What could be more fun than having a Halloween party at night? With the fall season comes earlier nightfall, which is perfect for throwing a super spooky Halloween party for older kids. If the weather cooperates, you can really make things festive by holding some of the activities outdoors. Using some of the following ideas, scare and delight older children by holding a nighttime Halloween party that their friends will be talking about until Christmas!
When and Where
When deciding when to have the party, take into consideration the other events going on in your community for the holiday. Most kids go trick-or-treating, so don’t schedule it on the night that takes place. You don’t want the kids to have to choose between two fun activities. Once you’ve decide when, pick a good location. If you plan to have some activities outdoors, it’s fun to have some scary, dark places such as woods or cornfields to incorporate into the scheme. If that isn’t possible, you can decorate your yard with creepy lighting and other décor for a super-spooky ambiance. If you’re having the party at your house, be sure to decorate every area that guest will be in to make it extra fun.
Decorations
Because older kids love to be scared, you can really go all out on the decorations. Don’t be afraid to include fake blood, dismembered body parts and spooky sounds in the décor. Place dark coverings over the windows to block out all light from the outside and use spooky black lights or colored bulbs for a creepy effect. Spread fake spider webs and fake spiders throughout the area, too. The idea is to make things difficult to see like in a haunted house, so the children are surprised by what they feel. Fear of the unknown is extremely effective in successful Halloween decoration.
Treats
The usual decorated cupcakes, cookies and apple cider is good for any Halloween party, but if you’re looking for something a little more….spooky, then this list of ideas certainly fits the bill:
- Swamp Juice: A putrid green colored punch that looks awful but tastes great. Ingredients: one 13-oz package of Kool-aid, one cup sugar, 8 cups water, one can frozen orange juice, 4 cups ginger ale, 3 scoops orange sherbert. Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl and add raisins to serve as “bugs.”
- Spider Cakes: Prepare any cake batter and pour into mini muffin tins with liners and bake according to directions. When cool, ice with frosting and coat with black sanding sugar. Use red cinnamon candies for the eyes and black thin licorice whips for the legs.
- Worms in Dirt: This funky appetizer combines hotdogs and black beans for a dip that’s almost too scary eat. Slice hotdogs in lengthwise, thin strips and place on top of the black beans in a shallow bowl and serve with corn chips.
- Dead Man’s Finger Sandwiches: Ingredients: white bread, peanut butter, strawberry jam, almonds. Using a rolling pin, roll the bread flat. Spread peanut butter in middle and roll. Trim one end rounded, add an almond with a dab of peanut butter to look like a fingernail. Use a blunt knife to make lines to simulate knuckles and add a dollop of strawberry jam at the other end to look like blood.
Activities
- Ghost in the Graveyard (outside after dark): What is it? Blindfold each player, one at a time, and have them try to identify by feel what’s in the bowl. Make jello with grapes to make it seem like floating eyeballs or cauliflower and cottage cheese for brains. Another good one is cooked spaghetti; it feels like guts when you’re blindfolded.
