Last week, we gave you tips on the logistics of invitations, food, and decorations for your upcoming Halloween party. Planning a party can be overwhelming, but we are here to help! In this blog, we are continuing our theme with some ideas for music, games, and prizes for your party.
Music
Decorations are great, but music is what really sets the mood for any party. Music streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music all have public playlists that you can use as-is, or you can make your own playlist. If possible, scatter speakers around the venue so that the music isn’t too loud in one spot but too quiet in others. You want the volume to be loud enough so guests can hear it, but not so loud they can’t have a conversation. If you’re having a dance floor, you can raise the volume in that area.
Activities and prizes
- Decorate your own cookies: this is an activity adults and kids alike will enjoy. Set out sugar cookies (cut into Halloween shapes like pumpkins and ghosts), frosting, sprinkles, and anything else you like to put on your cookies. Don’t forget knives (cheese spreaders work well too!) and plenty of napkins. You can even make it a competition and have guests vote on the best-decorated cookie.
- Photo booths at Halloween parties are underrated. Everyone puts so much effort into their costumes that they deserve to be photographed! Set up the photo booth near the entrance, so guests see it as soon as they arrive. Check out our blog on setting up a photo booth for decorating ideas.
- A costume contest is a classic, and it’s a good way to ensure most of your guests will put some effort into their costume. You can stick to just a “best overall costume” award, or you can have different categories, including best overall, scariest, best group, funniest, most creative, and so on.
- A pumpkin carving contest is another Halloween tradition. This one can get messy, though, and it may be best if you can make it happen outside. If you don’t have any outside space, you could have a pumpkin decorating contest instead, and just have guests draw on the pumpkins.
- A fun group game is Mummy Wrap – where you divide your guests into teams and they select one team member to be the mummy, and the rest of the team wraps the mummy in toilet paper. Set a time limit, and when time is up, a panel of judges will vote on the best mummy.
- Dangling donuts: hang donuts on strings from the ceiling or a clothesline. Guests must eat the donuts as fast as they can without using their hands. This one can get messy!
- If you’re looking for a less involved game, try a “guess how many” game. Fill a jar with Halloween candy, plastic bugs, fake eyeballs, or something similar, and have guests write down their guess, and their name, on a piece of paper. At the end of the night, review the guesses. Whoever gets closest to the correct number gets a prize. If you’ve filled the jar with candy, the jar itself makes an excellent prize.
- Set a timer for 5 minutes and have guests blow up a balloon. After tying it closed, they should tape it to a wall or table and then draw a jack-o-lantern face on the balloon. The trick is they have to hold the marker in their mouths! Give prizes for the silliest, scariest, and best overall faces.
When planning prizes, you’ll need to decide if you’re only going to give a prize for first place, or if you’ll have second and even third place prizes. Prizes can be anything from a few pieces of candy to a whole pumpkin pie to a personalized whiskey decanter set, depending on your budget and the level of participation you expect from your guests.
Party favors
Is there even a Halloween party favor other than candy? Well, yes, but candy is probably the best one.
Add personalized stickers for a fun touch, or use mason jars rather than candy bags for a more long-lasting gift.
Personalized shot glasses, cups, or koozies are both fun and practical, so they make great favors as well.
You can put your name and party date on them, or stick to quotes about Halloween in general:
- Eat, drink, and be scary!
- Get Sheet Faced (ghost)
- Pick your poison
- Get into the spirit of it
- Get lit (jack o' lantern)
The last step is for you to have fun! Once the guests start arriving, it's time to quit worrying about anything you may have forgotten and just relax. Mingle with your guests and don't forget to eat! You've worked hard and you deserve to have a great time.