Hallowe’en is a time where there are parties and events ongoing for all ages.
Some of these events are not child-friendly or welcoming, so the responsibility inevitably falls to you to create the best kids’ party this Hallowe’en! Don’t see this role of organizer as a chore however — preparation can be enjoyable and relaxing. There are a few essentials for creating a successful event, especially for children.
In this article we highlight what areas to focus on to create a successful occasion enjoyable for both the children and you as well as some examples to adopt to your event.
Food
An absolute essential for any children’s party. We aren’t just talking about a meal either. Snacks, sweets, and seasonal bites are sure to get any child exited, especially if they add to the spooky theme. Here are a few ideas to suit their needs…
Hot dog fingers
Take a break from the party activities with a party meal. The classic hot dogs often make an appearance at parties for children, due to their popularity, simplicity, and variability. We can add a special Hallowe’en twist on this simple meal, with no added ingredients. All that’s needed is a sharp knife. By making the ‘dogs’ look like fingers they will add to the Halloween aesthetic, and the ketchup will make this look even more realistic and tastier. To do this, cut off the tip at one end of the hot dog and on the other side slice the skin of the sausage to replicate the shape of a nail. Finally put two lots of three shallow slits to imitate knuckles. Smother the ‘dog’ with ketchup to give the amputated bloody effect we are aiming for.
Sweets
A no-brainer! Hallowe’en is all about tricks, treats, sweets and surprises. No Hallowe’en party is complete without a bowl or bucket brimming with some sweet treats. If you can locate a bucket that really sums up Hallowe’en, like a pumpkin or a skull, this will be the perfect housing to put in your favourite sweets. Go all-out Hallowe’en style and fill the pot with gummy worms, chocolate pumpkins (and ensure there is a vegan chocolate option).
Pumpkin Fruit Platter
Halloween is renowned for stuffing children full of sugar and unhealthy foods. This next option can be a part of the decoration while providing a tasty, healthy snack. You’ll be creating a pumpkin out of various fruit! Using orange slices to cover a plate you can create a pumpkin artwork. By replacing some of the slices with black grapes and blueberries you can create the face necessary for a scary pumpkin snack.
Toffee Apples
A classic for this time of year — the healthy snack turned slightlyunhealthy. The snack will keep them occupied for a while or can be offered as a parting gift or in a giftbag. Just note it might not be suitable for very young children.
Decorations
It isn’t Halloween if there aren’t hundreds of pumpkins, skeletons, and spooky outdoor banners scattered around your street. Your occasion must have at least a few decorations, and we are going to share some of the most effective, inexpensive, and stylish ways to spruce up the event.
Balloons
Plain balloons are relatively inexpensive decorations and can really cement the aesthetic if you keep an ongoing colour scheme throughout. A classic colour scheme is orange and black, but purples and greens fit just as well! By tying these pairs to corners of the room, curtain rails, and banisters, it can make the decorations seem more consistent throughout the house. Don’t forget just to leave some loose on the floor, as this will not only provide enjoyment to the children, but means the decorations are more engaging.
Plates
Paper plates and children’s parties go hand in hand but there’s no need to stick with the common white paper plates. For just a little more, you can get Hallowe’en-styled plates, once again making the whole event more engaging and spookier. These can be found at almost all supermarkets or stores with a Hallowe’en aisle.
Bats
A simple DIY decoration, this can cover some serious wall space! You can create this bat using just black paper and blue tac. Fold some black paper in half and cut out the shape of half a bat along the fold this way when unfolded the bat will be able to be tacked.
Pumpkins
It’s not Hallowe’en if you don’t have pumpkins. It can be a fun carving activity to do with your children or friends before the event, and that way there are jack ‘o’ lanterns ready for the night.
Activities
Of course, children need to have some kind of game or plan to the night, as civilized chat isn’t on their agenda. Here are a few activities they are sure to love…
Pinata
Any excuse to get more sweets, right? There are many shapes and characters that they can come in, so finding a Hallowe’en version is not going to be a challenge. This activity will provide a quick burst of fun and food.
Apple Bobbing
The classic game of trying to bite apples out of a big bowl of water, this can be adapted into a team relay and first team to remove all their apples wins. Make sure that you watch while the children do this activity as it isn’t without a tiny bit of risk with running and putting their face in water. As they are children make sure you don’t use big apples, the smaller they are the easier it will be.
Mummy Wrap
A fun cheap activity for the children, and quite Hallowe’en themed. It’s a race to use up a full role of loo roll to cover a candidate as quickly as possible. If you want to make it last longer you can add specifications time penalties for ripping the roll or first team to wrap all members (harder than it sounds!).
Pumpkin Hunt
Not all hunts happen during Easter. A pumpkin hunt can involve the exterior of the house too — even if it rains you can just get all participants to wear children’s raincoats and avoid the weather, or you could do it inside. You don’t have to use actual pumpkins either. Pictures and sweets can be a good replacement.
Feel Box
What’s better than touching a disgusting, slimy mystery item for fun? Correct, nothing! The children will feel the exact same. Using something like a tissue box to conceal an item, they’ll then put their hand in and inspect what they can feel. Choose items that will replicate body parts or just feel slightly odd — some great examples are cold cooked spaghetti, a peeled tomato, or a cheese string to imitate scary objects. A good finale is to fill a rubber glove with flour or sand, the perfect spooky finale!
Choose just a few of these activities and your party is sure to be a success, enjoyable for the kids and yourself. Or, how does having the party prep done for you sound? Muddy Puddles are giving you the chance to win some fang-tastic Hallowe’en goodies for your little ghouls, including one of our waterproof EcoSplash jacket and a hamper full of tasty treats. Simply enter the competition now, and get your kids ready for spooky season with us!
Happy Hallowe’en!