How to Host a Halloween Party for Kids

Get ready for some serious sugar highs and heeby-jeebies because this Halloween party is all about getting the little ones grossed out and sugared up. Get ready for the oooohhhhs and aaahhhhhs because it’s gonna be a good one!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Marshmallows
• Colored beanbag chairs
• Ribbon, lifesavers or gummysavers
• Sugar cookies, frosting, cake decorations, candy, sprinkles, cardboard base covered with tin foil
• Pedestals, glass bowls, candy
• Candy hearts, pen, foil
• Pancakes, cake decorators, sprinkles, chocolate chips
• Button candy, large swirl lollipops, lollipop tree
• Jars covered in fabric or foil, gross supplies to place inside

Invitations

1. Write or print the party information (date, time, location, etc.) on a sticky label, place it on a box of candy. Use words that relate to candy like: “Be part of the sticky-icky and come to our Halloween ooozzee-fest ’06.” Wrap the candy box with foil so the kids feel like they are unwrapping something special.

Decor

2. Place large glass bowls full of candy on zinc or wooden pedestals.
3. Use button candies as wallpaper to cover a table or wall.
4. Make a lollipop tree and use it as a centerpiece (see link to instructions below).
5. Scatter brightly colored beanbag chairs around.

Activities

6. Candy necklaces: String Lifesavers or Gummysavers onto ribbon.
7. Pancake decorating: Make Mickey Mouse pancakes (three circles connecting in the pan) and set out cake decorations, chocolate chips, sprinkles, blueberries, and so on.
8. Sugar cookie house: Pre-bake sugar cookies from gingerbread house templates (see link below). Let the kids construct and decorate the house with frosting, candies (gum drops, licorice, M&M’s, Hershey kisses, etc.), sprinkles, and cake decorators. Before the party, cover cardboard with foil as the bases to erect the dream cookie houses on.
9. Chubby bunny: Don’t forget to play “chubby bunny.” Have a few bags of marshmallows on hand. Get everyone together, give each kid one marshmallow, then go down the line to each person and make them say "chubby bunny." After everyone has said it make them put another marshmallow in their mouth and go down the line again. Continue the process to see who can clearly say “chubby bunny” with the most marshmallows in their mouth (disqualify people as the game goes on if they can’t clearly say “chubby bunny”). Have a candy basket or sweet prize ready for the winner.
10. Guess what's in the jar: To gross everyone out, play this game. Have several jars with large enough openings so each kid can stick his or her hand in them. Cover them with foil or fabric. Then fill each one with something sticky, gooey, gross, or mushy. Have each child stick their hand in just once and try to guess what's in the jar. Here are a few examples:
    
    • Cooked spaghetti noodles: worms
    • Grapes covered in applesauce: eyeballs
    • Slime: brains
    • Jell-O with rats in it: the sewer

Tips & Warnings

• When working with food, kids tend to follow the “one for you, two for me" policy, so be sure to have plenty of extra supplies on hand.

Who Can Help:

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