10 Tips for Planning a Halloween Party for Kids (2023)
October is finally here, and you know what that means…Halloween is just around the corner! You probably can’t wait until 31st October 2023 to have fun participating in Halloween activities with your family, especially now that it is easier to do so without worrying about the threat of the pandemic like it was in the past few years.
However, if you are planning to throw a Halloween party for your kids and their friends, things can be difficult sometimes.
Every year, the scary and spooky tricks associated with Halloween parties prompt some parents to keep their kids out of Halloween celebrations because many usually report having nightmares later.
As such, many parents opt for the safe route of only making pumpkin carvings and wearing Halloween costumes but do nothing more. By doing this, you and the children are missing out on many of the other fun Halloween activities that your kids could enjoy.
Since you are here, you probably want to take things up a notch this year by planning a Halloween party for your kids and their friends. If you are looking for tips on how to plan a Halloween party for kids that will be fun and won’t be too scary for them, this post has got you covered.
There are many activities you can do to ensure a magical and fun Halloween party with kids at home, either alone as a family or with friends.
Below are some tips for planning a happy Halloween party for kids.
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How to Plan a Happy Halloween Party for Kids
- Prepare ahead of time
The success of any party depends on how well you prepare for it, and planning a Halloween party for kids is no exception!
To throw a fun Halloween party for kids, you will need to think about several aspects such as the theme colors, costumes, decorations, the time, and venue for the event in advance.
The first step when planning a Halloween party for kids is choosing the theme of the event. This is because the theme determines the types of decorations, foods, and Halloween costumes to wear.
The most common Halloween party theme colors are black and orange. You can also try something different, such as circus or magical forest themes, ones inspired by their favorite movies/cartoons, or any other themes that create a haunted atmosphere.
Once you have chosen the best Halloween theme for the children’s party, set the time and find a venue for the event. The venue for the Halloween party for kids could be at home, a haunted house, a park, or anywhere else you prefer.
The next activity to do when planning a Halloween party for kids is to create and send out invitations to your other friends who have kids.
Make a Halloween-themed invitation card for the kid’s party and don’t forget to include the duration it will last as well as the preferred Halloween costumes depending on the theme you chose.
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- Decorate
Next, you will need to set a spooky mood using creepy Halloween decorations and installing props all over the venue.
There are plenty of options available for Halloween decoration ideas that set a spooky mood you can choose from, ranging from colored lights to creepy cobwebs.
If you’re making the Halloween party decorations yourself, ensure they are easy to make so that the kids can help out preparing them.
Since you are planning a Halloween party for kids, don’t use decorations that might be too terrifying that they could make them traumatized or experience nightmares after the party.
Some ways to make the venue of the Halloween party for kids creepy but not too terrifying include, covering the furniture with white sheets to create a spooky scene or using colored lights to reduce the lighting of the place making it even more ghostly and mysterious.
If they are more adventurous, you could also hide plastic snakes, spiders, and rats underneath seats, tables, or beds to scare the kids during the Halloween party.
Additionally, you can cut ghostly silhouettes and place them inside lampshades to scare kids with spooky shadows when they turn the lights on.
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- Make or buy Halloween costumes for kids
Choosing the costumes is probably the most crucial part of planning a Halloween party for kids. If you want them to have fun, involve the kids when buying or making their costumes.
Be creative with the Halloween costumes you choose to buy or make with your kids, as they are what makes a Halloween party for kids fun as they compare theirs with those of their friends.
Halloween costumes can be expensive. So, if you are on a budget or have the skills, you can make DIY Halloween kids costumes at home by putting together pieces from old clothes.
When planning a Halloween party for kids, you can also buy the materials needed and make Halloween costumes for your children from scratch. Choosing to make the kids Halloween costumes yourself not only helps you save money but also allows you to add a personal touch to them.
If you don’t have time to make them, can afford them, or your kid wants a specific costume, you can look for ready-made Halloween costumes for kids from your local craft stores or buy them on Etsy.
There are many types of scary Halloween costumes for kids to choose from as well as others that are not so frightening such as those inspired by characters from their favorite movies and cartoons.
If they prefer them, you can also get superhero costumes for kids to wear on Halloween, such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Black Panther, Spiderman, or Captain America costumes.
If they want to look scarier during the kids’ Halloween party, look for witches and wizards costumes for children. You could even have them wear witch hats, Halloween masks, or fairy tale character costumes.
Halloween is the perfect time for the kids to fulfill their fantasies and pretend to be anyone they want or aspire to be. Whichever outfit they choose to wear to the Halloween party for kids should stand out and contribute to the haunted atmosphere.
To make it better, consider wearing cute family Halloween costumes such as those based on families and characters from their favorite movies.
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- Try Halloween makeup ideas for kids
The Halloween costume you and your kids choose for the party can’t be complete if they don’t wear makeup to match.
The atmosphere at the Halloween party will feel even more haunted if you have some ghostly ‘creatures’ roaming around. For the Halloween party for kids, turn them into little monsters by having them put on Halloween makeup suitable for kids.
Face painting is one of the best Halloween makeup ideas for kids. You could have them wear scary sugar skull, witch, vampire, pirate, or flames face paint. You could also make them look like some fuzzy characters from their favorite movies or some other animal they like.
Since you are planning a Halloween party for kids, avoid makeup ideas that could be too scary such as bloodied zombies or sewn/stitched up mouth. You don’t want them to have nightmares for the rest of their lives.
- Play eerie suspenseful Halloween music
There is no better way to get the party started than by playing some creepy Halloween music in the background. Haunting music will set the chilling and spooky atmosphere associated with Halloween as soon as someone walks into the venue.
However, you must keep in mind that you are planning a Halloween party for kids. Hence, you should select kid-friendly music that will set a spooky mood while still driving the kids to the dance floor instead of making them scream or tremble in a corner crying.
Some of the best Halloween music that will bring your party to life include The Monster Mash by Bobby “Boris” Pickett, Trick or Treat by Justin Roberts, Halloween Sharks by Pinkfong, and Witch Doctor by David Seville.
You can get them on CD or stream/download Halloween music on online streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple, or YouTube.
- Prepare Halloween food
You are probably wondering, what do people eat at a Halloween party for kids? Like every other aspect of planning a Halloween party for kids, the dishes served should also be spooky and fun.
The list of Halloween recipe ideas that kids will enjoy while also bringing out the chills is endless.
For example, you could try googly eyes monster donuts, witch hats candy, witch finger cookies, oreo eyeball cookies, or any other snacks in Halloween-inspired shapes. However, avoid overwhelming the kids by serving things like scary bloody eyeballs.
Halloween and candy go hand in hand; whether it is for giving out to other children who are trick-or-treating or for a Halloween party for kids. Therefore, don’t forget to have candy for desserts when planning a Halloween party for kids.
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- Prepare Halloween drinks
In addition to creepy foods, let the kids have fun with their favorite drinks during the Halloween Party.
Put the ordinary soda bottle or glasses away, and instead, replace them with kid-friendly Halloween drinks in mysterious-looking bottles with funny names, such as wicked witch punch, spider web drink, vampire float, or voodoo punch, among many others.
Offer the kids creepy-colored shakes, cocktails, slime, fog, swampy water, and all sorts of healthy concoctions you can think of during the Halloween party.
When planning a Halloween party for kids, you could also make the drinks more fun and scary by adding some edible eyeballs or creepy gummy worms in them.
- Share Halloween jokes and spooky stories
Cracking some spooky Halloween jokes and telling kid-friendly frightening stories are some of the best Halloween party activities for kids. The jokes and stories will keep the kids on their toes and laughing throughout the party.
When planning a Halloween party for kids, allocate time for either you or anyone else to crack jokes during a question-and-answer session or tell ghost stories that relate to Halloween-inspired characters such as witches, ghosts, werewolves, and vampires.
The kids will be squealing with laughter at the jokes while also being intrigued by the spooky Halloween stories for children. Check out some Halloween jokes for kids here.
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- Watch family-friendly Halloween movies
Halloween is the perfect time to watch horror movies and you should remember to allocate time for this activity when planning a Halloween party for kids.
But since you are throwing a Halloween party for kids, remember to choose kid-friendly Halloween movies, many of which you can easily find on Netflix or other streaming services.
For the kids who are not running around or playing trick-or-treat, get a family-friendly spooky Halloween movie to make the party more exciting.
Since they will have different preferences, ensure each of the children is having a great time and change it if you see them losing interest.
There are a lot of Halloween-themed movies available on Netflix and Disney that are suitable for kids of all ages. Some of the top family-friendly Halloween movies available to watch include Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021), Scoob! (2020), The House With a Clock in Its Walls (2018), Coco (2017), Super Monsters Save Halloween (2018), A Babysitters Guide to Monster Hunting (2020), and The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008).
Bring along some popcorn and watch these kid-friendly Halloween movies together.
If you have a backyard, you can move the party outside and make it an outdoor Halloween movie night.
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- Play Halloween games
Keeping kids entertained during the Halloween party can be tricky. So, aside from watching movies, you have to come up with more fun activities to do on Halloween with kids.
For instance, to make the party more enjoyable and keep them happy, you can play some Halloween games for kids that could either be homemade, purchased, or in the form of fun activities.
Since children love games, playing them will be fun and make the Halloween party for kids livelier.
When planning a Halloween party for kids, look for spooky Halloween game ideas that will keep the kids active and entertained.
Some popular Halloween party games for kids include spider web weaving, witch hat ring toss, Halloween scavenger hunt, truth or scare, pumpkin bowling game, dance contests, donut eating race, popping the pumpkin balloons, and Halloween candy guessing game.
These Halloween games will keep the kids occupied and make sure they are having fun.
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Final Words
As you can see, planning a Halloween party for kids isn’t too difficult. Whether it will only be your family or more friends are invited, you can always have a happy and fun Halloween party with kids and keep them from being too scared.
Your kids shouldn’t stay on the sidelines when it comes to marking the Halloween celebrations anymore. With a bit of creativity, you can throw a seriously spooky Halloween party that the kids will remember and look forward to each year.
You now know how you can turn Halloween into a fun experience for your little monsters. Use the above tips to plan a fun and happy Halloween party that the kids will never forget.
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These are some great tips to make sure a party goes smoothly (even without kids, tbh). I think be this organised about it will take a lot of the stress out of getting it all to come together — thanks for sharing!
You are welcome and Thank you so much for reading. Molly❤️