Many communities have banned trick or treating in 2020 because of the pandemic, but that does not mean you have the let this fun holiday slip away uncelebrated. Learn how to prepare for Halloween and get your home ready for a Halloween themed party.
Throwing an epic gathering starts with learning how to prepare for Halloween. Planning ahead, and putting a little extra thought into the planning will ensure that your party is one to remember.
How To Prepare for Halloween When It’s Just For Kids
If you are thinking about a Halloween party that is exclusively for the kids there are a few things that you will need to consider before you ever start putting off the decorations. For example, what age group will be attending, how many kids will be attending, and whether you have to be concerned with anyone having food allergies.
A good rule of thumb the younger the kids the less scary the theme should be. The last thing you want is getting stuck calling a locksmith service because little Johnny is so scared he locked himself in the bathroom. That would definitely put a damper on things.
Typically, kids that are right around the preteen age can stand a good scare, and of course, teenagers thrive on terror. Children that are 7 and under, can scatter like mice when they are afraid and go into a panic that requires mom returns quickly to pick them up.
Here is how to prepare for Halloween for the younger kids (toddler- age seven):
- Use fun character decorations. There are plenty of options out there for fun Halloween decorations that lean more toward the cute side than the scary side.
- Keep the menu simple. It can be fun to present foods that look like body parts or bloody messes for older kids, little kids are far more likely to pass on anything that looks too weird. Even cupcakes that are decorated like spiders may be more than they are willing to try.
- Look for age-appropriate party games. For example, pin the tail on the pumpkin is a good choice for the little people.
Little kids still have a hard time distinguishing between what is real, and what is made up, it can be a challenge for them even after you take that scary mask off not to associate you with a devil or goblin or another monster.
Here is how to prepare for Halloween for the Preteens (around8-12-year-olds):
- You can go a lot more scary the older the kids are. Decorating outdoor structures, and even holding the party in the outdoor structures will keep the kids out of the house and give you a lot more options for making it a spooky scary event.
- You have a free license to serve the foods that are fun to serve. Preteens are a lot more experimental when it comes to what they eat. Feel free to follow that recipe for eyeball punch, dirt cake, and more, they will gobble it up.
- Games can be more advanced for this age.
For the preteen and teenagers holding things outdoors is a great way to keep the mess down, and get really creative with the decorations. We look at how to prepare for Halloween and an outdoor party below. The only real thing that can be an obstacle for holding an outdoor party is whether you have a heating source to keep people warm enough, but a firepit can be an easy solution.
Here is how to prepare for Halloween for teenagers:
- Teenagers are mini-adults. You can go over the top with the decorations and it will be well appreciated. The scarier the better when it comes to decorations.
- Whatever you would serve at an adult party on the menu, that is fine for the teenagers. You do not have to make special concessions for picky eaters when it comes to teenagers. They eat whatever would be served at an adult party. Of course, throwing in some fun menu items to help remind them they are still kids is also a good idea.
- Teenagers do not like to play games. Music and some space to dance is the way to go with the age group.
With teenagers, you do not have to worry so much about being too scary, or what they are going to eat, but you do have to keep a keen eye out for the smuggled in alcohol. Check any soft sided coolers that show up with the guests for anything that the under 21 crowds should not be consuming.
Teenagers are pretty slick so you may want to ask if any other parents would like to attend and help with chaperoning duties. Make a quick sweep of the premises for anything that looks like it may be holding some liquor or any other illegal substances. You’ll want to clear out any personal belongings from the bathroom cabinet. Your kids may have an amazing group of friends, and it may seem over the top to remove things that they can get into, but it is always better safe than sorry.
How To Prepare for Halloween and an Adult Party
Your party is going to be an adults-only soiree, then, you need to know how to prepare for Halloween and put on an event to remember. While little kids are finicky when it comes to what they eat and how scared they really want to be, adults are finicky when it comes to other things.
Start with a super clean home. Hire local cleaning services to give the house a deep clean. A well-organized, clean home makes the best impression, and of course, it frees up your time to prepare.
Here are some things you need to know about how to prepare for Halloween and an adult party:
- Send out invites early and pick your theme. Make sure you mention the theme of your party on the invitation. For example, a fun theme is a Superhero costume party, or you can go in the other direction and ask that everyone dresses up their scariest. Send out the invites early so you can get a headcount early because it will affect all the rest of your planning.
- Choose your menu wisely. Three things make a party, the setting, the food, and the entertainment. Food is very important to adults, choose your menus wisely. Make sure you have enough of everything for everyone and don’t forget the adult beverages.
- Adult games can be fun. Adult parties can be a great time to break out the old childhood games like pin the tail on the pumpkin. Charades is another fun game for an adult party. To keep the party moving and interesting plan on a music source, a place to dance around a bit, and of course, planned game activities.
Halloween costume contests, dunking for apples (after a few beers), and other fun party games can take adults back in time and really make your Halloween party a special occasion.
How to Prepare for Halloween and Keep Things Outdoors
If your home is on the smallish side but your yard is on the biggish side, move the party outdoors. Decorating your landscape with Jack o Lanterns, cemetery headstones, body parts, and more can turn your yard into a creepy zone ready to be the perfect setting for your Halloween gathering.
How to prepare for Halloween using outdoor spaces:
- Depending on where you live you may need to invest in a heating source. If you do not have a fire pit you can buy one for under $100. It would not only provide heat but can also be a place for people to gather around and make smores and tell some scary ghost stories.
- Make sure you have seating. Make sure that you have enough chairs for everyone to sit and take a break when they need to. If you do not have a patio, to place the chairs, you can get the paving done with paving stones in a few hours.
- The sky is the limit when it comes to outdoor games. Having the party outdoors opens up the possibilities for fun activities because you will not have to worry about the mess in the house.
The menu can also be easier outside, pull out the grill, and make burgers and hotdogs. Serve fun finger foods. Make sure you have some music. You can set up a projector outside and hang a white sheet and show scary movies in the background. There are a lot of possibilities when you move things outdoors.
How To Prepare for Halloween And Keep the Stress Down
If this is your party of the year, it can be a little stressful getting ready for the event, but you can keep stress down to the minimum by planning early, and keeping lists. The whole goal is to not lose your cool during the planning stages so that the party does not feel more like a chore than something you are looking forward to.
There are some easy ways that you can keep stress in check during the planning and the partying stages including:
- Make a list, check it twice, then check it again. Lists are your friends when it comes to planning any type of party. Detailed lists will ensure that you do not miss any of the details. Check your lists frequently and update them frequently.
- Delegate duties. No one throws a successful party without help. If you have friends and family members that can take on some of the responsibilities then tap into their capabilities. If you have to hire people, hire them. Remember, it’s your party and you want to enjoy it, you do not want to be so exhausted getting ready for it that you cannot. Get help.
- Stay on budget. Parties can get pretty elaborate, and elaborate is another word for very expensive. Set your budget early on and stay on track. You can have a really great party within your budget limits.
Things like lists, budgets, and getting help are all important ways to keep the stress down during the planning stages and after the party. Going over budget then worrying about how you are going to pay for it all really will put a damper on the whole experience. Trying to do it all alone will exhaust you and overstress you. Going in blindly without lists will ensure that some of the important details will fall to the wayside.
Rule number one of how to prepare for Halloween and have a great party is not to panic. Some things may go wrong but most things can easily be fixed. For example, the day before the party your sewer starts to back up, take a deep breath and call the emergency plumbing service to handle the problem, and get back to party planning.
Many people believe the more stressed they are about getting everything done the more the party will be appreciated by guests. The fact is the more stressed you are, the more stressed you are, and that is all there is to that. Friends, family, and other guests are coming to the party to enjoy the time spent with you at your home. They want to have a smiling happy host, not one that is on edge and worried.
How To Prepare for Halloween And The Cleanup
Halloween is the start of the winter holiday season. Three weeks after Halloween it is Thanksgiving. Getting everything cleared out from the Halloween festivities to get ready for the next holiday lineup is easy when you know how to prepare for Halloween to make for an easy transition to the next holiday.
If you really do not want to deal with the old holiday décor switch a roo decorate for Halloween and lean more toward a harvest theme. You can have a few scary elements in your decorations but make the basis something more harvest friendly, so you can easily transition to Thanksgiving with a little bit of effort.
Learning how to prepare for Halloween to make the transition to the next holiday easier will simplify things. Choose your décor wisely, and you will be able to transition without batting a batwing. Enjoy your Halloween.