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Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday, however, I’ve come to like it more because of the joy my children experience. They LOVE dressing up in costume. And the candy. But mostly the candy costumes. And while playing dress up together in our house is very enjoyable, dressing up for a party is better. Really, anything with the word party is exciting. So if you are thinking of having a party, I’ve got tips so you can have a lively party without much stress.
Simple decor
No need for extra stress, a party does not need exorbitant decorations. I love paper garlands and a simple table runner (just like this one) and I did fall in love with this printable party pack. But think outside the box – orange and black are not the only color options. Use the white dishes you already have paired with gray, cream and black or go bold with a pink, red and orange. Even though the party is for little ones, it can still be high on style, simple style. I kicked up the sophistication for us by adding gold. (These champagne votives would have worked perfectly.) Using basic black cups, napkins and balloons, I added hints of gold to make them holiday party ready.
On the napkins, I used a handmade stamp to add a few polka dots to our napkins. I doodled jack-o-lantern faces on the cups and added more dots to balloons.
Put a Halloween-y twist on classic children party games
You don’t need to reinvent the wheel and come up with an entirely new game for the party. Take the classics and tweak them to fit the holiday. Instead of a donkey, try to pin the crooked nose on the witch or pin the stem on the jack-o-lantern. Other fun alternatives include, pumpkin patch pop, roll a pumpkin, Halloween bowling and the mummy wrap game.
Easy foods
If you look at Pinterest, you know there are hundreds, even thousands of Halloween-themed food things you can create. While that is all well and good, you can spend an enormous amount of time and energy on it and make much more stress for yourself than is necessary. Food is only part of the party and being present for the party is far more important. Try one or, at most, two themed food items for your party. Maybe a warm soup for your little guests in this enameled pumpkin casserole dish. Isn’t it darling?! And if you want something really easy, use one of the many pre-packaged holiday themed treats available.
I’m a fuddy duddy when it comes to party treats for little ones; I veer towards the less sweet much to the chagrin of my children. We made popcorn with Halloween M&Ms sprinkled in and an orange-colored drink. (I think they would have looked even better on this tablecloth.)
Halloween-themed party activities
Maybe your party goers are more interested in making something than playing games. If that’s the case, then apply the same technique as the party game tip above. Transform classic party activities into holiday party ones by tweaking them. Party crowns can be costume headbands or simple felt masks. Use face paint to make monsters or pumpkins or get the group to paint a pumpkin. I thought these activities looked fun too: stamping a skeleton, felt bat masks, paint rock magnets or add googly-eyes to donuts.
Keep the party short
This tip is just for sanity’s sake. Parties are so exciting and so fun and all that emotion can really tucker the little ones out. Keeping the party a shorter length will hopefully prevent breakdowns that longer parties can cause. Plus, for all the work you’ve done, you deserve a good ole break. :)
So have fun and share the excitement with the little ones in your life. Children will love any celebration you put together because you did it; being together will be memorable. So leave the stress behind and keep it simple. And have fun!
You can throw a similar party with pieces like this from Wayfair.
Champagne Votives | Spider Lace Web Table Topper
Spider Web Felt Table Runner | Enameled Pumpkin Casserole | Black Candles
Happy Halloween party!
I love the cups! Great ideas :)
Thanks Emily!