Image by joshparent
There is no event that little monsters love more than Halloween. From ghosts to ghouls to things that go bump in the night, kids can’t get enough of the out of the ordinary. Whilst trick or treating is the standard way to celebrate, there is also no better time to throw a party. Obviously you don’t want to overdo it and give your kid’s friends nightmares, but you are spoilt for choice when it comes to ideas. We consider 4 Halloween themes and how to make them child friendly.
Vampires
Thanks to the Twilight phenomenon, vampires have firmly got the PG seal of approval. No longer are they the stuff of nightmares, but rather the stuff of fantasies. This theme is likely to appeal to slightly older children around the age of 10-12.
For a vampire party with a modern twist suggest that the children dress up as their favourite Twilight characters. Fancy dress will be pretty simple – white makeup, eyeliner and glittery skin (a very new addition to the vampire image).
A fun activity is a vampire trivia game. Include questions about well-known characters from Twilight, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel. Don’t forget to hand out party bags with classic fillers like fake pointed teeth and vampire masks. Everyone will have a fangtastic time!
Pumpkins
This is a great theme that shouldn’t give anyone any nightmares. The bonus here is that children’s pumpkin costumes are adorable! If you decide to do pumpkin carving as an activity, make sure that the children aren’t too young that it’s properly supervised and that an adult does the actual carving. You can download carving patterns for free online.
Visit a market to get your hands on as much orange fabric as you can. Hang it from the walls and drape it over chairs and tables. Then add orange balloons and your home-carved pumpkins. Your party room should feel like you’ve fallen into a can of Tango. Finally, offer snacks such as oranges, Wotsits and Red Leicester cheese.
Ghosts
Ghosts are another theme that can be given a PG make-over – think Casper the Friendly Ghost rather than The Sixth Sense. Costumes for this theme are easy. Cut up some old sheets (or buy some cheap ones) and then add eye and mouth holes.
Make the room look old by hanging fake webs in the corners. You can also try to make your own games like ‘Guess the Ghost’. Pinterest has some great ideas for food and decorations.
Witches & Wizards
Thanks to Harry Potter this is the perfect theme for young children. Make your house Hogwarts for the day and fashion your invitations as offer letters to attend the school signed by Albus Dumbledore. If you can get your hands on a wax sealing kit, it will make them seem all the more authentic.
There is no end to activity possibilities. Try playing Quidditch in the garden by splitting the children into two teams. Give each of them a broom and challenge them to sweep the snitch (a gold spray- painted ball) into the goals at either end. Alternatively, provide a range of sauces and mix ‘magic potions’.
Hand out party bags with goodies such as sweets re-labelled as potions and magic wands. You can buy a wide range of party bag fillers from sites like All About Party Bags.
Halloween is a great opportunity to throw a children’s party and get creative. These themes offer loads of opportunities for fun activities and fancy dress. Just make sure that you don’t go too scary!
Do you have any Halloween theme ideas to share? Let us know in the comments.
Susannah Perez is a self-confessed geek who loves books, writing and parties.
