Fun and Easy Halloween Party Ideas for Kids

Have a happy Halloween with all the ghosts at home with these Halloween party ideas. Halloween parties are among the most fun and informal to host. A good Halloween party will live on in legends for years to come. If these are not compelling enough reasons to induce you into going through all the expense and bother of hosting an All Hallows Eve event, think of this: you will know where and with whom your children are.

Now, let's get down to business; no matter the motivation for keeping your children safe or entertained, the party still needs to be fun. One of the best ways to ensure this is to pick the proper theme.

Picking the theme is not as difficult as it may seem if you know what your target audience is. For example, there is a vast difference in the kind of theme party that will delight 5-year-olds and those that will please the teen or pre-teen set.

Group Halloween Party Themes by Age

Themes for All Ages

Let's start with the most challenging group, a party theme for all ages. It is tricky to choose a theme that pleases teens, entertains younger children, and doesn't drive parents batty. For this to work it might be best if you make your guest list before you choose a theme. Once you know who will be invited, what their interests are, and the exact age spread you are aiming to please, then the theme is narrowed.

A surefire family-pleasing theme is an old-west theme. Take it one step further and narrow it down to classic Western television shows or movies. What kid didn't go through a cowboy or horse-loving phase? Make it a family affair, and ask your guests to come ready for a regular hoe down. With the Wild West as your theme, games, décor, and food is easy. Have your guests try lassoing a makeshift steer, pin the tail on the donkey, and square dancing are all fun. To get creative, try an old-time Western showdown. For the décor, use checkered tablecloths and corn stalks in abundance. If you can get a hold of a few hay bales. For delicious eats, apple pie, BBQ beef sandwiches, and lemonade fit the bill just fine.

If that isn't up your alley, try these other family-centered themes:

• The Monster Mash: Have guests dress up as their favorite monsters and get ready for a hauntingly good time.
• Clue: Play a family-wide game of Clue based on the classic game or even watch the movie.
• Peanuts Halloween: A Peanuts Halloween party is sure to please your youngest partygoers and bring back fond memories for older siblings and parents.

If you can't seem to settle on a theme that is sure to please each member of your multi-generational guest list then you can choose a theme that you know is most likely to please the bulk of your guests and just add a few games or activities not totally related, but that will appease the age group your chosen theme might leave hanging out to dry.

Themes for Ages 3-8

A party geared for the younger set, ages 3-8, is a lot of fun but also requires a lot of planning to make sure that your pint-sized guests don't declare boredom after five minutes and begin to ransack the house. Halloween parties are the one possible exception to this rule. Most of the entertainment needs are met for you in the form of trick or treating, and after your partygoers return home with a sack of loot, most of them will want to do little else other than worship their newly attained treasures.

To pick a party theme aimed at youngsters, begin by taking a look at your child's interests. A cartoon character or movie character-themed party is sure to be a hit as well as easily managed entertainment. Once you meet and trick or treat, simply pass out pillows and blankets, then punch play on the DVD. It's sure to bring instant entertainment.

Try these other themes that can be frightfully fun for a teeny Halloween party:

• Night at the Museum: For this party, set up a few displays to entertain and include them in your games.
• Haunted Mansion: A haunted mansion is always a classic. Turn each room in your house into a different creepy experience. Be careful not to overdo it; these are young kids.
• Superheroes: Superheroes are fantastic fun and not at all creepy if you are worried about the chill factor. They are just fun, and the games you can play based on superhero powers are sure to be a hit!

One thing to keep in mind is that no matter how carefully you pick your theme, you are bound to have at least one guest show up who is not dressed up according to your party's theme. Don't sweat it; the point is to have fun. Besides, have you ever tried to get a four-year-old to change his mind?

Themes for Tweens

Tweens are a difficult category when it comes to thinking up cool Halloween party ideas. They have rejected anything that in the slightest will connect them with baby or kid stuff but are not ready for a hard-core Halloween fright night. There are, however, lots of things that will please these wanna-be grown-ups yet not induce nightmares, nor will it require them to mix with the cootie-infested members of the opposite sex.

Try a Hanna Montana or Zack and Cody party. The Olsen Twins might be old news, but thanks to them, there is likely to always be a fresh crop of television and movie starlets aimed at your pre-teen kids. A few of the brightest stars on the tween horizon are Hannah Montana or Zack and Cody from the Disney Channel. With the plots of these shows involving quick costume changes, divas, hotel guests, and secret identities, there is plenty of Halloween party material.

If this doesn't appeal to your kids try these other ideas:

• Goonies-themed Party: Take a nostalgic trip; most of your kids and their friends will not be familiar with this movie, but with the 80s now being the hot decade, it is sure to please.
• Gross-out Party A gross-out party is always a Halloween favorite. Take a tip from Fear Factor and create your own ghoulishly disgusting party.
• Indiana Jones: If you are more in the mood for heroics with just a touch of the grotesque, then an Indiana Jones-themed party is just the ticket. Mummies, snakes, and hidden treasure; what could be more Halloweenish than that?

Themes for Teens

Teens can be the easiest group to host a party for. The two tricks are appropriate chaperonage, discreet for your kids yet ever present for your peace of mind, and the all-important theme. Once your child adjusts to the idea of chaperones and a theme is chosen, all you really need to do is sit back and offer a bit of advice and perhaps bankroll the goodies. Here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling on your teenager's Halloween party.

• Murder Mystery Dinner Party. This is fun, and if you buy the box set, it is very easy to set up; all you need to do is follow the instructions. But you can do it yourself if you don't want to buy an expensive deluxe set. There are several sites that litter the net that offer murder mystery scripts and ideas on how to host successfully. Just send your teen and his or her friends online. They should return with a plethora of ideas that they will love, and all you have to do is be sure the internet connection is in good working order.
• Clue: In this world of all things old becoming new again, a Clue party might be the perfect solution. It is similar to a murder mystery dinner, but for those teens who don't like the idea of dressing up or acting a part, it is a much cooler idea.
• Rock Stars: Most teens think they are rock stars, and for parents, rock stars are scary enough without the addition of haunting or Halloween. This is a great party theme. Games can be lip-syncs, the actual video game rock star, or air guitar contests. But it is not really up to you. If your teens like the idea of a rock party, they can come up with entertainment ideas and menus all on their own.
• Haunted Oscar Party: Hollywood is always a fun idea for party themes; why not host a haunted Oscar party? The only rule is that the teens come dressed as a deceased Hollywood legend. This can be a very ghoulish party if you want to add the bloody rotten skin effects of famous corpses or forgo the gore and simply assume the persona of a star whose flame has been snuffed.

These are just a very few Halloween party ideas that can be tapped for safe and clean Halloween fun. Let your imagination go wild! You could create a haunted mansion or school of magic. The possibilities are endless, so be creative and have a very happy and fun Halloween!

More Ideas for Halloween

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Sonya Pix / Unsplash.