Some Spooktacular Halloween Party Ideas

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My side of the family has been doing a Halloween party for the last few years.    We are  a little spread out across the state now and everyone’s lives are so busy that it is just a nice excuse to get together and and let the cousins see each others costumes.    Matthew and I host the event but everyone pitches in with game ideas and food.  Last year we had to skip it because we were right in the middle of moving so it was pretty special this year to get to do it again and to host it in our new home. Sometimes the adults dress up and sometimes they don’t and I’m not sure who has more fun, the kids or us.  There are a lot of fun ideas out there for different Halloween games for younger kiddos.  Here are a few ideas that have been a hit for us over the years:

  1. Pin the nose on the pumpkin. Fun for all ages
  2. Pinatas are always a crowd pleaser.  I wish we had video taped the Pinata this year – it was absolutely hilarious.   We had kids ages 1- 8 taking turns hitting the pinata.  We didn’t bother blind folding them because we figured giving a small child a big wooden stick is dangerous enough.  The kids were so good about taking turns.  Each got one hit and then it was the next persons turn. We must have gone through the circuit about 8 times and we only had a small hole in it.  Finally my niece gave it a good wack and it fell off its nail.  Once that thing hit the ground it was over.  Those little bodies jumped on that pinata so fast and started punching it with a candy driven madness I could never adequately describe – it was a toddler beat down and the pinata didn’t stand a chance.
  3. One of my favorites is the grave dig.  You take those long rectangular storage totes that fit under your bed and fill them with dirt.  Make a cute little headstone out of cardboard and stick it in the front to complete the look.  Then bury a bunch of little prizes in them.   Each child can have their own or they could share. They get to dig in the grave and collect their prizes.  This could also be done out in a garden if you wanted to do it outside.
  4. Halloween Bingo
  5. Scavenger Hunts. You can find all kinds of free printable clues on line.  In the past I have hidden skeleton bones.  They have to use the clues to  get all the bones to put the skeleton back together.   Once they do this they get a prize.
  6. For the little ones you can do some fun sensory games.  My sister-in-law once put prizes in a bucketful of cooked cold spaghetti and another time she made ooze they could play with.
  7.  Halloween themed bean bag or ball toss
  8. Bob for apples.  Harder than it looks!  After have a station set up to dip in caramel and crushed up candy, nuts or cookies.
  9. This year, since we are in the country now, we added a hayride.  It was kind of cold out so we kept it pretty short but it was still a lot of fun.

These are just some ideas that I know our crew has enjoyed.  I’ve learned over the years to keep the activities simple and to be able to transition quickly.  Also to expect complete and utter maddeness and a lot of shrieking as there is so much excitement, fun and candy eating going on – and not just by me 😉

 

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