Halloween Lists: Party ideas, Games, Costumes and More 🎃

Halloween Party List

• Decide the theme and venue

• Make the guest list 

• Send out invitations 

• Buy decorations 

• Put up decorations

• Lighting arrangements

• Add spooky decor to the bathrooms

• Outdoor decor 

• Themed props, for pics and guests without costume

• Party Menu : main dishes, themed snacks (serve savory items to balance out the sugar from candy), themed desserts

• Drinks Menu : plan 3-4 alcoholic drinks for 2+ hr party (idea: punch bowl), non-alcoholic options and something for kids

• Halloween candy

• Activities and games: costume contest, pumpkin carving, apple bobbing, scavenger hunt, scary stories circle

• Activities for kids: face painting, crafts

• Entertainment: theme-related movie (to play in the background), spooky playlist, speaker setup

• Party Favors

• Cutlery: serving dishes, platters, forks spoons, knives, napkins

• Trash Bags

• Chairs / options for extra seating 

• Toilet supplies: extra toilet paper, soap, towels

• First aid kit

Halloween Party Games

• Pumpkin Bowling: Pumpkins as bowling balls and bottles filled with sand or water as bowling pins

• Witch Hat Ring Toss: Players toss glow in the dark rings (or DIY rings) onto a witch’s hat kept at a distance

• Guess the Guts / Feel boxes: Players should guess what’s inside small, covered boxes by touch alone. Use peeled grapes for “eyeballs,” cold spaghetti for “worms,” or slime for “zombie brains”.

• Zombie Tag: One person is the “zombie” and anyone they tag also becomes a zombie. Add excitement by creating safe zones where humans can rest for some time during the game

• Mummy Wrap Race: Teams have to use toilet paper to wrap one person as a mummy as fast as possible

• Pin the Hat on the Witch: Halloween version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey

• Scavenger Hunt: Hide Halloween themed items around the house – mini pumpkins, skeleton hands, plastic spiders. Give players a list of clues to hunt the items, and add atmosphere with spooky or dim lighting, or glow in the dark paint

 

Halloween Movies List

• Disney Frankenweenie

• Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas

• Maleficent

• Hocus Pocus (a classic!)

• Edward Scissorhands

• Into the Woods (a musical)

• Descendants (1, 2 and 3 – we love them all!)

• Zombies (1&2)

• The Adams Family

• Hotel Transylvania 1, 2, 3 and 4 – make it a Halloween movie marathon!

• Goosebumps

• Room on the Broom

• Paranorman

• Corpse Bride

• Casper (another classic)

 

Halloween Lantern Ideas

• Classic Jack O’ Lantern: Carve a spooky or silly face, then place an LED candle inside for a classic glow

• Painted Pumpkins: Skip the carving and use glow-in-the-dark or metallic paint to create ghost faces, spider webs, or stars

• Drilled Pattern Lanterns: Use a drill to create simple patterns (like polka dots or stars) that light up beautifully

• Stacked Pumpkin Totem: Stack a few carved pumpkins on top of each other and add lights for a towering lantern effect

• Silhouette Carving: Carve our haunted houses, bats or cats as silhouettes to cast spooky shadows

 

Spooky Halloween Recipes

• Monster Rice Krispie Treats: Make Rice Krispie squares, then dip in green or purple melted chocolate and add candy eyes for a monster look

• Mummy Hot Dogs: Wrap hot dogs in crescent roll dough strips, leaving small gaps for “eyes”. Bake, then add tiny mustard or ketchup dots for eyes

• Ghost Bananas and Clementine Pumpkins: Slice bananas in half, add mini chocolate chip eyes for ghosts, and top clementines with a small celery “stem” to make pumpkins

• Spider Pizza Bagels: Top mini bagels with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and arrange olive slices to create a “spider” on top

• Witch’s Brew Punch: Combine a green sports drink with ginger ale, adding gummy worms or eyeball candies as “floating” treats

 

Halloween Costume Ideas for Toddlers

• Classic Pumpkin: A soft round pumpkin suit with a little green hat stem. Cosy and iconic! 

• Mini Ghost: A cute ghost costume with a white sheet, but customized with bug eyes and a happy smile so it’s not too scary

• Baby Dinosaur: Soft, dinosaur onesies in bright colours or pastels, with little spikes down the back and a hood with a dino face

• Cute Witch or Wizard: A tiny cape, hat and a toddler-friendly wand or broomstick

• Garden Gnome: Use a puffy onesie, or add a pair of suspenders, a little red pointy hat and a felt beard. Easy and funny! 

• Forest Animal (Fox, Bunny, Deer): Cozy fleece costumes with little ears and tails add a sweet, woodland feel

 

Halloween Costume Ideas for Kids (5-10 years)

• Superhero: Classic choices like Spider-man, Wonder Woman or custom superhero outfits

• Wizard or Witch from the world of Harry Potter: Robes, wands and glasses. A magical look!

• Animal Costume (Lion, Bunny, Dinosaur): Add ears, tails and spikes to coloured costumes

• Astronaut: A fun, space-themed suit with a helmet, for little explorers

• Princess or Knight: Classic fairy-tale looks with crowns, swords and capes 

 

Halloween Costume Ideas for Teenagers

• Retro 80s/90s icon: Neon colors, scrunchies, oversized jackets

• Modern Witch or Vampire: Classic but with a glam twist

• Characters from Stranger Things: Outfits inspired by the show’s retro style 

• Fantasy Character (Elf, Fairy): Mystical vibes with wings or earthy tones

• Pop Culture Icon (Wednesday Addams, Barbie): Recognizable and trendy

  

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Click on any list and make it your own by adding or removing items, then add it to My Day. Now you can check them off as you get through them!