Throw a Backyard Halloween Party

The Kids Are All Fright!

Invite the neighborhood kids over for a pre-trick-or-treating Halloween bash! Encourage the kids to come dressed in their costume so they can head out to go collect their candy together!

• Shop Amazon's Spooktacular Kids' Halloween Costumes Store

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Invitation: Eye-Catching Card

Lure guests to your Halloween party using our eerie invite! Glue different-size googly eyes onto the front of black bifold cards, write a quick message inside, and deliver to guests before the bash.

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Decor: Paper Lantern Pumpkins

Hang orange paper-lantern pumpkins on the ends of shepherd's hooks to guide guests down the pathway to the party.

• Click here to buy paper lanterns from pearlriver.com.

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Game: Mystery Bowls

Fill separate bowls with baggies of pudding, cold pasta, and peeled grapes, then cover each bowl with black felt and place bowls on a table. Have kids take turns closing their eyes and sticking their hands into the bowls to feel the different "body parts" in each one.

Tip: Take pictures of kids' expressions as they reach into the bowls; send them as party favors after the night is over!

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Game: Bone-a-fied Scavenger Hunt

Paint a bunch of large dog bones white and one orange, then hide them around the backyard. Start a timer and send kids out to find the bones. The child who finds the orange doggy treat wins a special prize, but be sure to give the rest of the kids a Halloween treat for looking!

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Game: Build a Haunted House

Have party guests build their own mini haunted houses out of leftover cardboard boxes. Wrap a few big boxes in black paper and create windows, doors, and a roof with yellow sticky notes. Turn it into a contest to see which team can make the tallest house!

• Click here to buy black paper from Discount School Supply.

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Game: Ghostly Bowling

Put a spooky spin on backyard bowling with these tricks. Wrap a black basketball in gauze and add large googly eyes. Dress up recycled soda bottles like ghosts by gluing white batting to the top of each bottle lid. Kids can take turns rolling the ball into the "ghosts" to score points.

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Decor: Going Batty

Cut pieces of wide black florist ribbon about 10 inches long and make a knot in the center of each piece. Attach adhesive googly eyes to each side of the knot and attach to a piece of wire.

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Decor: A Spooky Street Sign

Use black paint to write Halloween-theme street names such as Witch Way, Goblin's Gorge, and Pumpkin Place on pieces of scrap wood, then nail the pieces at various angles to a 5-foot-tall garden stake. Stick the stake in the ground or into a large planter.

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Decor: Boo Brooms

Make your own letter stencils using contact paper. Adhere them to the flat surface of the broom's bristles, then fill in with orange spray paint. Lean the finished brooms against the fence in your front yard for a playfully scary message.

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Decor: Pumpkin Dress-Up

These decorated pumpkins are simply smashing! To create some "pumpkin people" of your own, stack two to four pumpkins and press a 3/4-inch dowel through the center. Raid your child's costume and crafts bins for accessories you can use to glue or pin to your pumpkin people.

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Game: Balancing Act

Challenge trick-or-treaters to walk the plank without falling into the spider swamp! Lay a 2x4-inch wooden board over layers of tulle and cheese cloth. Let kids practice tip-toeing across one at a time to avoid the "swamp" below them.

Make the swamp: Toss a handful of oversize spiders, made from painted foam balls and chenille stems, onto the ground near the plank. The more spiders there are, the ickier the whole thing looks!

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Food: Creepy Chili

For an easy dinner dish that's fun and filling, float a piece of bat of spider-shaped cheese on top of a kid-size serving of your favorite chili recipe.

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Food: Halloween Veggies

Kids will forget they're eating good-for-you foods with this healthy tip! Arrange cauliflower, carrots, and yellow peppers in the shape of a candy corn and serve with a side of hummus in a pumpkin dish. Don't be afraid to dig in yourself!

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Food: Ghostly Hot Cocoa

For a warm dessert, dress up guests' hot chocolate with a tiny swirl of whipped cream. Add candy eyes and a Junior Mint mouth for a ghostly feel!

• Click here to buy candy eyes at Fancy Flours.

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!

Halloween Craft: Trick-or Treat Bag

Download a spooky tree image and type Trick-or-Treat or another fun Halloween message into the frame. Print the picture onto iron-on transfer paper (Avery-brand available at amazon.com), and transfer it to both sides of a simple canvas tote. This easy craft can help you distinguish your kid's bag from her friends'!

Originally published in the October 2010 issue of Parents magazine.

What do you think of this story? Give your opinion!