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Hosting a Halloween bash? It's a piece of cake with simple party solutions from Pillsbury!
So invite 'em over for spooky snacks, boo-tiful beverages and frightfully good fun. We've got easy ideas for any age, from pipsqueaks to adults!
PARTIES FOR PIPSQUEAKS
The youngest kiddies can be the most excited for Halloween! Here are some tips for a party that’ll keep the little pips squeaking!
Food: Pillsbury offers easy recipes galore for a kids' Halloween party! Here are a couple kiddy favorites:
Games: Halloween party games for tots are as easy as taking favorite birthday party games and adapting them with a Halloween twist. Examples:
- Pin the Nose on the Jack-o’-Lantern: A Halloween version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. You’ll need a blindfold, a large picture of a pumpkin for the wall, and a black triangle “nose” with double-backed tape for each child.
- Ghost Busters: Similar to an Easter egg hunt. Hide many small ghosts (made from tissues or construction paper) around the party scene. Give each child a Halloween bag or plastic pumpkin bucket to collect the ghosts that he or she finds. The child with the most ghosts “busted” wins.
- Costume parade – A parade around the house, classroom, or back yard is great fun for little ones dressed in costumes. Bring a portable music player and blare the marching music!
Activity: A Halloween activity like this one keeps wiggly, excited kids in one place (at least for a little while!) and gives them something fun to take home.
- Candy corn art: Use bowls of glue and candy corn to fill in outlines of Halloween shapes on paper.
HALLOW-TEEN PARTY
Older kids want more than the same old costume party. Kick it up a couple notches for your ‘tweens and teens for a party that will be the talk of Transylvania!
Food: The buffet is everything for teens! Make lots, and make sure it’s finger food for all-evening grazing. Here are a few ideas:
Themes for teens: Parties with a theme can be great fun for this age group. Examples:
- Books: That popular boy wizard doesn’t have a monopoly on this idea, but he makes a great party theme!
- Famous Athletes – Great for a high school team’s Halloween party!
- Candy: You know your favorite -- now come up with a costume to dress like it.
- Musicians: From the Fab Four to Material Girl and everyone in between.
- Era: Dig out Dad’s light blue tux from the 70s! Other fun decades: '50s or '60s!
Activities – Have a few fun things planned for your group to keep your party moving. Examples:
- Benefit: Have each guest bring a donation for a local food shelf or animal shelter. "Trick or treat" around the neighborhood to collect donations, too!
- Games: Active games are great fun. Connect games to the theme, if you can, like playing the 1966 sensation, Twister®, for your 1960s theme party. Video games that involve dancing are great, too!
- Dance: Get those old records off the shelf…and play ‘em! This is a great time for different music, especially if you have an era theme!
- Traditional faves: Bobbing for apples, charades, and scavenger hunts are all oldies but goodies.
- Carving pumpkins: Have the pumpkins ready, or have the kids each bring their own. Supply paper, pens, markers and carving tools.
SPOOKTACULAR PARTIES FOR ADULTS
Host a crazy-fun gathering featuring food and décor for your adult friends!
Food: Some buffet-table favorites:
Food tips:
- Theme it! If you are having a theme party, carry it to the food table too! Pillsbury® refrigerated Cookie Dough can be transformed into cowboy boots, movie tickets or other shapes!
- Go potluck! Avoid the hassle of doing all the food yourself by asking friends to bring an item for the table.
- Bake bread -- the easy way: If serving alcoholic beverages, have some substantial food on the table. Pillsbury® Crusty French Loaf can be baked as needed and served with store-bought dill dip or honey butter.
- Midnight snack: Serve hot coffee with mini sandwiches or a sweet treat an hour before your party ends.
Costumes: Theme parties get the costume concepts flowing. (For more ideas, see the teen party section above.)
- Country: If your posse loves rodeos, country music and cowboy boots, host a Halloween ho-down!
- Dramatic: Got some theater buffs in your midst? Make it A Night at the Oscars, with everyone dressed as a favorite actor or actress.
- Glam: Halloween can be as ritzy as the Ritz if your theme is ballroom -- black tie and ball gowns required!
- Couples: Are your guests all couples? Have them come dressed like famous pairs -- Sonny & Cher, Bill & Hillary, Romeo & Juliet, Adam & Eve, Barbie & Ken, Wilma & Fred -- there is no end to the combos!
Tablescapes: Create an easy impact by focusing eyes on the buffet table. Some examples:
- Use an orange plastic tablecloth layered under blinking Halloween string lights. Top with inexpensive black netting from a fabric store.
- Use tiered plate holders to enhance the table dimension as well as provide more usable space.
- Use battery-powered candles to eliminate safety concerns.
- Place stones in a clear vase or bowl, then position a dozen green glow-sticks into the stones for an instant Halloween “bouquet."
- Remember, one or two large table decorations are better than many small ones.
More howling good Halloween ideas:
Quick and Easy Halloween Meals >
Terrorific Halloween Treats >
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