13 Thrilling Halloween Party Themes for Kids
If you love trick-or-treating, then you’ll be delighted to learn that humans have been doing this tradition since medieval times.
What started as an activity where children used to go door to door to offer prayers for the dead and perform songs in exchange for food has evolved into a night full of costumes and wishes for treats instead of tricks. From admiring the fun costumes to feasting on loads of candy, Halloween is many people’s favorite holiday. So send out those scary Halloween invitations to all your friends.
Do you have any kids who want to throw a Halloween party for their friends? Check out this guide on 13 thrilling Halloween party themes for kids that suit every unique taste.
1. Haunted House
One of the most popular Halloween party themes is haunted house because there’s so much room for creativity. Although the word haunted might make you think the party has to be scary, you can decide which types of spirits and monsters will be visiting your home. Whether your child wants friendly ghosts like Casper or creepier guests like Frankenstein’s monster, you can rock everyone’s world with over-the-top decorations.
You can set the scene with a graveyard, cobwebs, skeletons, candles, and even a fog machine. Taking the time to bake sugar cookies shaped like ghosts and pigs in a blanket designed like monster fingers will make the party more memorable. Once people are ready to have fun, you can play games like the mummy wrap race with toilet paper and the freeze dance competition to songs like “Monster Mash.”
2. Their Favorite Halloween Movie
Does your family have a tradition of watching various beloved Halloween movies each year? If your child has a favorite, then you can invite them and their friends into the movie universe by creating a party based on this theme. Hocus Pocus, Harry Potter, Halloweentown, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown are just a few of the many wonderful classics out there.
For example, if your child wants to have a Harry Potter party, then guests can arrive and put on the sorting hat to discover their house and receive scarves with the matching house colors. You can also prepare a Quidditch tournament in the backyard and serve Ferrero Rocher chocolates with little wings glued on to resemble the golden snitch. After everyone has burned some energy, they can cozy up to watch the movie with some authentic treats like canary creams and butterbeer.
3. Pumpkin Bonanza
When people think about Halloween, pumpkins are often one of the first things they imagine. If you want to pay homage to this glorious fall symbol, then you’d be surprised by how many different things you can do with pumpkins. The main event would have to be a pumpkin carving and painting competition of course.
Some other activities you should consider include a pumpkin pie eating contest, a pumpkin hunt (like an Easter egg hunt but with small pumpkins instead), and minigolf where guests try to get a hole in one inside jack-o’-lanterns. Your layout should definitely have an orange and green color scheme and you can set up silly decorations like a puking pumpkin to get the kids to laugh.
4. Mad Scientists
If your child has a crafty side, then they’ll get pumped for a mad scientist Halloween party where they can unleash their creativity. You can give your party environment a crazy makeover by bringing in some chalkboards with equations written all over them, beakers that guests can drink out of, and odd experiments in jars. It’s also worth investing in lab coats and goggles for everyone so you can take incredible photos throughout the event.
One simple activity you can do is make your own slime. With tons of fun colors and mix-ins to choose from, each person’s final results will be unique. Another game that will have everyone squealing and laughing is find the eyeballs. All you have to do is cook a big pot of spaghetti and hide ping pong balls inside so guests can take turns wearing a blind fold and dig for the “eyeballs.”
5. Witches and Warlocks
You’ll want to practice your best cackle to ring in your child’s witches and warlocks bash! Nothing is more exciting than dressing up as a witch or warlock to get into some Halloween mischief. This party wouldn’t be complete without a bubbling cauldron, which you can bring to life with some dry ice.
To get everyone’s adrenaline pumping, you can play a magical version of field hockey where teams have to sweep a skull into a big cauldron goal with a broom in order to win. In order to stay hydrated, you can serve colorful punch potions in cool goblets. One amazing edible decoration that you can set out on the table is a guacamole witch face with carrot sticks for hair and blue tortilla chips for a hat.
6. No Tricks, Only Treats
Most people can agree that being able to indulge in candy and other sweets is the best part of Halloween. If your child isn’t interested in the scarier aspects of this holiday around the world, then you can gather up the gang for a delicious day of making candy and decorating sweets. Each activity you do can be based on your child’s age and skills in the kitchen.
One simple thing you can do is smash up different kinds of Jolly Ranchers and set out the colors in bowls. The kids can sprinkle the pieces on top of a lollipop stick and, after you bake this art in the oven for a few minutes, they’ll have stunning rainbow lollipops.
You can also give Halloween candy an upgrade by using them as decorations on cupcakes and even making chocolate bark. With so many possibilities to let their inner bakers shine, they’ll want to turn this party into a Halloween tradition.
7. Vampires and Bats
Vampires and bats are one of the best Halloween duos to exist, so why not throw a party to celebrate these creepy creatures? You can set up a face painting station so guests can decide if they want to be a vampire or a bat. An easy game everyone can play is bobbing for apples, but the major twist is that they’ll need to bite an apple with a set of fangs in their mouth.
Decorating can be a cinch if you hang up some flying bats and create a dark vibe in the room since bats and vampires don’t like sunlight. You could even create a coffin out of a cardboard box that will not only add to the party atmosphere, but it’ll also be a great prop for photos. If you need a calm activity, you can always put on a spirited movie like The Little Vampire or Hotel Transylvania.
8. Spooky Forest
Anyone who’s lucky enough to have a lot of forest space near their house should take advantage of the great outdoors by hosting a spooky forest walk. To be safe, you should create a clear path and consider adding some visible markings to the trees so the group can stick together as they navigate the path. Depending on how old the kids are, you should have a few adults accompany them at the front and the back.
With a few portable speakers that can play scary sounds like a chainsaw or ghostly moans, you’ll be able to get everyone’s heart pumping. You can hang some ghosts and monsters from trees so they’ll surprise people when the flashlight illuminates the path ahead. If some of the kids’ parents are good sports, they might be interested in sticking around to dress up and jump out from hiding places to startle the group.
After the frightening thrill is done, you should bring everyone inside to warm up with some apple cider and cheery Halloween fun.
9. Autumn Fair
Fall is when lots of charming fairs and festivals take place because people want to enjoy the crisp weather and comforting foods. You can create your own Halloween fair full of games, foods, drinks, and other activities. From bean bag toss to balloon shoot and duck fishing, you’ll be able to offer a wide variety of games at your home with ease.
To fuel the festivities, make sure you have a food table that has fair classics like donuts, caramel apples, corn dogs, popcorn, and cotton candy. You can set up a separate drink table that has water, hot chocolate, apple cider, and pumpkin punch. This is a party that lots of the kids’ parents will want to join, so consider preparing extra.
10. Build Your Own Escape Room
While hosting your party at an escape room venue can take most of the work out of planning, it can be expensive for large crowds. This doesn’t have to stop you from doing some brainstorming and building your own escape room at home for the kids to solve as a team. A homemade escape room will require lots of cleverness, but thankfully there are plenty of guides online that can give you some ideas.
Since you’ll be in charge of the plot, props, and clues, it’s up to you to decide which style of escape room your child would enjoy the most. Some themes you should consider include saving an archaeologist from mummies, finding the key to unlock a Halloween candy shop, and running away from zombies. It’s best to stay in the room with them so you can provide hints whenever they ask for some help.
11. Who Am I? Costume Party
The basic concept of Halloween is to dress up as someone or something that you’re not, so this means you aren’t limited to popular costumes like superheroes, mermaids, and monsters. An interesting twist could be having guests dress up as a famous person and have everyone guess who they are. This would be an amazing opportunity for kids to research someone’s life and share their history with others.
To make a game out of identifying people, you could play 20 Questions in which the person is only allowed to answer yes or no. Not only will the kids get excited to solve their friends’ identities, but they can also learn some cool facts about influential figures. Here is an example of how the game could go if someone dressed up as George Washington:
“Are you still alive?”
“No.”
“Are you a good guy?”
“Yes.”
“Did you fight in a war?”
“Yes.”
“Are you British?”
“No.”
“Are you American?”
“Yes.”
“Were you ever a president?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have fake teeth?”
“Yes.”
“Are you George Washington?”
“Yes!”
12. Glitter and Glam
Some kids want to feel like royalty or pop stars when Halloween rolls around, so you can turn their fantasies into a reality with a glitter and glam party. This theme is all about appreciating the finer things in life and making the kids feel extra special. Some things you could do at the party are makeovers, paparazzi photoshoots, interviews, and a talent show.
Any parents who hang around can act as adoring fans who applaud any performances and humbly serve them snacks and drinks. Once the kids embrace their celebrity personas, you can turn off the lights and bust out some glow sticks and strobe lights for the ultimate dance party. This party theme is an awesome way to boost kids’ confidence and help them shake any stress away.
13. Astronauts and Aliens
If your child is fascinated by space, then you can win the best parent award by helping them host a Halloween party with an astronauts and aliens theme. By leaving the costume choices to the guests, you’re bound to have interesting results once everyone arrives. This is why your party has to have a photoshoot area with a black curtain backdrop featuring stars and planets.
A creative party game you can organize is capture the flag, but in this case it would be capture the planet. Aliens and astronauts will have to fight against each other to see who can win the planet first. To make things goofier, you can establish a rule where astronauts have to gallop like they’re in space and aliens have to wiggle their arms like tentacles when they run.
Get Ready to Have a Blast With These Spooktacular Halloween Party Themes for Kids
Planning a party shouldn’t have to be stressful, which is why choosing a theme can help make the process easier. Whether your kid wants a lighthearted or creepy event, these Halloween party themes are guaranteed to be a huge success.
No matter what you’re celebrating, Greetings Island wants to join the fun and help create beautiful memories. Check out our selection of party invitations so you can always stay inspired for every special occasion.
Photo credits: Paige Cody, Nik, Alfred Schrock, Branimir Balogović on UnSplash
