10 Steps to the
Perfect Halloween Party

1. Pick your date – 31 st October might be obvious, but if it is a school night you might want to move it to the weekend, or maybe just choose a day that doesn’t clash with someone else’s party.
2. Send out your invitations in good time, about three weeks in advance is good, especially if a costume has to be found. Always state if it is fancy dress by the way, don’t assume people will guess just because it’s Halloween.
3. Plan your menu well in advance and start trying to think up the worst food jokes you can – spaghetti and meatballs should be called eyeballs with worms, you could serve fingers (sausages) with monster mash, and green jelly makes great ectoplasm.
4. Organise the costumes well in advance – you will either need time to make them and if you are buying or hiring you will need to get in early to ensure that your children gets their first choice.
5. Decorate the house – this can range from a few pumpkin shapes to your own spooky tableau. Remember Halloween is not about good taste, so be as kitsch and over the top as you like.
6. All parties need games so have a few planned. You could go for the traditional apple bobbing or put a spooky twist to old favourites – try ‘pin the wart on the witch’s nose’, ‘musical zombies’ and to calm things down, ‘sleeping vampires’.
7. Ask some neighbours if they will be willing to take part in trick or treat. This ensures that the kids can be sure of getting some trick or treat loot!
8. Have some harmless tricks planned for the kids to play – maybe they could pull ugly faces, have a big model spider or shout boo at the same time. Never allow any of your party to do anything that could upset someone or damage property.
9. Make sure that there are enough adults to supervise the number of children in your party when trick or treating. It will be dark, and this is not the night to lose a child………
10. Have something planned for when the kids get home from trick or treating, while waiting for their parents to pick them up – colouring, crafts or have some suitable videos/DVDs available.

Great Halloween DVDs for Kids
Costumes, presents, party stuff, decorations and spooky gifts.
The Halloween Book
Ghostly Frights for Halloween Nights