, except you use mini decorative pumpkins or gourds instead of a potato.

Candy Counting: Count out and fill a large jar with your favorite Halloween candy like M&Ms or candy corn. When the guests arrive have them write down how many pieces of candy are in the jar. The child that comes closest without going over gets to take the jar full of candy home to share.

Halloween Bingo: You can print Bingo cards for free online or you can draw or print your own Bingo card creations.

What Are Your Favorite Halloween Games?

Free Pumpkin Carving Templates

Halloween Party Hats from the Pinwhirls Etsy Shop

Do you have fond memories of carving Halloween pumpkins? Maybe roasting the seeds for a delicious (and healthy) snack? Did you ooh and aah at all the amazing jack-o-lanterns on your trick-or-treating route?

According to the writers at Pumpkin Carving 101, jack-o-lanterns were traditionally carved from gourds or turnips and set on porches or in windows to protect deceased loved ones from evil spirits. Later on, Irish immigrants found America's native pumpkins to be much easier to carve. And, well, the rest is history.

Pumpkin carving is so much fun, and jack-o-lanterns of every shape and size make for some great Halloween party decorations. Whether you're looking for something spooky or fun, there are lots of free templates out there to try. We've round up some links to make those pumpkin carving templates easier to find.

5 Free Pumpkin Carving Template Websites

1. 12 Free Printable Pumpkin Carving Stencils: Reader's Digest has put together some great patterns. The designs look pretty easy to create, so these are good for the kids and pumpkin carving novices.
2. The Pumpkin Lady's Free Pumpkin Carving Patterns: The Pumpkin Lady's free templates change, so you might want to check back frequently for updates. She also offers exclusive patterns and freebie updates to her Facebook and Twitter followers.
3. Free Pumpkin Carving Patterns: Pumpkin Masters has some really nice carving templates too. If you're looking for carving tips, you might want to check out their how-to video.
4. Free Carving Patterns from Spook Master: In addition to some standard templates, you can also return to the site for their daily freebie pumpkin carving pattern.
5. PumpkinGlow.com: This site offers some great UN-Halloween patterns. If you want to do something out of the ordinary, this is the place to go. They have themed templates including Christian patterns, famous people templates, and special occasion patterns.

So what are your favorite ways to decorate for Halloween parties? Do you have a pumpkin carving tradition at your house?

Jack-o-lantern photo by Paul Keleher on Flickr