Indoor Activities

Planning your party indoors ensures there won't be any adverse effects from the weather. Here are some fun activities and games to do when your ghosts and goblins arrive. Always have some extra games planned, in case they don't take as long as originally planned.

Crafts

Halloween party activities
Gorgeous pumpkins decoration. Photo: Good housekeeping

The most popular thing to do is to paint and decorate pumpkins. If you do this, choose small to medium-sized pumpkins that are easy to carry, and have plenty on hand in case one of your guests make a mistake and need to start over. You can find many magazines and party planning books that have fun Halloween crafts to make with construction paper, beads, gourds, pipe cleaner and just about anything else you can think of.

Cooking and Baking

Bake and decorate Halloween cookies and candy. Have all recipes out and ready to go. Be prepared and consider mixing some of it up ahead of time. Keep party favor bags handy so your guests can take home the treats.

Apples Bobbing

One of the oldest traditions of Halloween games. The size of the tub and apples will make a considerable difference in the difficulty of the game. For children, make the apples smaller and the tub shallower. Choose a soft variety of apples, they're easier to bite into.

Pick off the stems before dropping into the water and have paper towels on hand for afterward. Prizes are commonly awarded for those who first retrieve an apple, specially marked apples, and all of those who successfully fetch an apple. Use your imagination on this one, and you'll get some great ideas

According to Easy-party-game, For hygiene reasons, you may prefer to have a separate bowl for each child or change the water between each child. However, If you don't like the idea of water all over the place or wet kids then the alternative is to hang the apples on a string.

Haunted House

This takes a lot of effort and planning. Set up your garage or part of your house for a good, old-fashioned spookfest. Enlist some volunteers to dress up as monsters, vampires, zombies, etc, to scare your guests as they venture through. Use special lighting such as strobe lights and blacklights to set the atmosphere and don't forget sound effects.

Halloween Costume Contest

Halloween party activities
Halloween funny costume. Photo: Fox News

This contest is a must for any Halloween Party! Choose the categories for the contest ahead of time and let your guests know well in advance so they can plan their costumes accordingly. You can hand out a certificate and prize for each category winner.

Outdoor Activities and Games

Outdoor parties are at the mercy of the weather. On your invitations, clearly state that the party will take place outdoors and that a jacket or coat may be needed after the sunsets. Have an alternate location and activity for a backup plan, and put that at the bottom of your invitation. Take every precaution necessary to ensure safety and you must consider any liability issues.

Hayrack Ride

Hayrack rides are traditional Halloween party fun! For those of you who live in the country, these are much easier planned. Hay racks can be pulled either by horses, a tractor, or even a pickup truck. (It's not recommended to use horses, especially on a windy night. They're unpredictable and may be nervous with all of the commotion).

Safety should be your # 1 concern. You could consider having the ride for kids before sunset, followed by the party. Take a cell phone and first aid kit for emergency purposes.

Place dry square bales of hay or straw or hay for seating. Have plenty of blankets and flashlights on hand. Serve hot chocolate and coffee when the ride is finished to take the chill away.

Barn Party

Turn your barn into a hub of Halloween activity! Make this setting as spooky and realistic as possible with plenty of spider webs, fake spiders and hay. Make your barn haunted with sounds and shadows. Have plenty of "witches brew" for thirsty ghouls.

Pumpkin Hunt

Similar to an Easter egg hunt, this game uses miniature pumpkins. If you're doing this (outdoors) after nightfall, hide the pumpkins in a much smaller area. Mark one pumpkin with a symbol or sticker and award a special prize for that particular pumpkin.

Scavenger Hunt

Everybody gets into the thrill of a hunt! Scavenger hunts can be a lot of fun if the game is planned correctly. Limit the area of the hunt and alert any neighbors to what is taking place. Add spooky and creepy things to your list and be specific.

Ghosting

As reported by all-star activities, Ghosting is fast becoming a popular Halloween tradition in the United States. This is a great way to start the Halloween season and to have a great dealof fun in your neighborhood. It is known as "Ghosting" or "Booing", depending on where you are from, but the concept is the same. It is best to start the first or second week in October to allow sufficient time for everyone to be "ghosted." It can be as elaborate or simple as you like. Simply use your imagination to create a "Bootiful" experience. Get the kids involved they all love craft projects.

Ghosting is a tradition that's quickly catching on around the world. Consider spending the evening outdoors and ghost the entire neighborhood. Since it's important to remain anonymous, careful coordination will be required. In your letter, instruct them to begin on a new neighborhood to keep the spirit alive.